[Q 694] Islamic View on Prophet Isa’s Crucifixion

Question

What is the islamic view on the crucifixion from the following aspects? From what I understand, the crucifixion punishment include many things such as torture, nailing hands to the crucifix, even stripping people naked.
I say this with the tremoring of my fingers, but:
1) how many of these are possible (mumkin) for a Prophet of Allah to experience?
2) What is the islamic creed regarding whether Hazrat Isa alayhis salam underwent any of the above punishments, and was he even placed on the crucifix? Of course he didn’t pass away but was he placed on the crucifix?
Kindly explain in detail. May Allah bless you all.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Sayyiduna Isa عليه السَّلام was neither killed, nor crucified (i.e., hanged), nor punished in any way. Rather, Allah Almighty raised him alive and well to the heavens. The hypocrite who entered his house to inform the Jews of his whereabouts was made by Allah Almighty to resemble him. This person’s face became like that of Sayyiduna Isa عليه السَّلام, while his hands and feet were different from his عليه السَّلام. The Jews, mistaking him for Sayyiduna Isa عليه السَّلام, crucified this very person. Both of these beliefs are among the fundamental and essential beliefs of Islam, and whoever denies them is a disbeliever (kafir).

Their proof is this divine statement of Allah Almighty:

وَ مَا قَتَلُوْهُ وَ مَا صَلَبُوْهُ وَ لٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ-وَ اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِیْهِ لَفِیْ شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ-مَا لَهُمْ بِه مِنْ عِلْمٍ اِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّۚ-وَ مَا قَتَلُوْهُ یَقِیْنًۢاۙ

(Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 157)

In the exegesis of this ayah in Tafsir Sirat al-Jinan, it is stated: This ayah describes the seventh grave crime of the Jews, that the Jews claimed they had killed Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام, and the Christians confirmed this. Allah Almighty refuted both of them. For the actual event was that the hypocrite who entered Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام’s house to inform the Jews of his whereabouts was made to resemble Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام, and Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَام ascended to the heavens. The Jews crucified this very hypocrite by mistake, thinking he was Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلٰام. But then they themselves were confused, wondering where their man had gone. Moreover, his face resembled Sayyiduna Isa عَلَیْہِ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلٰام, but his hands and feet were different.

(Madarik, An-Nisa, under Ayah: 157, pp. 263-264)

Answered by: Tabaruk Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 19th July 2026