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Ascension of jesus(PBUH)

The heavenly matter of the Ascension of the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) is definitely confirmed by Qur'an and Islamic Hadith but the issue of the crucifixion of Jesus (PBUH) is a matter which not only Qur'an does not confirm but also some less distorted Christian documents, reject.



One must always keep in mind that it is a proven historical fact that at least 128 gospels were written throughout history (for more information, please refer to the article: "…Jesus…Mohammad…(PBUT)" in this site). People such as Paul -in order to gain personal recognition, fame and …- introduced many harmful polytheistic deviations in the heavenly teachings of the Prophet Jesus (PBUH); deviations which changed the path of history. The Prophet Jesus (PBUH) -just like all previous Divine Prophets (PBUT)- had introduced Mohammad and his progeny (PBUT) as the God-chosen lords of existence and invited humankind to submission and humbleness before their Divinely bestowed status; while malevolent people have tried to conceal these facts but Allah's Guiding Light always shines through -for those who sincerely love Allah and do not pretend blindness- (we also invite you to read the article: "And Mohammad (PBUH&HP) came…" in this site),

Although history verifies that no Gospel was ever written by Jesus (PBUH) himself, but many gospels which were written after Jesus -by certain disciples or apostles or… - absolutely denied the crucifixion of the Prophet Jesus; but due to certain political and … reasons -as indicated in authentic historical documents and briefly mentioned in certain writings in this site- many of those gospels were declared unlawful and banned centuries ago, by the Roman Catholic Church and others and only the gospels -which conformed with the ancient Roman and Greek and … polytheistic beliefs- were propagated and the four gospels that are today available in the "New Testament" -i.e. the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John-, are mainly such. The renowned historian "Will Durrant" in his world famous book "History of civilization", regarding the distorted path of Christianity, has written:



Christianity did not eliminate polytheism, rather it accepted polytheism within itself. The Greek spirit -which was dying- found a new life in the theology and ritual of the church. … Christianity was the last great creation of the ancient world of polytheists… .



In one of the first gospels written after Jesus (PBUH), known as the "gospel of Barnabas" -which was banned by the Church and therefore lost, but was re-found centuries later- (for more information, please see the article: "How did the Gospel of Barnabas survive?" in this site), it is written that the person who was crucified, was one of the disciples and not Jesus (PBUH):



Chapter 217: Judas scourged and mocked



The soldiers took Judas ;and bound him, not without derision. For he truthfully denied that he was Jesus; and the soldiers, mocking him, said: 'Sir, fear not, for we are come to make you king of Israel, and we have bound you because we know that you do refuse the kingdom.' Judas answered: 'Now have you lost your senses! You are come to take Jesus of Nazareth;, with arms and lanterns as [against] a robber; and you have bound me that have guided you, to make me king!'

Then the soldiers lost their patience, and with blows and kicks they began to flout Judas, and they led him with fury into Jerusalem. John ;and Peter ;followed the soldiers afar off; and they affirmed to him who writes that they saw all the examination that was made of Judas by the high priest, and by the council of the Pharisees, who were assembled to put Jesus to death. Whereupon Judas spoke many words of madness, in so much that every one was filled with laughter, believing that he was really Jesus, and that for fear of death he was feigning madness. Whereupon the scribes bound his eyes with a bandage, and mocking him said: 'Jesus, prophet of the Nazarenes ;(for so they called them who believed in Jesus), 'tell us, who was it that smote you?' And they buffeted him and spat in his face.

When it was morning there assembled the great council of scribes and elders of the people; and the high priest with the Pharisees sought false witness against Judas, believing him to be Jesus: and they found not that which they sought. And why say I that the chief priests believed Judas to be Jesus? No all the disciples, with him who writes, believed it; and more, the poor Virgin mother of Jesus, with his kinsfolk and friends, believed it, insomuch that the sorrow of every one was incredible.

