The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 258
258. Essence of Islam-III was, on the contrary, delivered from the cross and ultimately died a natural death. Had it been that Jesusas, like. Zechariah, was also to be killed by the Jews, he would certainly have hinted at it in these verses. [Masih Hindustan Meiń, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol. 15, pp. 16-34]. The Jews have always been at a loss to explain how Jesusas died within two or three hours of being nailed to the cross, when even his bones had not yet been broken. This has led some of them to invent another plea that, in fact, they had killed Jesus with the sword. But the history of the Jews does not support this claim. . In order to save Jesus, Divine might and majesty intervened and caused darkness to prevail, which was followed by an earthquake. Pilate's wife's dream, the approach of the night of Sabbath when it was not permissible to leave anyone on the cross, and Pilate's inclination to save Jesus because of the nightmare, all these coincided to save Jesus. Jesus was also made to lose consciousness so that he would appear dead. . The Jews became frightened of Divine chastisement, because of the terrible signs like the darkness and earthquake. They were also afraid lest the bodies should remain on the cross during the night of Sabbath. And when they saw Jesus in a swoon, they thought him dead. . It was dark and there was an earthquake and great panic. . They were also anxious about their homes and what their children must be going through in the darkness and earthquake. They were also perplexed that if Jesus was a liar and an apostate, which they thought he was, then why had such terrifying and unprecedented signs coincided with the torture to which he was subjected. . They were so upset that they were unable to find out for