Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 54

54. And the Children of Israel plotted secretly (against Jesus) [53], but Allah countered their plot. And Allah is the best of planners.

[53] The Jews and their scholars and jurists all became enemies of Jesus (peace be upon him), but before his arguments, they were compelled to remain silent. Then, when he announced a relaxation in the laws of the Sabbath, the Jews found a new field for propaganda, claiming that this man is an atheist and wants to alter the Torah. Jesus (peace be upon him) had made the land of Syria the center of his mission, and here there was no Jewish rule, but rather Roman rule. He would travel with his disciples to various cities in Syria, preaching and showing miracles, through which countless people were healed and brought faith in him. In every city, hundreds of men and women believed in him, which further increased the malice and jealousy of the Jews, and they became intent on taking his life.

The Arrest of Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him):

One of his disciples received a large sum of money as a bribe from the Jews and informed them that at this time Jesus (peace be upon him) is residing on such-and-such hill. Accordingly, an armed group of Jews reached that hill and arrested him. Seeing this situation, your disciples scattered. They had only two swords, and Jesus (peace be upon him) also knew that these disciples would not be able to face an armed group. At that time, Jesus (peace be upon him) prayed to Allah, so Allah Almighty comforted him, saying that these people will not be able to harm you in the least, and I will raise you alive to Myself.

The Role of Jewish Scholars in Getting Sayyiduna Isa Sentenced to Crucifixion:

The ruler appointed over Syria by Caesar of Rome was named Herod. When the Jews arrested Jesus (peace be upon him), they slapped him on the face and, mocking him, took him through the city. Then they brought him to Pilate, the deputy governor of Herod, and made two accusations against him, demanding his execution from Pilate. One accusation was that this man forbids paying tribute to Caesar of Rome, and the second was that he calls himself the Messiah, the King. But he denied both accusations, so Pilate said, "In my view, there is no crime in him that warrants execution." But when he saw the Jews insisting on their demand, he sent the case to Herod. But Herod also found no crime in Jesus (peace be upon him) that warranted execution, so he sent the case back to Pilate. However, the Jewish scholars and jurists were all adamant that it was necessary to kill this man for being an atheist and for making others atheists. Pilate, compelled by their stubbornness and obstinacy, said, "I will crucify him at your request, but his sin will be upon you and your children." The Jews, in their stubbornness, accepted even this. Who was crucified? Then, when the time came to crucify you, the perfect power of Allah Almighty came into action. The angels of Allah Almighty raised Jesus (peace be upon him) towards the heavens, and Allah Almighty made the appearance of another person resemble that of Jesus (peace be upon him), and everyone began to believe that this person was Jesus. The Noble Quran has used the words
﴿ وَلٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ﴾
at this place. As for who this other person was, one opinion is that it was the very person who was at the forefront in getting Jesus (peace be upon him) sentenced to crucifixion. In this way, Allah Almighty punished the greatest enemy of Jesus (peace be upon him) for his deeds in the form of crucifixion. Another opinion is that this person was the same disciple who, after taking a large bribe, betrayed him and had him arrested. And Allah knows best. Some people have mentioned other possibilities regarding this suspicion. However, the summary of all these is that Allah Almighty raised you to Himself, and in your place, another suspicious person was crucified.

The Christian Belief Regarding the Crucifixion of Sayyiduna Isa:

This was the explanation of the Quran, but the account in the Gospels is different from this. Christians say that it was he who was crucified, and you died crying out. Then a man named Joseph requested Pilate to hand over the body to him. Accordingly, he buried him in a grave and placed a stone over it; this happened on Friday evening. Then, three days later, on Sunday, Jesus appeared alive to the people. Then he ascended to the heavens and promised to return again. At that time, you were 33 years old. Upon this account of the Gospels, the well-known Christian doctrine of the atonement of Christ has been built.

Introduction to the Gospel of Barnabas:

The account of the Gospels regarding the crucifixion of Jesus (peace be upon him) is questionable in several respects. For example:
(1) None of the authors of the four Gospels was an eyewitness to the event. In fact, these Gospels were compiled in the second century CE. These authors are the disciples of the disciples of Jesus (peace be upon him), and not a single disciple was present at the time of the crucifixion; all had scattered.
(2) The author of the Gospel of Barnabas is Barnabas, a disciple, and this Gospel was well-known among Christians hundreds of years before the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. In it, this statement is present: "Then the angels said to the Virgin, because Judas was changed into the likeness of Jesus." And this Judas is the same disciple who betrayed Jesus (peace be upon him). Since this Gospel of Barnabas refutes all the well-known Christian beliefs, i.e., the divinity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the atonement of Christ, therefore the church authorities excluded this Gospel from the category of revealed books and confiscated it. However, this book has not disappeared from the world even today.
(3) Before Islam, there were several Christian sects who denied the crucifixion of Jesus (peace be upon him), such as the Basilidians, the Cerinthians, the Nazarenes, the Ebionites, etc. Therefore, the Christian claim that the belief in the crucifixion of Christ is unanimously agreed upon is proven false.

The Descent of Jesus:

It is established from many authentic hadiths that Jesus (peace be upon him) will descend near the Day of Judgment on the white minaret of the mosque in Damascus. On one side of him will be Gabriel, and on the other side Michael. At that time, Muslims will be afflicted with various tribulations, the greatest of which will be the tribulation of the Dajjal. He will kill the Dajjal and assist the Muslims. He will not bring a new law, but will remain as a follower of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. During this time, he will marry and have children. In his era, Islam will prevail, and afterwards, he will die a natural death. During this period, he will kill the Jews one by one, so much so that if a Jew hides behind a stone, that stone will also speak, saying, "There is a Jew here." This is the situation mentioned in the following verse. After narrating the hadith about the descent of Jesus, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, "If you wish, (as proof) recite this verse:
﴿ وَاِنْ مِّنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ اِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهٖ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهٖ﴾
There will not remain any of the People of the Book but that he will surely believe in Jesus (peace be upon him) before his death."