Defending Jesus Crucifixion Against Islamic Revision Of Christian History

The truth of Jesus' crucifixion, one of the most verifiable events in history, has been challenged by Muslims since the creation of Islam and the writing of the Qur'an. Muslims believe there was a crucifixion, but the majority deny that it was Jesus who was the one crucified. Two prominent Muslim polemicists, 'Abd al-Jabbār from the tenth century and Muhammad 'Ata ur-Rahim from the twentieth century, have attempted to present a historical interpretation from a.d. 33 to 381 to support their denial of Jesus' death on the cross. Since the death of Jesus on the cross is central-and essential-to the Bible's gospel message, it is appropriate to consider the evidence for the crucifixion and how this erroneous view came to be commonly accepted by Muslims. David Herbert tackles this belief by looking at the historical support for the veracity of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion, external documentary and archaeological evidence and plain historical challenge to the views put forward by al-Jabbār, ur-Rahim and others. In the course of the book, Dr. Herbert also debunks the view that the Gospel of Barnabas (frequently used by Muslims to defend their position), was a first-century document. He examines each of three views of what Muslims believe happened to Jesus at the crucifixion and powerfully defends this historical event, central to the Christian faith.

For almost 1,400 years, Christians have wrestled with appropriate ways to defend their claims to truth in the context of Islam. Dr. Suheil Madanat proposes that the answer lies neither in the antagonization of polemics nor apologetic arguments rooted in Western legal systems, but instead in utilizing the authority of Islamic law itself. While evidence for the resurrection has been legally examined since the seventeenth century, legal apologetics has primarily utilized secular law systems such as Anglo-American common law. In this study, Dr. Madanat tests evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection against Islam’s fixed theocratic law of Sharia. Offering an overview of the evolution and constitution of Islamic law, Dr. Madanat examines how eyewitness testimonies and confessions in the New Testament hold up against Islam’s strict standards for evidence. Authenticating the Gospels using the same standards Islamic scholars use to defend the authenticity of the Qur’an and Sunna, Madanat examines the testimonies of the four evangelists, the confessions of James and Paul, and the circumstantial evidence offered by archeology, church history, and the Christian impact on civilization. This book engages with Islam and its sacred texts seriously and with respect, providing a powerful resource for those interested in apologetics and comparative religion.

The first book to examine the controversial Qur'anic phrase which divides Christianity and Islam. According to the majority of modern Muslims and Christians, the Qur'an denies the crucifixion of Jesus, and with it, one of the most sacred beliefs of Christianity. However, it is only mentioned in one verse - 'They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, rather, it only appeared so to them' - and contrary to popular belief, its translation has been the subject of fierce debate among Muslims for centuries. This innovative work is the first book devoted to the issue, delving deeply into largely ignored Arabic sources, which suggest that the origins of the conventional translation may lie within the Christian Church. Arranged along historical lines, and covering various Muslim schools of thought, from Sunni to Sufi, "The Crucifixion and the Qur'an" unravels the crucial dispute that separates the World's two principal faiths.

In any event, if there is any division between a Muslim and a Christian on the grounds of dogma, belief, ethics or morality, then the cause of such conflict could be traced to an utterance of Paul found in his books of Corinthians, Phillipians, Galatians, Thessolanians, etc., in the Bible. As against the teaching of the Master (Jesus) that salvation only comes through keeping of the commandments (Mathew 19:16-17), Paul nails the law and the commandments to the cross (Colossians 2:14) and claims that salvation can only be obtained through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ:- "If Christ be not risen from the dead, then our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain." (1 Corinthians 15:14)

