The Truth Unveiled — Page 44
44 44 Islasm ntals eriosP urPsb and the blessings of his own earnest supplications, Jesus, peace be upon him, was rescued from the cross. Thereafter, in his human dependence on the means of this world, he was administered the Ointment of the Disciples, by which were healed the wounds of his crucifixion—before migrating to India. He certainly did not die on the cross; rather, he merely experienced a kind of uncon - sciousness. Subsequently, in accordance with the will of God he spent three days in a cavernous tomb. Since he remained alive, like Jonah, he finally emerged therefrom. ✩ ✩ Note: It is certain that Jesus, peace be upon him, did not die on the cross. He likened the three days he was to remain in his tomb to the case of the Prophet Jonah and his ordeal of the whale. Thus, he made clear to all discerning people that he entered the tomb alive in the likeness of the Prophet Jonah and remained alive therein. Otherwise, what resem - blance can there exist between the dead and the living? The parallels ex - pounded by the Prophets are never meaningless or in vain. The Gospel alludes to this elsewhere when it asks, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’ The opinion of some of the disciples that Jesus had died on the cross was absolutely false. For his emerging from his tomb, showing his wounds to the disciples and likening his own situation to that of Prophet Jonah, all reject and oppose this notion. Then, there is a difference of opinion among the disciples in this instance. The Gospel of Barnabas, which I have seen for myself, rejects the idea that Jesus, peace be upon him, died on the cross. Moreover, it is apparent from the Gospel that Barnabas himself was a respectable disciple and that the ascension of Jesus to the heavens was a spiritual event. Only that which comes from the heavens returns to them. The things of the earth remain herein. Both the Torah and the Quran testify to this. The Jews rejected the spiritual ascension of the Messiah because, in their view, he had died on the cross. Therefore, they were told that he ascended to heaven i. e. God Almighty saved Jesus and absolved him from being accursed, which is the result of death by hanging. How can