Did Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) die?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

   Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was one of the prophets sent to the Children of Israel before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and was among those who were given a divine book. He was a distinguished personality even in his mother’s womb, created without a father like Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). He spoke to people while still in the cradle and performed many miracles during his lifetime. He warned the Israelites against their distortions of religion, reproached them, and ultimately incurred their enmity. Consequently, the Jews attempted to kill him, but (according to Islamic belief) they failed due to Allah’s protection.

   As with the lives of all other prophets, the Qur’an offers many lessons and messages through the life of Jesus (peace be upon him). The point of contention, however, lies in how his story ended — where Islamic belief and Christian doctrine fundamentally differ.

Beliefs about Prophet Jesus

   Christians claim that Jesus was crucified, died on the cross, and then resurrected before ascending to heaven. They have made this belief a pillar of their creed, linking it to their doctrine of the Trinity. They ascribe divinity to Jesus (God forbid), asserting that the one they consider divine was killed — a clear contradiction in itself.

   Islam, on the other hand, teaches that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified by the Jews. Instead, Allah saved him from them and raised him — body and soul — to a high station. Thus, the Islamic creed completely rejects both the crucifixion and the killing narratives.

The Qur’an’s Account of the End of Jesus’ Earthly Life

In the Qur’an, Allah the Almighty says:

“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.”(Surah An-Nisa 4:157)

This verse clearly and decisively states that Jesus (peace be upon him) was neither crucified nor killed.

The following verse affirms this further:

“Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.”(Surah An-Nisa 4:158)

Exegetes (mufassirun) state that the word “bal” (rather) in this verse confirms the previous statement that Jesus was certainly not killed. It carries the meaning of “on the contrary” — that is, not only was he not killed, but in fact, Allah saved him and raised him up to Himself.

In other words, the Jews did not kill Jesus; rather, Allah rescued him from being killed and elevated him to His divine presence.

There is a subtle and important point here. Some modern theologians claim:“Yes, the Jews did not kill him, but Allah first saved him and then caused him to die before raising him up to Himself.”

However, this interpretation contradicts the word “bal” (rather) in the verse.

·        If Jesus (peace be upon him) was saved from being killed by the Jews, then how could he have been killed afterward — and that too, as most Islamic scholars agree, at only thirty-three years of age? Would that not contradict the idea of being saved from death?

·        If Allah the Almighty “first saved him but then immediately caused him to die,” then where is the deliverance in that?

·        Is Allah (Exalted is He) — God forbid — incapable of raising Jesus, body and soul, to His presence without causing death?

·        And finally, can the Christian doctrine — which makes the death of Jesus a necessity of their belief and uses it as a foundation for the Trinity and for the idea that he died as an atonement for the sins of humanity — be considered a reasonable or acceptable belief in light of the Qur’an and sound Islamic theology?

The Meaning of the Word “Tawaffa”

   Some modern scholars argue that Jesus died a natural death before being raised to heaven, interpreting the Qur’anic word mutawaffīka in Aal ‘Imran 3:55 as “causing you to die.”

“When Allah said: ‘O Jesus, indeed I will take you (mutawaffīka) and raise you to Myself…’”(Aal ‘Imran 3:55)

However, classical scholars point out that tawaffa in this context means “to take fully” or “to receive completely,” not “to cause to die.” Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and other exegetes explain that tawaffa here refers to Allah taking Jesus’ body and soul — without death — and raising him alive to the heavens.

They also note that the use of tawaffa instead of mawt (death) signifies a different meaning: tawaffa can mean taking someone in sleep or transferring them from one state of existence to another — not necessarily through death.

The Verse about Mortality

Some cite the verse:

“We did not grant immortality to any human before you; then if you die, would they live forever?”(Surah Al-Anbiya 21:34)

This verse does not mean that every person before the Prophet (peace be upon him) has died, but that all human beings are by nature mortal — none are immortal. Jesus (peace be upon him) too will eventually die after his descent to earth before the Day of Judgment, as affirmed in authentic hadith:

“Jesus will live on earth for forty years, acting upon the Book of Allah and my Sunnah, then he will die.”(Musnad Ahmad, 2/437; 6/75)

The Analogy with Prophet Adam (peace be upon him)

The Qur’an says:

“Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam.”(Aal ‘Imran 3:59)

Just as Adam was created without parents and later taken from earth to dwell in Paradise, Jesus was created without a father and was taken from the earth to a higher, divine realm — body and soul.

Conclusion

According to Islamic belief, Jesus (peace be upon him) is alive; he was neither crucified nor killed. He was raised to the heavens, body and soul, by Allah’s infinite power. This belief stands in complete contrast to Christian doctrine. Any interpretation suggesting otherwise contradicts the explicit Qur’anic verses and the consensus of mainstream Islamic scholarship.

Jesus (peace be upon him)…

The Word of Allah,A great miracle of the Almighty,

Saved from the Jews

Body and soul — he resides in the heavens.