“A welcome expansion of the fragile territory known as common ground.” —The New York Times When Reza Aslan’s bestseller Zealot came out in 2013, there was criticism that he hadn’t addressed his Muslim faith while writing the origin story of Christianity. In fact, Ross Douthat of The New York Times wrote that “if Aslan had actually written in defense of the Islamic view of Jesus, that would have been something provocative and new.” Mustafa Akyol’s The Islamic Jesus is that book. The Islamic Jesus reveals startling new truths about Islam in the context of the first Muslims and the early origins of Christianity. Muslims and the first Christians—the Jewish followers of Jesus—saw Jesus as not divine but rather as a prophet and human Messiah and that salvation comes from faith and good works, not merely as faith, as Christians would later emphasize. What Akyol seeks to reveal are how these core beliefs of Jewish Christianity, which got lost in history as a heresy, emerged in a new religion born in 7th Arabia: Islam. Akyol exposes this extraordinary historical connection between Judaism, Jewish Christianity and Islam—a major mystery unexplored by academia. From Jesus’ Jewish followers to the Nazarenes and Ebionites to the Qu’ran’s stories of Mary and Jesus, The Islamic Jesus will reveal links between religions that seem so contrary today. It will also call on Muslims to discover their own Jesus, at a time when they are troubled by their own Pharisees and Zealots.

Forget what the history textbooks told you about martyrdom being a thing of the past. Christians are being persecuted and slaughtered today. Raymond Ibrahim unveils the shocking truth about Christians in the Muslim world. Believers in Jesus Christ suffer oppression and are massacred at the hands of radicals for worshipping and spreading the gospel of the Lord. Discover the true-life stories that the media won't report in Ibrahim's Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War on Christians.

Numerous books and articles have been published about the crucifixion. Western studies have focused on the Christian narratives and historical sources, but most of them have completely ignored the Qur'an, which denies that Jesus was crucified. Muslim scholars have also studied the Qur'an's account but mostly in exegetical works that focused on the Qur'an's version of the story, with some comparative references to the Gospel narratives but almost no consideration of historical sources. This book takes a new approach by considering the crucifixion in the Qur'an, Christian writings, and early historical sources. It discusses the serious flaws in the Gospel accounts and the unreliability of the few non-scriptural sources. The book also challenges common modern alternative readings of the history of that event. One new contribution that this study makes to the literature of the crucifixion is its new interpretation of all related Qur'anic verses. It also contributes a coherence explanation of the development of the fictitious story of the crucifixion of Jesus. The theology of the cross that Paul developed is also examined. The book shows that the doctrine of the atonement conflicts with the Gospel teachings and is refuted in the Qur'an. Detailed, yet easy-to-read and highly enjoyable, this book is intended for both the general reader and the expert. This thought-provoking study is for anyone interested in the crucifixion in the Qur'an, New Testament, and historical sources. Those interested in comparative studies of the Qur'an and the Bible will find this book highly informative. No specialist knowledge is required for reading the book.

The overemphasis for the importance of the crucifixion or death of Jesus on the cross was not put in place until the era of Constantine. Historically, the issue of whether Jesus was or was not on the cross and crucified was settled around 148 AC according the Roman church's satisfaction. In addition, the idea of Jesus being crucified was believed by certain Jewish-Christian sects for various reasons from the time of the actual crucifixion event. Furthermore, the declaration that Jesus rose from the dead was bound to cause trouble to those who lacked a deep comprehension in religious matters. The reasons for this are varied. It must not be forgotten, however, that during many decades the forming 'church' and its multitudinous sects were undergoing excruciating turmoil within and outside its ranks and this caused a lot of confusion to enter into the mix. Before the actual formation of Christianity, as a distinct religious movement, several ideas were floating around and one of them was that Jesus was not of the 'flesh' but a spiritual being. To counteract that idea, the notion that Jesus was actually crucified took concrete shape as if to prove his real existence and that he was not just an 'angelic' figure but a real person. The truth concerning the crucifixion event is astounding but only when an honest approach to all of the scriptures and a truthful look at history is applied. That is the truth but acceptance of this truth is quite another matter indeed!

This volume serves to refute the popularly-held belief that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, showing that Christianity and Islam radically disagree on the nature and attributes of God. It also argues that they present Jesus in contradictory terms regarding his divinity and the historicity of the crucifixion. Additionally, the two religions have fundamentally different understandings of human nature, sin, and scripture. In honestly pointing out the reasons why these great religions cannot be reconciled, this book will appeal to theologians, as well as educated Christian and Muslim laypersons.

This study shows that the belief in Jesus' crucifixion is a matter of faith, not historical evidence. The book explains the serious issues in the Gospel narratives and compares them with the Qur'an's assertion that Jesus was not crucified.