Al Baidawi
Al
Baidawi (d. 1286), a Qur'ânic exegesist, wrote the text, Anwar al tanzil wa
asrar at tawail (The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation).
He took from earlier works such as those by Zamakhshari and expanded them,
subsequently his work is considered to be amongst the best commentaries on the
Qur'ân.
Allâh
the Almighty says:
"And
because they said: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of
God. But they did not slay him, nor did they crucify him, for only a likeness
of him was shown to them. Those who disagree concerning it surely are in doubt
regarding him. They have no knowledge of him, but only follow surmise. And it
is certain that they did not slay him! No indeed, God raised him up to
Himself. God is All Mighty, All Wise." [Qur'ân Surah an-Nisa (4)
: verses 157-15]
Baidawi
in his commentary writes:
"And
because they said: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of
God" : this is because the Jews asserted this. It is however also
possible that the Jews said this only scornfully as is the case in a similar
situation with the words of Pharoah concerning Moses ['Pharoah
said: Surely your messenger who is sent to you is a madman' Surah 26:
27], and that God took up this assertion of the Jews again in order to praise
Jesus or to replace their evil account with a good one.
"But
they did not slay him, nor did they crucify him, for only a likeness of him was
shown to them" : It is related that a group of Jews insulted Jesus
and his mother, whereupon Jesus appealed to God against them. When God turned
them into monkeys and swines, the Jews came to an agreement to kill Jesus. Then
God informed Jesus that He would raise Jesus to heaven; so Jesus said to his
disciples: 'Who among you will agree to take a form similar to mine and die in
my place and be crucified then go straight to heaven?' A man among them offered
himself, so God changed him into a form to look like Jesus, and he was killed
and crucified.
Others
say that a man pretended to be a believer in front of Jesus and then went away
denouncing him, whereupon God changed this man into a form similar to that of
Jesus, and then he was seized and crucified.
Still
others say that the Jew Titanus entered a house where Jesus was, with a
treacherous intention, but could not find him. Then God changed him into a form
similar to Jesus, and when he came outside people thought he was Jesus and so
they seized and crucified him.
Similar
unusual things which one may not find improbable for the time of the Prophets
have been reported on this subject.
When
God blames the Jews (in this context), it is only because their words showed
that they acted impudently towards God, wishing to kill his Prophet in spite of
the confirmation of the Prophethood of Jesus through overwhelming miracles (mujizat),
and furthermore they rejoiced in doing so.
"Those
who disagree concerning it" : that is concerning the state in which
Jesus was. For as soon as this event (the crucifixion of another person in
Jesus's place) occurred, the people disagreed concerning it.
Some
Jews said, 'Jesus was a liar when he said God would raise him up to heaven, for
we certainly killed him!'.
Others
hesitated, and some of these said, 'If this crucified person is Jesus, then
where is our companion who wanted to betray him?'
Others
said, 'That is the face of Jesus, but the body is that of our companion'
Those
however, who had heard Jesus when he said, 'God will raise me up to heaven'
said, 'He was raised into heaven'.
Allâh
the Almighty also says:
"And
he (i.e. Jesus) is the sign of the Hour (i.e. of the day of Judgement). Have
no doubt about the hour and follow Me (i.e. obey the command of God)! This is
a straight path (i.e. Islâm)" [Qur'ân Surah az-Zukhruf (43) :
61]
Baidawi
in his commentary writes:
"And he", that is Jesus, "is the sign of the Hour of the day of
Judgement", since his appearance or his coming down from heaven is among
the signs which will announce that the Hour of the Day of Judgement is near.
In
the hadith, it is reported that Jesus will come down over a mountain in the Holy
Land called Afiq, and in his hand he will carry a spear with which he will kill
the antichrist (dajjal (A)). He will then go to Jerusalem (bait al muqaddas)
just when the inhabitants are performing the morning prayer. The imam (leader of
the prayer) will want to step back (in view of Jesus appearance and let him
lead), but Jesus will give him precedence to perform the prayer behind him. Then
he will kill the swine, dash to pieces the crucifix, demolish the churches and
synagogues, and kill the people who do not have the correct belief of him.
(A)
See also, the false Christ in Matthew 24:24, which in Syriac is 'mshihe daggale'
The
general Muslim view of Jesus is as follows:
1.
He was born of the Virgin Mary (Maryam in Arabic - see chapter in the Qur'ân
for further details)
2.
He was, by the Mercy of Allâh, able to perform miracles (see Qur'ânic and
hadith references)
3.
To him was revealed the Injeel (see Qur'ânic and hadith references - NB
the Injeel in NO WAY constitutes what is today known as the New Testament)
4.
Jesus was raised to heaven - he did not die on the cross
5.
Jesus will return as the Messiah - this does not mean that we raise the status
of Jesus to me more than that of a man as Jesus, like Moses, Noah, Muhammad,
Abraham, Yunus etc (peace be upon them all) were all Prophets and we do not
distinguish between them.
May
Allâh the Almighty have mercy and protect us from the evil of ourselves, the
evil of shaitan (satan), and the evil of his (i.e. satans partnership)
