his crucifixion; for it was the Jews who crucified the person in question, and none of Christ’s companions was present. Those Jews who crucified him mistook the crucified man for Christ. It has also been said that they knew he was not Christ, but lied and misled the people. The first account, however, is the well-known one and is accepted by most people.

Thus, the Christians have no report from anyone they consider trustworthy establishing that Christ was crucified. Rather, their principal basis for this belief is the person who came several days later and said, “I am Christ.” That was a devil. They themselves acknowledge that devils often appear, with one claiming to be a prophet or a righteous man, saying, “I am such-and-such a prophet or righteous man,” when he is actually a devil. There are numerous accounts of this, such as the story of the monk to whom someone appeared and said, “I am Christ. I have come to guide you.” Recognizing that it was the devil, the monk replied, “You have already conveyed the message, and we act upon it. If you now bring anything that contradicts it, we will not accept it from you.”

Neither the Christians nor the Jews, then, have knowledge that Christ was crucified, as Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, those who differ concerning it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, following only conjecture.”

He attributed the claim of having killed him to the Jews, saying:

“And their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.’”

They deserve punishment for these words, since they believed it permissible to kill Christ. Whoever considers killing him permissible is like one who has killed him. Thus, in making this statement, they are both lying and sinning. If they say it as a boast, they gain no glory, because they did not kill him; yet they incur sin for considering it lawful and striving to carry it out. The Prophet said