Home > Religions and beliefs > > Why does the Quran say Jesus was not crucified?
The verse of the denial (4:157), its Islamic reading, the Christian position of the redemptive cross, and the state of the historical debate, without caricature on either side.
The Quran affirms that those who claimed to kill Jesus "and for their saying, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear to them so. Even those who dispute it are in doubt about it; they have no certain knowledge other than conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him." (Quran 4:157-158), and that Allah raised him up to Him. For Islam, the crucifixion therefore did not take place: another was made to resemble Jesus, and Allah saved His messenger.
It is one of the clearest historical divergences with Christianity, which grounds salvation on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3);
for Islam, no one bears another's burden (Quran 6:164).
Contents:
Updated on 17 October 2026 at 9:55 PM
📖 3 min readThe Quran addresses the children of Israel about their claim: "They certainly did not kill him, but Allah raised him up to Himself" (Quran 4:157-158).
The verse posits three things: the crucifixion did not take place; an appearance deceived the witnesses; Issa (peace be upon him) was raised up to Allah.
The classical tafsirs explain that Allah made a man resemble Issa, who was seized in his place while Issa was raised up. On this man's identity, the scholars proposed several readings without making it an article of faith: Islamic certainty concerns the denial of Issa's crucifixion, not the identity of the one who underwent this appearance. His living raising explains, in Muslim belief, his return at the end of time (reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim): a living messenger in heaven can come back to complete his earthly life.
The meaning of tawaffa ("I will cause you to die", Quran 3:55) was also discussed by the classical exegetes: the taking of the soul (death) followed by the raising, or a sleep from which Issa is raised; in both readings, he does not die on the cross, and Issa will say on the Day of Judgment: "I only conveyed to them the message You entrusted to me... When You took my soul, You were the vigilant observer of their conduct" (Quran 5:117).
The cross is the centre of Christian salvation: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents Christ's death as the unique sacrifice redeeming humanity.
Refuting the crucifixion is therefore, in Christian eyes, touching the heart of their faith;
Islam assumes it: for it, redemption by the blood of an innocent does not exist, for "Say [O Prophet], “Should I seek a lord other than Allah, when He is the Lord of everything?” Every soul will face the consequences of its actions. No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (Quran 6:164).
Forgiveness is received directly from Allah through repentance, as He forgives whoever returns to Him (Quran 39:53).
The ancient sources (Tacitus, the mentions of Josephus) report the execution of a man named Jesus under Pontius Pilate, and that is what history textbooks repeat. Three precisions from the Islamic side: first, the passion narrative diverges within the Gospels themselves (the hour of the crucifixion: "it was the third hour" in Mark 15:25, "about the sixth hour" in John 19:14; the last words differ between the synoptics and John), which shows a reconstructed narrative, not a chronicle.
Second, the idea of substitution is not an invention of the 7th century: ancient currents, like the Basilidians of the 2nd century, taught that another had been crucified in his place, as Irenaeus reports (Against Heresies).
Third, and above all: the Muslim does not need historians to confirm his belief. The Quran is for him Allah's word, which knows what happened better than any reconstruction. Faith is not voted by a majority of sources.
It changes everything, in practice: no inherited original sin to redeem, no necessary sacrifice, no intermediary. Everyone is born pure, answers for his own deeds, and returns to an Allah who forgives directly (Quran 39:53). The cross is not the centre of Islam: Allah's mercy and the tawhid are.
Yes. Quran 4:157 is explicit and part of the creed: the crucifixion as told did not take place, and Issa (peace be upon him) was raised alive to Allah.
The Quran does not name him. The classical tafsirs propose several readings (an enemy made to resemble him, a volunteer), without consensus. Islamic certainty concerns the denial, not the identity of the other man.
The ancient sources mention Jesus's execution under Pontius Pilate, but the passion narrative diverges within the Gospels themselves (hours of the crucifixion, last words), and ancient currents (like the Basilidians, reported by Irenaeus) already taught substitution. The Muslim grounds his certainty on the Quran, not on historical reconstructions.