Overview
Why Muslims Reject the Crucifixion of Jesus
notes
A Major Point of Disagreement
notes
History and Revelation Answer Different Questions
history
What Historians Commonly Conclude
scripture
The Quran's Clear Correction
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢاسورة النساء · الآية ١٥٧
'They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it was made to appear so to them ... They did not kill him for certain' (Quran 4:157). The next verse says:
بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًۭاسورة النساء · الآية ١٥٧
'Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise' (4:158).
The Quran does not name another person, describe the precise mechanism, or authorize certainty about details it leaves unstated. Its central affirmations are clear: Jesus's enemies did not succeed, and God raised His messenger.
Key passage
Quran
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
سورة النساء · الآية ١٥٧
And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
Quran 4:157
Translation: Saheeh International
scripture
What the New Testament Affirms
Key passage
Bible
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Version: World English Bible
argument
Where the Evidence Leads
interpretation
What the Muslim Position Does and Does Not Claim
argument
Honor Without Atonement
summary
The Central Takeaway
notes
Frequently Asked Questions
A: No. The Quran states that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified but that it was made to appear so (4:157), and that God raised him to Himself (4:158). Muslims receive this as God's direct testimony.
Q: If it was not Jesus on the cross, who was it?
A: The Quran does not say. Many classical commentators spoke of a substitute made to resemble Jesus, but no identification is part of the Quranic text or required belief. Muslims are content to leave the mechanism with God.
Q: Don't historians agree the crucifixion happened?
A: Mainstream scholarship does regard it as among the best-attested facts of Jesus' life, and Muslims should acknowledge that honestly. But historical method excludes divine intervention by design, while the Quran's claim is precisely that God intervened in what observers perceived. The same method also declines to affirm the resurrection — so both faiths ultimately rest on revelation at the decisive point.
Q: Without the cross, how are sins forgiven in Islam?
A: Directly. The sinner repents sincerely and God forgives out of His mercy — no intermediary, no sacrifice, no transferred guilt, for no soul bears the burden of another (Quran 35:18).
Q: Is Jesus alive now, according to Islam?
A: The majority view is that God raised him alive and that he will return before the Day of Resurrection — a hope described in reports including Sahih al-Bukhari 2476 and Sahih Muslim 2937a, and connected by most commentators to Quran 4:159.
Q: Does denying the crucifixion dishonor Jesus?
A: The opposite. In the Islamic account the denial is God's rescue and vindication of a beloved messenger, whom Muslims may never mention except with reverence.
sources
Further Reading
The Crucifixion and the Qur'an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought — Todd Lawson. A scholarly survey of how Muslim commentators across the centuries have interpreted Quran 4:157, showing the range of readings from substitution to appearance.Christ in Islam and Christianity — Neal Robinson. A careful academic comparison of the Jesus of the Quran and classical Muslim exegesis with the Jesus of Christian doctrine, including the crucifixion passages.Jesus in the Qur'an — Geoffrey Parrinder. A classic, sympathetic study of every Quranic passage about Jesus, written by a scholar of comparative religion and accessible to beginners.The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature — Tarif Khalidi. A collection showing the deep reverence for Jesus within the Islamic tradition beyond the Quran itself.Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium — Bart D. Ehrman. A reconstruction of the historical Jesus by a prominent non-Christian historian — useful for seeing how the secular historical case for the crucifixion is actually argued.
Sources
Sources and further reading
Primary texts and works cited in this article.
The Quran — Tanzil Uthmani text with Saheeh International translation
quran
Source linkUthmani-script Arabic text from Tanzil with the Saheeh International English translation.
The Holy Bible, World English Bible (public domain)
bible
Source linkPublic-domain English translation from the World English Bible.
The Crucifixion and the Qur’an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought
book | Todd Lawson
A scholarly study of Muslim interpretations of Quran 4:157.
Christ in Islam and Christianity
book | Neal Robinson
A careful academic comparison of the Jesus of the Quran and classical Muslim exegesis with the Jesus of Christian doctrine, including the crucifixion passages.
Jesus in the Qur'an
book | Geoffrey Parrinder
A respected Christian scholar’s survey of every Quranic passage about Jesus, including the verses on his being raised and his link to the Hour.
The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature
book | Tarif Khalidi
A Cambridge-published collection showing how deeply Jesus is woven into Islamic devotional literature.
Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium
book | Bart D. Ehrman
A secular historian’s reconstruction of Jesus as a preacher of the coming kingdom — useful background on the earliest Christian expectation of the end.