The death of Hadhrat Jesus as in Islamic Christology is a complex and controversial subject. In some Islamic circles, the crucifixion of Hadhrat Jesus as was denied altogether. Instead, according to some Muslim scholars, Allah miraculously transformed a disciple of Hadhrat Jesus as into the physical image of Hadhrat Jesus as , and the Jews crucified the disciple, thinking him to be Hadhrat Jesus as .This concept maybe called the "Substitution theory."Hadhrat Jesus as , having been saved from such suffering and death, ascended to God in Heaven. As mentioned in the previous articles, the substitution theory and eventual physical ascension of Hadhrat Jesus as is not substantiated by the Quran and Hadith. Rather, the Quran and Hadith is clear that
Hadhrat Jesus as died a natural death. However, the theory of substitution has figured prominently in Islamic tafsir literature. The purpose of this final part is to explain how the substitution theory was introduced into Islam. I will show that the belief of Hadhrat Jesus as not being nailed to the cross and a Jesus-look-alike replacing him was introduced into Islam from the teachings of certain Gnostic Christian sects. These teachings were brought into Islam through conversion of the "People of the Book." 1. Different Versions of Substitution Story in Islamic Literature. The belief that someone substituted for Hadhrat Jesus as onthe cross has been mentioned by various Muslim commentators of the Quran over the past centuries. Most of the traditions relating the details of the story of Hadhrat Jesus as are told on the authority of Jewish or un-named Christian converts (reference: " Towards an Islamic Christology: The Death of Jesus, Reality or Delusion " in The Muslim World vol 70, No. 2, page 96). The commentary of Tabari (d. 923 A.D)relates on the authority of Wahb (a Jewish convert) thatwhen the Jews were seeking Hadhrat Jesus as to crucify him, God cast the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as on seventeen disciples. The Jews threatened to kill them all, but instead took just one in the groupand killed him, believing him to beHadhrat Jesus as . In the next stage of development of the substitution theory, one of the disciples of Hadhrat Jesus as voluntarily accepts to die onthe cross for the purpose of saving his master. Such a story may have originated to avoid a major problem associated with the idea of substitution: WHY WOULD GOD FORCE AN INNOCENT PERSON TO SUFFER AND DIE TO SAVE ANOTHER? Tabari relates on the authority of Qatada: "It has been related to us that Jesus, son of Mary, the prophet of God, said to his companions, Who among you would consent to have my likeness cast upon him, and be killed? One of them answered, I would, O Prophet of God. Thus that man was killed and God protected His Prophet and took him up to Himself." A similar account is mentioned in the traditionsof Ibn Ishaq. His source was an unnamed Christian convert. In this story, the person who offered to bear the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as was not one ofthe twelve disciples, but a man named Sergus. In other versions, the miracle of transforming a person into thelikeness of Hadhrat Jesus as was a form of Divine punishment for that persons' persecution and betrayal of Hadhrat Jesus as. For instance, it is said that the enemies of Hadhrat Jesus as sent aman named Tityanus to kill him. However, God foiled the plan by raising Hadhrat Jesus as to Himselfand miraculously causing Tityanusto resemble Hadhrat Jesus as . Tityanus was subsequentlyput to death on the cross by the Jews. BUT, God cast the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as onlyon the man'sface and not the body. Thus the people were confused as to the identity of the man killed. This is added to explain the Quranic verse 4:158 which states that those who differed concerning him followed only their conjecture. (reference, The MuslimWorld same issue as quoted above).
Hadhrat Jesus as died a natural death. However, the theory of substitution has figured prominently in Islamic tafsir literature. The purpose of this final part is to explain how the substitution theory was introduced into Islam. I will show that the belief of Hadhrat Jesus as not being nailed to the cross and a Jesus-look-alike replacing him was introduced into Islam from the teachings of certain Gnostic Christian sects. These teachings were brought into Islam through conversion of the "People of the Book." 1. Different Versions of Substitution Story in Islamic Literature. The belief that someone substituted for Hadhrat Jesus as onthe cross has been mentioned by various Muslim commentators of the Quran over the past centuries. Most of the traditions relating the details of the story of Hadhrat Jesus as are told on the authority of Jewish or un-named Christian converts (reference: " Towards an Islamic Christology: The Death of Jesus, Reality or Delusion " in The Muslim World vol 70, No. 2, page 96). The commentary of Tabari (d. 923 A.D)relates on the authority of Wahb (a Jewish convert) thatwhen the Jews were seeking Hadhrat Jesus as to crucify him, God cast the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as on seventeen disciples. The Jews threatened to kill them all, but instead took just one in the groupand killed him, believing him to beHadhrat Jesus as . In the next stage of development of the substitution theory, one of the disciples of Hadhrat Jesus as voluntarily accepts to die onthe cross for the purpose of saving his master. Such a story may have originated to avoid a major problem associated with the idea of substitution: WHY WOULD GOD FORCE AN INNOCENT PERSON TO SUFFER AND DIE TO SAVE ANOTHER? Tabari relates on the authority of Qatada: "It has been related to us that Jesus, son of Mary, the prophet of God, said to his companions, Who among you would consent to have my likeness cast upon him, and be killed? One of them answered, I would, O Prophet of God. Thus that man was killed and God protected His Prophet and took him up to Himself." A similar account is mentioned in the traditionsof Ibn Ishaq. His source was an unnamed Christian convert. In this story, the person who offered to bear the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as was not one ofthe twelve disciples, but a man named Sergus. In other versions, the miracle of transforming a person into thelikeness of Hadhrat Jesus as was a form of Divine punishment for that persons' persecution and betrayal of Hadhrat Jesus as. For instance, it is said that the enemies of Hadhrat Jesus as sent aman named Tityanus to kill him. However, God foiled the plan by raising Hadhrat Jesus as to Himselfand miraculously causing Tityanusto resemble Hadhrat Jesus as . Tityanus was subsequentlyput to death on the cross by the Jews. BUT, God cast the likeness of Hadhrat Jesus as onlyon the man'sface and not the body. Thus the people were confused as to the identity of the man killed. This is added to explain the Quranic verse 4:158 which states that those who differed concerning him followed only their conjecture. (reference, The MuslimWorld same issue as quoted above).
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