One
of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and
allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting
forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a
sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible,
and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was
crucified:
1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins:
Peter
and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of
the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus
at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew
26:38 " Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even
unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me". Then Jesus went a little
further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 " And he
went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not
as I will, but as thou wilt".
It
is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no
intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying
strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time)
to have this death removed from him.
Had
Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to
be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell
me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other
words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have
this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus
is contradicting this idea by saying, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death" (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his
soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus' own words.
2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ:
After
Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according
to Hebrews 5:7 " Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was
able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared". These
words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God
would grant him his request.
The
word " heard in that he feared" (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him
what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked of
God to " let this cup pass from" (Matthew 26:39) him, God respond to his
prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.
3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened:
When
the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a
sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is
the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this
sign was. The details are shown in the following verses:
- Matthew 12:38 " Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee".
-
Matthew 12:39 " But he answered and said unto them, An evil and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be
given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas".
-
Matthew 12:40 " For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the
whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth".
Jesus
here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he
will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be
in the heart of the earth, " For as Jonas was three days and three
nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40). Now let us see
if this prophecy came to pass.
Jesus
was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians,
and that is the reason for calling that Friday by "Good Friday". Jesus
was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting:
1. Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.
2. Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.
3. Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2.
Mary
Magdalene, very early in the morning before sun rise and after the
Sabbath (Saturday), went to the see Jesus, and he was not there. The
following verses relate this event:
*
Mark 16:1 " And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might
come and anoint him".
* Mark 16:2 " And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun".
* Mark 16:3 " And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?"
* Mark 16:4 " And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great".
*
Mark 16:5 " And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they
were affrighted".
*
Mark 16:6 " And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of
Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the
place where they laid him".
The
number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the
earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had
prophesied. When I tell this to my Christian brothers, some of them
responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he
will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the
earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had
Jesus meant that, he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted
the people to know that this was a sign (miracle) and that it will be
like Joans' sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for
three days and three nights. These were his own words.
Why Would Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?
According
to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for
our sins. The idea here is that every human is born with sins, or that
all humans will sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure
as Jesus would be the crucified to nullify these sins. The question is;
why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the All-Merciful,
could as easily give us forgiveness if we ask for it? Isn't God the one
who makes the rules? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our
sins or for someone else's sins? Isn't that unjust of Him? According to
the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for
sacrifice. The Bible says:
*
Ezekiel 18:20 " The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not
bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the
iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him".
*
Ezekiel 18:21 " But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he
hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful
and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die".
Clearly
the soul that sins shall die. Clearly that no one shall bear the
iniquity (sins) of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others
either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one
commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the
way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing
what is right, and keeping the commandments.
Also
we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of
Ecclesiastes 12:13 " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man".
This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It
is that one should fear God, and keep the commandments, and nothing
else.
Again
in 2 Chronicles 7:14 " If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land". This clearly states that to seek forgiveness
from God we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and turn away
from wickedness.
Finally
the Bible says in Samuel 15:22 " And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as
great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice
of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams". This clearly states that obeying God is better
that sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans,
or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and
if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change
his mind, and change his ways. God says in the Holy Quran," Verily God
is All-Knowing, All-Wise" (Ch 9: Vr 28).
Now
that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of
these laws. Let's look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5:17 " Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil".
Jesus
clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of
which had already existed. So what is mentioned above cannot be
discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5:18 and 19 " For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven". Jesus here states that not even as much as a dot
(tittle) shall not pass from the law.
Every
thing is kept the way it was. That is why the previous laws cannot be
removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws " he
shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven".
More articles at Just Dawah
Allah
has described Himself in the Quran through His Names and Attributes.
Muslims believe that studying these Names and Attributes is one of the
most effective ways of strengthening one's relationship with God. Each
Name and Attribute nourishes a kind of consciousness and humility in man
and their study leads one to constantly better their actions.
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ
The most beautiful names belong to Allah: so call on Him by them.
