and others. Others contend that the confusion fell upon the very men who carried out the crucifixion, and this is what most people believe.

The first group argues that the divine statement,

“They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; rather, it was made to appear so to them” (Q 4:157),

means that the illusion was cast over the people to whom the crucifiers reported the deed.

The majority, however, maintain that the illusion befell those who said they had crucified him, as the narrative has been explained elsewhere. What matters here is that, on this issue, people fall into two extremes with a middle course between them.