وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا 157
Translations
And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
Transliteration
Wa-qawlihim inna qatalna al-masīḥa ʿīsā ibna maryama rasūla allāhi wa-mā qatalūhu wa-mā ṣalabūhu wa-lākin shubbihla lahum wa-inna alladhīna ikhtarafū fīhi lafī shakkin minhu mā lahum bihi min ʿilmin illā ittibāʿa al-ẓanni wa-mā qatalūhu yaqīnan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refutes the false claim of the Jews that they killed Jesus (Isa), son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah. The Quran categorically denies both his killing and crucifixion, stating instead that it was made to appear so to them (shubbihla lahum), while Jesus was raised by Allah. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that this verse establishes the Islamic doctrine of Jesus's survival and elevation to Allah, rejecting the Christian and Jewish narratives of his death, and emphasizes that those who disputed about Jesus acted merely upon conjecture without true knowledge.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina as part of Surah An-Nisa, which addresses various theological and legal matters facing the early Muslim community. The verse responds to disputes with the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) regarding the nature of Jesus Christ and the circumstances of his life. It came in a period when the Muslim community needed clear theological guidance to distinguish Islamic belief from Christian and Jewish doctrines.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'There is no prophet between me and Jesus, and he will descend (in the latter times)' (Sahih Bukhari 3448). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim 2937 describes Jesus descending and breaking the cross, killing the pig, and establishing justice, which relates to the Quranic affirmation of Jesus's survival and future return.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to rely on Quranic truth and divine revelation rather than historical claims or popular narratives that contradict Islamic doctrine, and reminds us that certainty in faith comes from authentic knowledge, not mere speculation or cultural inheritance.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَنكِحُوا۟ مَا نَكَحَ ءَابَآؤُكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًا
And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married, except what has already occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful [to Allāh] and was evil as a way.
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا۟ فِيهِ ٱخْتِلَـٰفًا كَثِيرًا
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān? If it had been from [any] other than Allāh, they would have found within it much contradiction.
مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًا ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا
What comes to you of good is from Allāh, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muḥammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allāh as Witness.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
O you who have believed, obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allāh and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allāh and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.