The story was climaxed and dramatized at this stage, and religious mournings became sacred for the Christians as was wailing for the Jews A plot was planned to crucify Jesus; an actual execution on the cross took place; someone was really crucified. But it was not Jesus; it was someone else who was crucified in his place As for Jesus himself, God came to his rescue and saved him from the enemies. God crowned his mission on the earth by saving him from violent death and raising him up high to Heaven. Whether he was raised in rank by means of excellence or whether he was raised alive in soul and body or in soul only after he died a natural death has not much bearing on the Islamic beliefs. It is no article of Faith, because what is important and binding to a Muslim is what God reveals; and God revealed that Jesus was not crucified but was raised to Him. The Qur’an related the end of Jesus as follows:

The people of the Book ask you (Muhammad ) to cause a book to descend to them from Heaven: indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said:

‘Show us God in public’ . But they were dazed, for their presumption, with a thunder and lightning. Yet they worshipped the Calf even after Clear Signs had come to them; even so We forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority. And for their Covenant We raised over them (the towering height ) of Mount (Sinai); and (on another occasion) We said: ‘Enter the gate with humility’ ; and (once again) We commanded them: ‘Transgress not in the matter of Sabbath’ . And We took from them a solemn Covenant. (They have incurred divine displeasure); in that they broke their Covenant; that they rejected the Signs of God; that they slew the Messengers in defiance of right; that they said:’ Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve God’s Word; we need no more)’ ; nay God has set the seal in their hearts for their blasphemy, and little is it they believe; that they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; that they said (in boast the dersion): ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of God.’ But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge except only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, God raised him up to Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise (4:153-158; cf:3:52-59) Islam rejects the doctrine of the Crucifixion of Jesus by the enemies of God and also the foundations of that doctrine. This rejection is based on the authority of God Himself as revealed in the Qur’an, and on a deeper rejection of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins. Islam teaches that the First Sin of Adam was forgiven after he himself had made the atonement; that every sinner, if not forgiven by God, will himself be accountable for his sins; and that no one can make atonement for the sins of another. This makes no room for the entertainment of the doctrine of Blood Sacrifice or atonement on another person’s behalf. However, some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Jesus was killed on the Cross.