Muslims have been taught certain things about Jesus through the Quran, some true and some false. For example, they believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and is sinless, however the Quran also states that Jesus was merely a messenger of Allah.
Christians know that Jesus came to this earth and became flesh to offer Himself as the sacrifice on the cross in order to redeem us; He conquered death and rose back to life three days later. The Bible affirms this, secular historical facts affirm this, and the people who died as martyrs in the years following affirm this as they refused to say otherwise.
The Quran, however, misleads Muslims with a different story. As Easter approaches, we should learn what our Muslim friends are taught about Jesus’ crucifixion so we can speak truth into their life.
What Muslims believe about Jesus’ crucifixion
Different Muslim groups believe different things about Jesus’ crucifixion. There are three main (incorrect) beliefs about Jesus’ crucifixion presented in the Quran:
The Replacement Theory: The Quran tells that Isa (the Arabic word for Jesus) was not the person crucified. Rather, Allah transformed someone else to look like Isa, either Judas Iscariot, a disciple, or a Roman soldier. This theory states that in this way Allah saved Isa from the Jews and he brought him up to heaven. (Quran 4:157-158)
Death by natural causes: The Quran quotes Isa saying, “So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life.” (Quran 19:33) So this verse teaches Muslims to believe that Isa died from natural causes and then Allah took him up to paradise.
Ascension to paradise: Some Muslims use Quran 3:55 to assert that Isa was taken by Allah up to the heavens to prove his prophethood in front of the blasphemers.
Along with these somehow contradicting Quranic allegations, many Muslims claim that the crucifixion story was made up by the early Christians, while others say that Isa was crucified but did not die. He “swooned” on the cross and the soldiers thought he was dead. This is how Allah saved him. This claim is known as the swoon theory and is mainly promoted by the Nation of Islam.
How we can share historical proof about the crucifixion
There are certain conversations you may have with your Muslim friend that could be more fruitful if you are prepared– and this conversation is one of them. It is true that the Bible is our source of truth because we know it is the Word of God, but we cannot use it as our only reference point when talking to our Muslim friends. In fact, Muslims believe that the Bible was a revelation from Allah, but has since been corrupted (learn more about that here!).
There are at least seventeen ancient sources that record aspects of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and they are written by non-Christian historians. Here are three that we suggest you learn to be able to refer to with your Muslim friend:
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian (AD 38–100+), wrote about Jesus in his Jewish Antiquities. He writes that Jesus was accused by Jewish leaders, then sentenced to be crucified by Pilate. He even includes that people spoke of Jesus’ resurrection after the crucifixion.
Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55-120) is considered one of the most accurate historians of the ancient world. He records the persecution of Christians at the hand of the Roman emperor Nero, and points back to the origin of Christianity to the man Christ who suffered an extreme punishment at the hand of Pontius Pilate.
The Jewish Talmud, a historical writing that is not biased towards Jesus, includes the historical event of Jesus’ death on the eve of the Passover.
The fact that these major historians include a Jewish rabbi alongside the names of political and military leaders, means something. They affirm that the crucifixion did indeed happen.
Spiritual appeals to the crucifixion
You’ll find that many Muslims claim that Allah saved Isa from crucifixion because he was too pure to deserve that kind of death! This is actually something that you can use to point out that Jesus chose to go to the cross. We agree with them on that regard– Jesus was sinless and pure! What Muslims miss is that because Jesus was pure, He was the perfect sacrifice to pay for all of humanity’s sins and then resurrect three days later.
You don’t need to have all of the answers for your Muslim friend’s questions, but it is good to know as much as you can and then know what resources to point them to so they can read for themselves.
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the foundation of our salvation. Find any opportunity you can to invite your Muslim friend to know the truth about Jesus and what He did for them. Read this quick guide to learn how you can engage with your Muslim friend and invite them to join you on Easter or Good Friday events.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for sacrificing yourself to pay for my sins on the cross. Please give me the opportunity to talk to my Muslim friend about what you did for us. Open up their eyes to see the truth so they too can experience your love! Amen.
