Truth About The Crucifixion — Page 155
on the cross, so that he only appeared to them as dead. In fact he survived and lived to a ripe old age as promised in the word Mutawaffika which has a double meaning: not only to cause to die (a natural death), but also as interprets ibn Khatib: Mustawwaff ajalaka: I intend to complete your lifeterm. I have so far kept strictly within the boundaries of the evidence furnished by the Quran. But the attentive listener will have noticed that I made a passing reference to Sahih al-Bukhari who quoted Ibn 'Abbas for the interpretation of Mutawaffika as meaning Mumituka (I shall cause you to die). But this is not a saying of the Holy Prophet; it is only an interpretation of an expression used in the Quran. In order not to leave Hadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet) totally untouched I would like to quote the three which are brought forward to show that Tradition also regards Jesus as dead. But first I would like to explain why there are only three traditions affirming the death of Jesus. The answer is simple: because the Quran is so clear and unambiguous, that there was no need of great elaboration of this self-evident point. These three are: 1) If Moses and Jesus had been alive, they would have had no choice but to follow me. (Kathir Vol. II, p. 245 & al-Yawaqit wal-Jawahir 2nd Part, p. 24) 2) Verily, Jesus son of Mary, lived for 120 years, and I (Muhammad) see myself as only entering upon the beginnings of the sixties. (Kanz al-’Ummal, Part 6, p. 120) 3) During his spiritual ascent to heaven (Mi'raj), the Prophet saw Jesus together with John in the second heaven. (Bukhari, Part 2, Chapter on al-Isra: the Night Journey) 147