Answer: The Koran actually does say that Jesus did die - if it is read in Classic Arabic, the language it was written in originally. Because that language has changed so significantly, (the word in the Koran today for "virgin" was actually "fruit" in the original,) the translation of the Ayah (verse) in question - Surah 4:157, has a completely different meaning.

This is the current rendering of Surah 4:157 -

And their saying: "We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, Mary's son, God's messenger, and they have not killed him, and they have not crucified him/placed him on a cross, and but (it) resembled/was vague/was doubtful to them, and that those who disagreed/disputed in (about) him (are) in (E) doubt/suspicion from him, (there is) no knowledge for them with (about) him, except following the assumption , and they have not killed him surely/certainly.

The translation from the original Classic Arabic version reads -

وقولهم إنا قتلنا المسيح عيسى ابن مريم رسول
الله وما قتلوه وما صلبوه ولكن شبه لهم وإن
الذين اختلفوا فيه لفي شك منه ما لهم به من علم
إلا اتباع الظن وما قتلوه يقينا

Waqawlihim inna qatalna almaseeha AAeesa ibna maryama rasoola Allahi wama qataloohu wama salaboohu walakin shubbiha lahum wa-inna allatheena ikhtalafoo feehi lafee shakkin minhu ma lahum bihi min AAilmin illa ittibaAAa alththanni wama qataloohu yaqeenan

4.157 And their saying: "Certainly we killed The Messiah, Jesus, Mary's son, “Allah's” messenger”, and that they killed him, and that they crucified him, and certainly they alike, and certainly whom they followed in Him, certainly they (are) not in doubt from Him, on account of Him, from knowledge, except to follow the belief, and that they surely killed him.

(Note: Actually it was our sins that crucified Jesus (Isaiah 53:10) and the Gentiles hammered the nails.)

The following Ayah, Surah 4:158 reads -

But God rose him (Jesus) to Him, and God was/is glorious/mighty, wise/judicious.

So we can see from these verses, that Muhammad was sharing the Gospel message which he obviously believed or he would not have recommended his followers to read the Gospel as from the Lord. - "The Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord"...Al-Maida 6:68.

In this verse from the Koran, God declares that Jesus is to die -

3:55
When God said: "You Jesus I am, I am making you die and raising you to Me and purifying you from those who disbelieved, and making those who followed you above those who disbelieved to the Resurrection Day, then to Me you return, so I judge/rule between you in what, you were in it differing.”

Here the Koran clearly states that God caused Jesus to die and be resurrected from the dead. This is the Gospel that has been prophesied in the Old Testament.

The prophet Daniel declares that – And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, - Daniel 9:26

The Prophet Isaiah tells us the reason why – But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Note that God also states in 3:55, that Jesus’ followers are above those who do not believe the Gospel. Therefore, the persecution of Christians by Muslims who have not believed the Gospel is a great sin.

While the original languages of the Koran do state that the Jews did kill Jesus; when we read that in conjunction with Koran 3:55, we see that God caused Jesus to be killed and the Jewish religious leadership was the instrument He used to accomplish His purposes.

Muhammad’s favorite story from the Torah, which he called the “Book of Allah” was the story of Joseph. Joseph’s brothers had betrayed him and sold him into Egypt. When they were all finally reunited, Joseph said to them, “God sent me before you to preserve you aposterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God"…Genesis 45:7,8.

Christians recognize and apparently Muhammad did too, that Joseph is one of the many similitudes of Jesus that are laced throughout the Old Testament. Joseph was sold into Egypt to ultimately save his people from being destroyed in the famine, and God caused Jesus to be betrayed and killed by His brethren to save our souls also by a “great deliverance.” (Genesis 45:7, Isaiah 53 and John 3:16.)

Muslims believe because of the mistranslation of Koran 4:157 that it was not Jesus who died on the cross but an image, or a substitution. Muhammad called Jesus Ruh Allah which means “Spirit of God.” A Spirit of God cannot be killed or destroyed. Jesus is referred to in the Bible as the “image of God.” That is because “No man has seen God at anytime” – John 1:18. Jesus said, “The Father who dwells within Me, He does the works” – John 14:10. “I and My Father are One" – John 10:30. Therefore – “He who has seen Me has seen the Father" – John 14:9. God was operating in Jesus though His Spirit. “God was in Messiah reconciling the world to Himself” – II Corinthians 5:19. So even if the Koran was not mis-translated, what Muhammad is saying in Koran 4:157 is that only the image was killed or could be killed, the Spirit of God, Ruh Allah cannot be killed, only the image, the human body, therefore the Jews could not kill Him.

Today many Muslims try to discredit the Holy Bible saying it has been corrupted. They do this in order to try and explain the contradictions in the Koran, when in fact, many of those contradictions are due to the fact the language has changed - not the message which cannot be altered or corrupted, because the Koran tells us that the word of God cannot be corrupted because it is kept by the power of God. -

"It is the law of Allah which hath taken course aforetime. Thou wilt not find for the law of Allah aught of power to change" (Koran 48:23).

And the Koran also affirms that the Torah, Psalms and the Gospel are also God's word, therefore, the message cannot be altered. -

"We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light" ... (Koran 5:44).

"And already have we written in the Psalms after the reminder that the earth shall my righteous servants inherit" (Koran 21:105).

"Subsequent to them, we sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the previous scripture, the Torah. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Torah, and augmenting its guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous" 5:46).

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Psalms 12:6,7

Muhammad actually commanded Christians to read the Bible that was in their possession in 600 AD - Quran 2:89; 7:157, so he did not view the Bible as being corrupted. He did issue a warning to those who would take God's word and corrupt it, Koran 2:79 - "Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: "This is from God," to traffic with it for miserable price!" The Bible also warns those who would take it upon themselves to alter God's word - Rev. 22:19; but again, because of his instruction to Christians to read the Bible, he obviously did not regard the Bible as being corrupted and referred to the Torah as the "Book of Allah."

Muslims also become defensive when they think that you are trying to convert them, when in fact, Christianity is not a religion that requires conversion, but rather is a relationship with God that is established by faith and acceptance of the Gospel, - that Jesus died and rose again to redeem us from our sins, therefore making it possible for us to enter God's Holy Presence when we die. Because Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God, a pure faith like the relationship God had with Abraham, the "conversion" the Bible speaks about referrs to the conversion from a state of sinfulness to sinlessness; a reformation of the heart. See also our devotional "Be Converted."

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