[Surah Al-A'raf 7:180]
Muslims
are asked to call upon God during their supplications by the most
appropriate names that relate to what they are asking for. For example,
if one is seeking forgiveness from God for a sin they have committed,
they would call upon Him by His name "Al-Ghaffar," meaning "The Ever
Forgiving." If one is asking for peace and tranquility in their life
while experiencing a period of tension, they would call on God by His
name "As-Salaam," meaning, "The Source of Peace."
The
table below captures an approximate translation of a selection of
Allah's names as found in the Quran. We have chosen to provide some
commentary on His names relating to Mercy. However, each of the names
listed could be the subject of its own article.
Names Relating to Mercy
The
primary Names of Allah specifically dealing with mercy are "Ar-Rahmān"
and "Ar-Rahīm." These two names frequently occur together in the Qur'an.
They are both derived from the same root word rahmah which means mercy
and also has elements of sympathy, kindness, gentleness, compassion and
love intertwined with it. As with all the Names of Allah, these are
Names of majesty and perfection. Allah therefore manifests these
qualities to the most perfect level with His Creation. Ar-Rahman
signifies a flood of mercy that covers us and is endless.
The
mercy we see in this world which Allah has put among His creation is
just a hundredth of all His mercy. Examples of mercy that we see in His
creation includes the love a mother has for her child, human and
otherwise, the eyes with which we are able to see, the food which we are
provided to consume, the generosity and kindness we show to others. Can
we image what life would be like if these things, that we often take
for granted, did not exist? When we realize that this is only a small
portion of His Mercy, we learn to better appreciate, although we cannot
comprehend, the extent of His mercy. The other 99 parts are for the Day
of Judgment and the Hereafter, when God provides shade for the
believers, makes their accounting easy, and admits them to Paradise.
Allah's mercy comes before and prevails over His Anger. We take refuge in His mercy from His wrath.
قُلْ
يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا
مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say:
O My servants who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do
not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults
altogether. Surely, He is the Forgiving the Merciful.
[Surah Az-Zumar 39:53]
Allah's
name "Al-Ghaffar", meaning "The Ever Forgiving", is related to His
Mercy. If one is sincere in asking for forgiveness from Allah, there is
no sin that it too great for Him to forgive. When asking for
forgiveness, a person would ask directly of God and there is no
intermediary or religious cleric that would intervene. Islam has the
principle that one has a direct relationship with God and one should
learn to have dependence, faith and trust in Him for all their affairs.
The
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said that no
man's good deeds are alone enough to get him admitted into Paradise, but
it is only by the mercy of Allah that people will enter Paradise. Our
deeds are a tool to get close to Allah to a place where we can be
hopeful of His mercy.
Some
other Names of Allah that are related to His Mercy (with rough
translations) are Al-Karīm (the Generous), Al-Halīm (the Forbearing),
Al-Barr (the Generous), Al-Jawwād (the Bestower of Good), Ar-Rauf (the
Kind) and Al-Wahhāb (the Bestower).