As God lives, he who writes forgot all that Jesus had said: how that he should be taken up from the world, and that he should suffer in a third person, and that he should not die until near the end of the world. Wherefore he went with the mother of Jesus and with John to the cross. The high priest caused Judas ;to be brought before him bound, and asked him of his disciples and his doctrine. Whereupon Judas, as though beside himself, answered nothing to the point. The high priest then adjured him by the living God of Israel that he would tell him the truth.

Judas answered: 'I have told you that I am Judas Iscariot, who promised to give into your hands Jesus the Nazarene; and you, by what are I know not, are beside yourselves, for you will have it by every means that I am Jesus.' The high priest answered: 'O perverse seducer, you have deceived all Israel, beginning from Galilee ;even to Jerusalem here, with your doctrine and false miracles: and now think you to flee the merited punishment that befits you by feigning to be mad?

As God lives,' you shall not escape it!' And having said this he commanded his servants to smite him with buffetings and kicks, so that his understanding might come back into his head. The derision which he then suffered at the hands of the high priest's servants is past belief. For they zealously devised new inventions to give pleasure to the council. So they attired him as a juggler, and so treated him with hands and feet that it would have moved the very Canaanites to compassion if they had beheld that sight. But the chief priests and Pharisees and elders of the people had their hearts so exasperated against Jesus that, believing Judas to be really Jesus, they took delight in seeing him so treated.

Afterwards they led him bound to the governor, who secretly loved Jesus. Whereupon he, thinking that Judas was Jesus, made him enter into his chamber, and spoke to him, asking him for what cause the chief priests and the people had given him into his hands. Judas answered: 'If I tell you the truth, you will not believe me; for perhaps you are deceived as the (chief) priests and the Pharisees are deceived.'

The governor answered (thinking that he wished to speak concerning the Law): 'Now know you not that I am not a Jew? but the (chief) priests and the elders of your people have given you into my hand; wherefore tell us the truth, wherefore I may do what is just. For I have power to set you free and to put you to death.' Judas answered: 'Sir, believe me, if you put me to death, you shall do a great wrong, for you shall slay an innocent person; seeing that I am Judas ;Iscariot, and not Jesus, who is a magician, and by his are has so transformed me.'

When he heard this the governor marvelled greatly, so that he sought to set him at liberty. The governor therefore went out, and smiling said: 'In the one case, at least, this man is not worthy of death, but rather of compassion.' 'This man says,' said the governor, 'that he is not Jesus, but a certain Judas who guided the soldiery to take Jesus, and he says that Jesus the Galilean has by his are magic so transformed him. Wherefore, if this be true, it were a great wrong to kill him, seeing that he were innocent. But if he is Jesus and denies that he is, assuredly he has lost his understanding, and it were impious to slay a madman.'

Then the chief priests and elders of the people, with the scribes and Pharisees, cried out with shouts, saying: 'He is Jesus of Nazareth;, for we know him; for if he were not the malefactor we would not have given him into your hands. Nor is he mad; but rather malignant, for with this device he seeks to escape from our hands, and the sedition that he would stir up if he should escape would be worse than the former.' Pilate (of such was the governor's name), in order to rid himself of such a case, said: 'He is a Galilean, and Herod is king of Galilee: wherefore it pertains not to me to judge such a case, so take you him to Herod.'

Accordingly they led Judas to Herod, who of a long time had desired that Jesus should go to his house. But Jesus had never been willing to go to his house, because Herod was a Gentile, and adored the false and lying gods, living after the manner of the unclean Gentiles. Now when Judas had been led thither, Herod asked him of many things, to which Judas gave answers not to the purpose, denying that he was Jesus. Then Herod mocked him, with all his court, and caused him to be clad in white as the fools are clad;, and sent him back to Pilate, saying to him, 'Do not fail in justice to the people of Israel!' * And this Herod wrote, because the chief priests and scribes and the Pharisees had given him a good quantity of money. The governor having heard that this was so from a servant of Herod, in order that he also might gain some money, feigned that he desired to set Judas at liberty.

