The Death of Jesus

So, ask yourselves these questions: How can a living human being physically ascend into the Heavenly skies when humanity does not even know exactly where Heaven is located? How can someone be revived back to life from the dead and return to Earth in the same physical form? People being revived from the dead seems like a concept from a fictional story. These questions have always perplexed me when it came to understanding the fundamental teachings of Christianity.

According to the teachings of Islam, it is not possible for anyone to literally ascend into the heavens, physically. Jesus Christ was a true messenger of God and a Messiah for the Israelites as foretold by Moses. He came to revive the true spirit of the Torah into the hearts of the Israelites. He only came to fulfill the Mosaic Law, not to change it (Matthew 5:17). He also wanted his ministry to reach all Twelve Tribes of Israel.

It is believed by Christians that Jesus Christ volunteered himself to take the burden of the entire sins of mankind, who believed in him and accepted him as their savior. So, he punished himself for the sins he had never committed. Does this not go against the judicial belief system, that one is innocent until proven guilty? Are criminals not considered sinners? If this is true, then why are Christians incarcerated in prisons around the world if Jesus Christ atoned for their sins?

According to Islam, one cannot be punished for someone else’s sins or actions. Good or bad deeds cannot be transferred from generation to generation. The Holy Qur’an says in Chapter 35, verse 19, “No one can bear the burden of another.” Muslims also believe that everyone is born sinless, including all of the messengers of God.

When Jesus Christ was on the cross he was praying fervently to God to spare him from the punishment of death on the cross and God accepted his prayers. It would be a contradiction to Christian beliefs if Jesus Christ was crucified because it says in Deuteronomy 21:23, “He who is hanged is accursed of God.” If Jesus Christ did not survive the crucifixion, it would mean that he was a false messenger of God.

After three days and three nights Jesus was seen alive by his disciples. In Luke 24:28-29 it says, “As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly,’ Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.” His disciples thought he was a ghost. He even ate bread and fish with them because he was hungry. In Luke 24: 37-43 it says, “They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” This disproves the Christian concept of resurrection and how Jesus Christ wanted his disciples to know that he was not a ghost, but the same person. Resurrection to Christians means that the soul sprung into life once again into the same human body after death.

According to Islam, resurrection means the creation of a new body for the soul, which does not return to the same human body which it left behind on Earth. The Holy Qur’an in Chapter 4, verse 158 says, “ And for their saying, “We did slay the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God, whereas they slew him not, nor did hey bring about his death on the cross but he was made to appear to them like one crucified, and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it, they have no certain knowledge thereof, but only pursue a conjecture, and they did not arrive at a certainty concerning it.”

Another fundamental belief of Christianity is attaining true salvation in order to be free from sins. Jesus Christ said that true salvation can be achieved by following the Ten Commandments (Matthew 19:17). However, Christians do not set forth the means of achieving freedom from sins and represent a shameful fiction, which has no true relationship with freedom from sins.

Salvation, according to Islam, can only be achieved through personal love of God and establishing a perfect relationship with Him. Salvation can also be achieved through humility, supplication, and constantly asking for forgiveness of sins. Muslims are also taught to pray to seek repentance in order to seek nearness to God.

When thinking of the celebration of Easter on April 1, 2018, ask yourself if justice was truly established by slaughtering an innocent person, who atoned for all of humanity’s sins? How can a living human being all of a sudden vanish into the unknown? The true teachings of Islam promote submission to the oneness of God and accepting all prophets as true messengers to reunite humanity towards a path of attaining salvation.