# Arabic Transliteration Translation (can vary based on context) Qur'anic Usage
1
الرحمن Ar-Rahman The All Beneficent, The Most Merciful in Essence, The
Compassionate, The Most Gracious Beginning of every chapter except one,
and in numerous other places2
الرحيم Ar-Rahim The Most Merciful, The Most Merciful in Actions
Beginning of every chapter except one, and in numerous other places3 الملك Al-Malik The King, The Sovereign, The True and Ultimate King 59:23, 20:1144 القدوس Al-Quddus The Most Holy, The Most Pure, The Most Perfect 59:23, 62:15 السلام As-Salaam The Peace and Blessing, The Source of Peace and Safety, The Most Perfect 59:236 المؤمن Al-Mu'min The Guarantor, The Self Affirming, The Granter of Security, The Affirmer of Truth 59:237 المهيمن Al-Muhaymin The Guardian, The Preserver, The Overseeing Protector 59:238 العزيز Al-Aziz The Almighty, The Self Sufficient, The Most Honorable 3:6, 4:158, 9:40, 48:7, 59:239 الجبار Al-Jabbar The Powerful, The Irresistible, The Compeller, The Most Lofty, The Restorer/Improver of Affairs 59:2310 المتكبر Al-Mutakabbir The Tremendous 59:2311 الخالق Al-Khaliq The Creator 6:102, 13:16, 39:62, 40:62, 59:2412 البارئ Al-Bari' The Rightful 59:2413 المصور Al-Musawwir The Fashioner of Forms 59:2414 الغفار Al-Ghaffar The Ever Forgiving 20:82, 38:66, 39:5, 40:42, 71:1015 القهار Al-Qahhar The All Compelling Subduer 13:16, 14:48, 38:65, 39:4, 40:1616 الوهاب Al-Wahhab The Bestower 3:8, 38:9, 38:3517 الرزاق Ar-Razzaq The Ever Providing 51:5818 الفتاح Al-Fattah The Opener, The Victory Giver 34:2619 العليم Al-Alim The All Knowing, The Omniscient 2:158, 3:92, 4:35, 24:41, 33:4020 القابض Al-Qabid The Restrainer, The Straightener 2:24521 الباسط Al-Basit The Expander, The Munificent 2:24522 الخافض Al-Khafid The Abaser 95:523 الرافع Ar-Rafi'e The Exalter 58:11, 6:8324 المعز Al-Mu'ezz The Giver of Honour 3:2625 المذل Al-Mudhell The Giver of Dishonour 3:2626 السميع As-Sami'e The All Hearing 2:127, 2:256, 8:17, 49:127 البصير Al-Basir The All Seeing 4:58, 17:1, 42:11, 42:2728 الحكم Al-Hakam The Judge, The Arbitrator 22:6929 العدل Al-'Adl The Utterly Just 6:11530 اللطيف Al-Lateef The Subtly Kind 6:103, 22:63, 31:16, 33:3431 الخبير Al-Khabeer The All Aware 6:18, 17:30, 49:13, 59:1832 الحليم Al-Haleem The Forbearing, The Indulgent 2:235, 17:44, 22:59, 35:4133 العظيم Al-Azeem The Magnificent, The Infinite 2:255, 42:4, 56:9634 الغفور Al-Ghafoor The All Forgiving 2:173, 8:69, 16:110, 41:3235 الشكور Ash-Shakoor The Grateful 35:30, 35:34, 42:23, 64:1736 العلي Al-Aliyy The Sublimely Exalted 4:34, 31:30, 42:4, 42:5137 الكبير Al-Kabeer The Great 13:9, 22:62, 31:3038 الحفيظ Al-Hafeez The Preserver 11:57, 34:21, 42:639 المقيت Al-Muqeet The Nourisher 4:8540 الحسيب Al-Hasib The Reckoner 4:6, 4:86, 33:3941 الجليل Al-Jaleel The Majestic 55:27, 39:14, 7:14342 الكريم Al-Karim The Bountiful, The Generous 27:40, 82:643 الرقيب Ar-Raqib The Watchful 4:1, 5:11744 المجيب Al-Mujib The Responsive, The Answerer 11:6145 الواسع Al-Wasse'e The Vast, The All Encompassing 2:268, 3:73, 5:5446 الحكيم Al-Hakeem The Wise 31:27, 46:2, 57:1, 66:247 الودود Al-Wadud The Loving, The Kind One 11:90, 85:1448 المجيد Al-Majeed The All Glorious 11:7349 الباعث Al-Ba'ith The Raiser