456. Was Prophet Isa crucified on the cross? 

Verses (3:55, 4:156) of the Quran say Prophet Isa was not crucified on the cross.

There are lot of differences between Christians and Islam regarding Prophet Isa. 

Islam accepts the claim Jews had plotted to murder Prophet Isa. But the Quran says the Jews killed another person in the place of Prophet Isa, while he was raised above into the heavens by the Almighty. 

As per Islamic belief, every human is bound to face death one day and would be interred on earth, Prophet Isa would descend from the heavens (where he is alive till today) to die on earth, during the final days of the world.

Islam does not subscribe to the view; Prophet Isa was crucified and was resurrected after three days. 

Even as per the narrations in the Bible there is much evidence to substantiate the Islamic belief on Prophet Isa.

The four (Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John) who had written the biography of Prophet Isa were not his disciples and were not witness to the crucifixion of Prophet Isa which they have mentioned in their writings.

Barnabas was a disciple of Jesus and witness to Jesus being captured and was present at the scene. The Gospel written by him conveys the incident like what Islam says and for this reason the Christian preachers deleted the Gospel from the Bible.

The reference to Barnabas in the Bible signifies his importance.

Refer Apostles 9:27, 11:21-26, 13:1,2, 13:7, 13:43, 13:44-47, 15:37, 15:38-41,

Galatians 2:1, 2:9,10 

From the above verses it could be understood that even Paul could not refute the significance of Barnabas.

Barnabas who was equal or above Paul mentions the following regarding death at the cross:

215. When the soldiers with Judas drew near to the place where Jesus was, Jesus heard the approach of many people, therefore in fear he withdrew into the house. And the eleven were sleeping. 

Then God, seeing the danger of his servant, commanded Gabriel, Michael, Rafael, and Uriel, his ministers, to take Jesus out of the world. 

The holy angels came and took Jesus out by the window that looketh toward the South. They bare him and placed him in the third heaven in the company of angels blessing God for evermore. 

216. Judas entered impetuously before all into the chamber whence Jesus had been taken up. And the disciples were sleeping. Whereupon the wonderful God acted wonderfully, insomuch that Judas was so changed in speech and in fact to be like Jesus that we believed him to be Jesus. And he, having awakened us, was seeking where the Master was. Whereupon we marveled, and answered: 'Thou, Lord, art our master; hast thou now forgotten us?' 

And he, smiling, said: 'Now are ye foolish, that know not me to be Judas Iscariot!' 

And as he was saying this the soldiers entered, and laid their hands upon Judas, because he was in every way like Jesus. 

We, having heard Judas' saying, and seeing the multitude of soldiers, fled as beside ourselves. 

And John, who was wrapped in a linen cloth, awoke and fled, and when a soldier seized him by the linen cloth he left the linen cloth and fled naked. For God heard the prayer of Jesus, and saved the eleven from evil. 

217. The soldiers took Judas and bound him, not without derision. For he truthfully denied that he was Jesus; and the soldiers, mocking him, said: 'Sir, fear not, for we are come to make thee king of Israel, and we have bound thee because we know that thou dost refuse the kingdom.' 

Judas answered: 'Now have ye lost your senses! Ye have come to take Jesus of Nazareth, with arms and lanterns as [against] a robber; and ye have bound me that have guided you, to make me king!' 

This statement by Barnabas who was a direct witness to the incident is exactly what is narrated in the Quran.

Before being apprehended Jesus pleaded with the Almighty sobbing again and again. 

His pleading:

Matthew 26:36-46 

36. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 

37. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 

38. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 

39. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 

40. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 

41. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

42. He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may you be done.” 

43. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 

44. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 

45. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 

46. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” 

Mathew 26:37-39

³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 

³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 

The rest of the Gospels say the same.

When Jesus pleaded with God with fear of death, there is no reason why the Almighty would not accept his prayer and save him.

And moreover the belief that Jesus died for the sins of others is against the ideology of the Bile itself. 

Deuteronomy : 24:1616 Thefathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. 

Eziekel 18:2020 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Jeremiah 31:29,30

²⁹ “In those days people will no longer say, 

‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, 

          and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 

³⁰ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.  

When it is said in the Bible each soul should carry its own burden of sins committed by it, the message in the Bible that Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of others is like refuting the Bible itself. Moreover it could be made out that Jesus preferred to escape from death, as can be seen in his prayers to the Almighty.

And Jesus did not voluntarily offer himself to be sacrificed, rather preferred to escape from death till he was betrayed by one of his own disciples.

They plotted to tactfully capture and kill Jesus.

Mathew 26:1-5 

26:1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples,

26:2 “You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 

26:3 At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

26:4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.

26:5 “But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” 

 Mathew-12:14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. 15:Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16:warning them not to tell who he was 

Mark-14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." 

Luke-22:2and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 

Mark 14:44-46

 ⁴⁴Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”

 ⁴⁵ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.

 ⁴⁶ The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 

If the claim Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins committed by others is true, he should have sacrificed himself at the cross or he should have welcomed the decision of his enemies to eliminate him, but he ran away and hid himself from them. This is the reason one of his own disciples had to betray him. The need to betray happens only when one is living in hiding. 

Hence it is confirmed that Jesus did not sacrifice himself for the sins committed by others as mentioned in the Bible.

For more details on this subject please refer to points 101, 166 of this compilation