Whereupon he caused him to be scourged by his slaves, who were paid by the scribes to slay him under the scourges. But God, who had decreed the issue, reserved Judas for the cross, in order that he might suffer that horrible death to which he had sold another. He did not suffer Judas to die under the scourges, notwithstanding that the soldiers scourged him so grievously that his body rained blood. Thereupon, in mockery they clad him in an old purple garment;, saying: 'It is fitting to our new king to clothe him and crown him': so they gathered thorns and made a crown, like those of gold and precious stones which kings wear on their heads. And this crown of thorns they placed upon Judas' head, putting in his hand a reed for sceptre;, and they made him sit in a high place.

And the soldiers came before him, bowing down in mockery, saluting him as King of the Jews. And they held out their hands to receive gifts, such as new kings are accustomed to give; and receiving nothing they smote Judas, saying: 'Now, how are you crowned, foolish king, if you will not pay your soldiers and servants?' *The chief priests with the scribes and Pharisees, seeing that Judas died not by the scourges, and fearing lest Pilate should set him at liberty, made a gift of money to the governor, who having received it gave Judas to the scribes and Pharisees as guilty to death. Whereupon they condemned two robbers with him to the death of the cross.

So they led him to Mount Calvary, where they used to hang malefactors, and there they crucified him naked;, for the greater ignominy. *Judas truly did nothing else but cry out: 'God, why have you forsaken me, seeing the malefactor has escaped and I die unjustly?' *Truly I say that the voice, the face, and the person of Judas were so like to Jesus, that his disciples and believers entirely believed that he was Jesus; wherefore some departed from the doctrine of Jesus, believing that Jesus had been a false prophet, and that by art magic he had done the miracles which he did: for Jesus had said that he should not die till near the end of the world; for that at that time he should be taken away from the world.

But they that stood firm in the doctrine of Jesus were so encompassed with sorrow, seeing him die who was entirely like to Jesus, that they remembered not what Jesus had said. And so in company with the mother of Jesus they went to Mount Calvary, and were not only present at the death of Judas, weeping continually, but by means of Nicodemus and Joseph of Abarimathia; they obtained from the governor the body of Judas to bury it. Whereupon, they took him down from the cross with such weeping as assuredly no one would believe, and buried him in the new sepulchre of Joseph; having wrapped him up in an hundred pounds of precious ointments.



Again we think that it is necessary to mention that we are not claiming that the gospel of Barnabas is the true Gospel of Jesus (PBUH), rather we are saying that it seems that this gospel may be a less distorted version of the Prophet Jesus's life story; while Qur'an is not the life story of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP) as narrated by others, rather Qur'an is the only historically proven undistorted Word of Allah, revealed directly to the final Prophet of Allah and recorded instantly and saved unchanged until today (we cordially invite you to read the articles: "How has Qur'an been protected from distortions?", "Ghadir, heart of Qur'an" and other articles regarding Qur'an, in this site).

In Qur'an, Surah Nesa', verses 157 and 158, we read:



And their saying: surely, we have killed the Massih, Jesus son of Mary (Maryam), the Apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Jesus); and most surely, those who differ therein, are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture; and they killed him not, for sure.

Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.



Islamic Hadith also confirms that the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) was definitely not killed and another person whom Allah had made him look like Jesus, was crucified in Jesus’s place and that was when Jesus’s Ascension -by Allah’s command- occurred (Behaar-Ol-Anwaar, Tafsir Jaama’,… ).

Qur'an and Islamic Hadith clearly verify that the Prophet Jesus (PBUH) was not crucified, rather he ,by Allah, ascended to heavens, and after the Appearance of Imam Mahdi (PBUH), Jesus shall also descend and under Mahdi’s command, he will assist Mahdi, in their celestial task of uniting humankind under the most benevolent law, under the flag of Allah… .

O' Allah! by Your grace and mercy, make us witness that wonderful time at the earliest… .