We thank Allah the Benevolent the
Merciful, for passing us through the
Easter season without any
significant insecurity issue more
especially against the Christian.
We are happy for that and we
applaud all for the peace-calling
speeches we heard from all
quarters.
Since Easter is meant to be a
period of spiritual contemplation,
the best gift we can offer our
Christian fellows is another prism
to see through and re-contemplate.
Religion is not defined by its
adherents but by the theological
basis of its deliverance. For
instance, if Boko Haram, are the
ones that define Islam, then Islam
will be like a candle in broad day
light burning itself out. Nor the
sultanate or any other traditional or
cultural organization or religious
order for that matter. Nay, Islam is
defined by the scriptural purity of its
universal message. In that sense
also, the church today does not
define Christianity nor what the
Christians do or don’t do.
Christianity is equally defined by its
theology.
The theological basis, on which
Easter celebrates, is the foundation
of the Christian faith. St. Paul
wrote: “And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain, and
your faith is also vain.“
Resurrection purports the
necessity to believe that Jesus –
alaihis Salam- died on the cross.
On this all canonical Christians
agree. Their belief is that Jesus
was killed by crucifixion (c.f. cruci-
fiction). While the Quran came
categorically plain that Jesus was
never killed by any method,
crucifixion included. “And because
of their boasting (Jews): “We killed
Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the
Messenger of Allah”.;- but They
killed Him not, nor crucified him,
but so it was made to appear to
them, and those who differ therein
are full of doubts, with no (certain)
knowledge, but only conjecture to
follow, for of a surety They killed
Him not:- Nay, Allah raised Him up
unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted
In power, Wise;- And there is none
of the people of the Book but must
believe In Him before His death;
and on the Day of Judgment He
will be a witness against them;”-
Q4/157-159.
These are words of the Quran,
clear and unambiguous that Jesus
Christ was not killed by the Jews or
Romans. Beyond that, neither the
Quran nor any Hadith attributed to
the prophet –peace be upon him-
explained the details of what
happened to him. For the Islamic
theologians they had to also
depend on some Jewish narrations
called “israeliyat” with what literally
tally with the Quranic verse of their
understanding. That is why the
difference of opinion as to who was
actually the fellow that was made
to resemble Jesus.
Part of the miracles of the Holy
Quran is the malleability and
selection of words -like a master
key- to repute different wrong and
faulty theological discrepancies at
a go. What the Quran said was that
the Jews who claimed they have
killed Jesus on the cross are in
dispute and are only following their
thoughts – conjecture. “and those
who differ therein are full of doubts,
with no (certain) knowledge, but
only conjecture to follow, for of a
surety They killed Him not”.
Strangely for them, such doubts
were recorded among the
canonical Christians. (Joh:19:31:
The Jews therefore, because it was
the preparation, that the bodies
should not remain upon the cross
on the sabbath day, (for that
sabbath day was an high day,)
besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they
might be taken away. Joh:19:32:
Then came the soldiers, and brake
the legs of the first, and of the other
which was crucified with
him.Joh:19:33: But when they
came to Jesus, and saw that he
was dead already, they brake not
his legs:).
The testimony of his death on the
cross came from a distance
observation of Roman soldiers –
the executioners “and saw that he
was dead already”. On the
contrary, on close observation, of
one of them, the bible recorded,
doubted and therefore took a
different cause to ascertain
whether he actually died.
(Joh:19:34: BUT one of the soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, and
forthwith came there out blood and
water. Joh:19:35: And he that saw
it bare record, and his record is
true: and he knoweth that he saith
true, that ye might believe.
Joh:19:36: For these things were
done, that the scripture should be
fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be
broken. Joh:19:37: And again
another scripture saith, They shall
look on him whom they pierced.)
Here we are: “But one of the
soldiers with a spear pierced his
side, and forthwith came there out
blood and water. And he that saw it
bare record, and his record is true:
and he knoweth that he saith true,
that ye might believe” that he was
not dead when he was brought
down from the cross. He was then
only comatose. Therefore, the
Quran here is also a perfect
answer for this line of theological
belief. Allah said in the Quran “”.;-
but They killed Him not, nor
crucified him, but so it was made to
appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with
no (certain) knowledge, but only
conjecture to follow, for of a surety
They killed Him not:- Nay, Allah
raised Him up unto Himself; and
Allah is Exalted In power, Wise;”. It
explains the logic behind the
emphasis “, for of a surety They
killed Him not”. For those non
canonical Christian scriptures like
the disputed Gospel of Barnabas,
where Jesus was substituted with
another disciple, the Quranic
expression “but so it was made to
appear to them” is read as “but so
he was made to appear to them”.
Whichever way Christians and
non-Christians follow, the Quran
exposes the dispute therein in the
one of the four canonical gospels
and augment their uncertainty of
his death on the cross as is in their
scriptures, the very foundation of
which billions of faithful hang their
salvation on.
Let us figuratively look at the issue
this way. A thirsty man with the
choices of either drinking a glass of
a probably poisoned milk or an
ascertained pure glass of water
would drink the water. No two sane
people will argue about this logic.
This is the lesson the Quran casted
on the end of the life of one of the
greatest human that lived. Leave
what is doubtful and follow what is
simple and clear. Jesus – alaihis
Salam- taught in unequivocal terms
that God is the Master in charge
and should only be worshiped
directly, so why do people bet on
the most unsubstantiated historical
account of his life as the foundation
of their faith? This when he has
clearly shown his limitations. “And
he saith unto them, Ye shall drink
indeed of my cup, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized
with: but to sit on my right hand,
and on my left, is not mine to give,
but it shall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my Father.”
M’t:20:23. “ … no intercessor (can
plead with him) except after His
leave (hath been obtained). This is
Allah your Lord; Him Therefore
serve ye: will ye not receive
admonition? Q10/3.
Let us all join hands to worship
one God; there is no Deity except
Him.
May Allah guide us all to the
straight path.