The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 192
192 other Prophets. . Essence of Islam-III [Izāla-e-Auhām, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol. 3, pp. 153-154]. Nowhere does the Holy Qur'an mention the bodily ascent of Jesus to heaven. His death, on the other hand, is specifically mentioned at several different places. One of these contains Jesus' own confession of his death: وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ انْتَ الرَّقِيبٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ، وَاَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ 7 157 5. As his death is established, it follows that his body must have been buried in the earth like the bodies of all dead people. The Holy Qur'an expressly states that it was his soul that ascended to heaven and not his body. That is why, in the verse just cited, he clearly acknowledged his death. Had he ascended to heaven alive in his physical body, he would not have said that he had departed the earth after his death. And, obviously, if it was only his soul which had ascended to heaven, then how can he possibly descend in his physical body?. . . . If we were to assume that he had ascended to heaven in his physical body, we would have to acknowledge that, like all human and animal bodies, his body must also be affected by the passage of time and that one day he must die. Thus he may have died in heaven having lived out his normal span of life and may have been interned in a graveyard on some planet which is now supposed to be capable of supporting human life. On the other hand, if we are to assume the impossible that he is still physi157 And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou hast been the. Watcher over them; and Thou art Witness over all things. '-AlMa'idah, 5:118 [Publisher]