of The Dead 22:750 الشهيد Ash-Shaheed The Witness 4:166, 22:17, 41:53, 48:2851 الحق Al-Haqq The Truth, The Real 6:62, 22:6, 23:116, 24:2552 الوكيل Al-Wakeel The Trustee, The Dependable 3:173, 4:171, 28:28, 73:953 القوى Al-Qawee The Strong 22:40, 22:74, 42:19, 57:2554 المتين Al-Mateen The Firm, The Steadfast 51:5855 الولى Al-Walee The Protecting Friend, Patron and Helper 4:45, 7:196, 42:28, 45:1956 الحميد Al-Hamid The All Praiseworthy 14:8, 31:12, 31:26, 41:4257 المحصى Al-Muhsi The Accounter, The Numberer of All 72:28, 78:29, 82:10-1258 المبدئ Al-Mubdi' The Producer, Originator, and Initiator of All 10:34, 27:64, 29:19, 85:1359 المعيد Al-Mu'id The Reinstater Who Brings Back All 10:34, 27:64, 29:19, 85:1360 المحيى Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life 7:158, 15:23, 30:50, 57:261 المميت Al-Mumit The Bringer of Death, The Destroyer 3:156, 7:158, 15:23, 57:262 الحي Al-Hayy The Ever Living 2:255, 3:2, 25:58, 40:6563 القيوم Al-Qayyum The Self Subsisting Sustainer of All 2:255, 3:2, 20:11164 الواجد Al-Wajid The Perceiver, The Finder, The Unfailing 38:4465 الماجد Al-Majid The Illustrious, The Magnificent 85:15, 11:73,66 الواحد Al-Wahid The One, The Unique, Manifestation of Unity 2:163, 5:73, 9:31, 18:11067 الاحد Al-Ahad The One, the All Inclusive, The Indivisible 112:168 الصمد As-Samad The Self Sufficient, The Impregnable,The Eternally Besought of All, The Everlasting 112:269 القادر Al-Qadir The All Able 6:65, 36:81, 46:33, 75:4070 المقتدر Al-Muqtadir The All Determiner, The Dominant 18:45, 54:42, 54:5571 المقدم Al-Muqaddim The Expediter, He Who Brings Forward 16:61, 17:34,72 المؤخر Al-Mu'akhir The Delayer, He Who Puts Far Away 71:473 الأول Al-Awwal The First 57:374 الأخر Al-Akhir The Last 57:375 الظاهر Az-Zahir The Manifest, The All Victorious 57:376 الباطن Al-Batin The Hidden, The All Encompassing 57:377 الوالي Al-Waali The Patron 13:11, 22:778 المتعالي Al-Muta'ali The Self Exalted 13:979 البر Al-Barr The Most Kind and Righteous 52:2880 التواب At-Tawwab The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting 2:128, 4:64, 49:12, 110:381 المنتقم Al-Muntaqim The Avenger 32:22, 43:41, 44:1682 العفو Al-'Afuww The Pardoner, The Effacer of Sins 4:99, 4:149, 22:6083 الرؤوف Ar-Ra'uf The Compassionate, The All Pitying 3:30, 9:117, 57:9, 59:1084 مالك الملك Malik-al-Mulk The Owner of All Sovereignty 3:2685 ذو الجلال والإكرام Dhu-al-Jalaliwa-al-Ikram The Lord of Majesty and Generosity 55:27, 55:7886 المقسط Al-Muqsit The Equitable, The Requiter 7:29, 3:1887 الجامع Al-Jami'e The Gatherer, The Unifier 3:988 الغني Al-Ghani The All Rich, The Independent 3:97, 39:7, 47:38, 57:2489 المغني Al-Mughni The Enricher, The Emancipator 9:2890 المانع Al-Mani'e The Withholder, The Shielder, the Defender 67:2191 الضار Ad-Darr The Distressor, The Harmer, The Afflictor 6:1792 النافع An-Nafi'e The Propitious, The Benefactor93 النور An-Nur The Light 24:3594 الهادي Al-Hadi The Guide 25:3195 البديع Al-Badi The Incomparable, The Originator 2:117, 6:10196 الباقي Al-Baqi The Ever Enduring and Immutable97 الوارث Al-Warith The Heir, The Inheritor of All 15:2398 الرشيد Ar-Rashid The Guide, Infallible Teacher and Knower 2:25699 الصبور As-Sabur The Patient, The Timeless.
