Truth About The Crucifixion — Page 104
THE full title of my address is: The natural death of Jesus Christ and his deliverance from the accursed death by crucifixion according to Quranic (Islamic) Evidence. . This title is so formulated and is justified, because: 1) The Christian Churches teach that Jesus was crucified and suffered an accursed death on the cross for the atonement of the sins of mankind that he was resurrected on the third day and ascended bodily to heaven, wherefrom he will descend to judge the living and the dead. 2) Many so-called orthodox Muslims teach that Jesus was not put on the cross, but someone else resembling him was crucified in his place, whereas Jesus was raised to heaven in his mortal body, and that he remains there alive to descend in the latter days with the same physical body to judge according to Islamic law as understood by these so-called orthodox Muslims. . It is my purpose to show that these two versions of the life, mission and death of Jesus do not find any support in. Quranic evidence. . The word evidence may mean two things: witness (shahada) and proof (burhan). So some people might be satisfied to answer the question raised by the title of my address with a summing up of the Quranic witness as to the natural death of Jesus and his deliverance from death on the cross, while others might insist on some additional proof to substantiate the scriptural evidence given. . Now if we turn to a study of the Quran we shall see that this division between the two meanings of the term "evidence" is not relevant, because it is a striking characteristic of the Quranic revelation that it gives not only witness, but always and at the same time also furnishes proof. The Quran never makes an assertion and merely leave it at that. The. Quran invariably gives proof in support of every assertion. A close study of any given passage will reveal that there is full evidence, i. e. both witness and proof together. 108