“Tell the disciples to meet me at such-and-such a place.” Eleven of them came to the appointed spot, but the one who had sold him and guided the Jews to him was missing. Jesus asked his companions about him and they said, “He regretted what he did, so he strangled himself and died.” Jesus said, “Had he repented, Allah would have accepted his repentance.”

He then asked about a young man who used to accompany them, called John. He said, “He is with you. Set out, for tomorrow morning each of you will speak the language of a people so that he may warn them and invite them.”

This chain of narration is rare and remarkable, yet it is more reliable than what the Christians—may Allah curse them—maintain: that the Messiah came to Mary while she was sitting and weeping beside a tree-trunk, showed her the nail-marks in his body, and told her that his spirit had been taken up while his body was crucified. Such a claim is sheer slander, falsehood, fabrication, distortion, alteration, and a baseless addition to the Gospel, contrary to the truth and to authentic transmission.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir relates, through Yaḥyā ibn Ḥabīb, that seven days after the man was crucified, Mary—thinking he was her son—asked the royal household to have the body taken down. They granted her request and it was buried there.

Mary then said to John’s mother, “Shall we go and visit the Messiah’s grave?” They went, and when they drew near Mary said, “Will you not veil yourself?” She replied, “From whom should I veil?” Mary said, “From the man who is by the grave.” John’s mother answered, “I see no one.” Mary hoped it might be Gabriel, for she had not seen him for a long time. She stopped John’s mother and walked toward the grave. When she approached, Gabriel—whom she recognized—said, “Mary, where are you going?”

She replied, “I am visiting the Messiah’s grave, to greet him and renew my closeness to him.” He said, “Mary, this is not the Messiah. Allah has raised the Messiah up and purified him from those who disbelieved. This is the young man upon whom his likeness was cast; he was crucified and killed in his place. A sign of this is that his family have lost him and do not know what became of him, and they are mourning him. When such-and-such a day arrives, go to the thicket at such-and-such a place and you will meet the Messiah.”

Mary returned to her sister, Gabriel ascended, and she told her what Gabriel had said about the thicket. When the appointed day came, she went and found Jesus there. Seeing her, he hastened toward her, embraced her, kissed her head, and prayed for her as he used to do. He said, “Mother, the people did not kill me; Allah has raised me to Himself and has allowed me to meet you. Your death is near, so be patient and remember Allah often.” Jesus then ascended, and she never saw him again until she died.

It has reached me that Mary lived for five years after Jesus and died at the age of fifty-three—may Allah be pleased with her and grant her His good pleasure.

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Jesus was thirty-four years old on the day he was taken up.”