Quran – 3:55

In this article, we will explain how the following verse proves that Isa (A.S) has died a natural death.

Verse

اِذۡ قَالَ اللّٰہُ یٰعِیۡسٰۤی اِنِّیۡ مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ وَ رَافِعُکَ اِلَیَّ وَ مُطَہِّرُکَ مِنَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡکَ فَوۡقَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ۚ ثُمَّ اِلَیَّ مَرۡجِعُکُمۡ فَاَحۡکُمُ بَیۡنَکُمۡ فِیۡمَا کُنۡتُمۡ فِیۡہِ تَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ

When Allah said, ‘O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself, and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.

[Quran 3:55]

Context

This verse very clearly and specifically talks about the natural death of Isa (A.S) and his spiritual exaltation towards Allah. Allah destroys the evil plans of the Jews, as mentioned in the previous verse “And they planned, and Allah also planned; and Allah is the Best of planners” (3:54). This plan of Jews is also recorded in 4:158, which was to crucify Isa (A.S) and humiliate him.

Crucifixion in their eyes meant that Isa (AS) would be accursed and proven a liar if he dies on the cross as per Deuteronomy 21:23. Hence Allah reveals that he will be the one to take his life (natural death), and the Jews will not be able to prove that he is accursed; instead, Allah will do the opposite i.e his Rafa unto Himself (spiritual exaltation).

Meaning of Tawaffa

Allah clearly says “اِنِّیۡ مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ” meaning “I will cause thee to die a natural death.” It cannot mean anything else in this context. Tawaffa (توفى) is an Arabic verb that means to take something. When Allah does Tawaffi of a human, it ONLY means taking of the soul. This can be at the time of death, or sleep if night is mentioned. There is no other meaning for it.

1. Tawaffa is used 25 times in the Quran. It means “Taking of the soul” every single time. Check here.
2. Tawaffa is used many times in ahadith. It means “Taking of the soul” every single time. Check here.
3. Muhammad (S.A.W) and Ali (R.A) translate Tawaffa as “death”. Check here.
4. Arabic lexicons say that it means “Taking of the soul”. Check here.
5. Non-Ahmadi (Sunni and Shias) agree that it means “Taking of the soul”. Check here.
6. The challenge of the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) to show an example that says “Take me”. Check here.

We just showed the general meaning of the word Tawaffa. No one can deny that it means anything but taking of the soul. In Surah Az-Zumar, Allah explains that there are only two ways He does the Tawaffa of humans. The first is at the time of their death and the second is at the time of sleep. There is no other meaning.

Allah takes away the souls of human beings at the time of their death; and of those also that are not yet dead, during their sleep. And then He retains those against which He has decreed death, and sends back the others till an appointed term. In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect.

[Quran 39:42]

Translation of Ibn Abbas (RA)

The greatest Mufassir of the Holy Quran specifically does tafsir of this very verse and translates the word as death too. This narration is in the most authentic book after the Holy Quran, under the chapter called “Kitabul Tafsir” (Book of Exegete).

وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: {مُتَوَفِّيكَ} مُمِيتُكَ

Ibn Abbas (R.A) said, “Mutawaffika (مُتَوَفِّيكَ) means death.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari p.745]

Refutations of Non-Ahmadi Argument

Argument 1:

The word مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ does not mean death but means to “take” meaning that Allah took Isa (A.S) to heaven physically.

Firstly, we have already proven that Tawaffa does indeed mean to take but as per Quran, Ahadith, and Lexicons when Allah takes a human, it means “taking of the soul“. It never means taking someone with body and soul.

Secondly, even if we assume it means to take with the body, where does it say “taking to heaven”?

Argument 2:

The narration of Ibn Abbas (RA) is weak, even though it is in Sahih Bukhari. There are multiple reasons the give:

1) There is no Isnad (Chain of narrators)

This is an extremely immature allegation of Imam Bukhari (R.H) himself. Why would he meticulously compile the most authentic ahadith that we have ever seen, and yet be so neglectful to add weak narrations with no Isnad? Sunnis will attack anyone just to go against Ahmadis. Nevertheless, according to the Tafsir of Sahih Bukhari, when Imam Bukhari (R.H) leaves the Isnad out, he is personally taking responsibility and commanding it to be authentic.

أكثر البخاري من أحاديث وأقوال الصحابة وغيرهم بغير إسناد فإن كان بصيغة جزم كقال وروى ونحوهما فهو حكم منه بصحته

Most of Al-Bukhari’s hadiths and sayings of the Companions and others without chain of narrators. If it is in the form of assertiveness, such as what Qala (he said), Rawa (he narrated), and the like, then it is a judgment of it, is sahih.

[Umdat al-Qari, Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, pg 32]

Nevertheless, we will still show the Isnad as is mentioned in multiple books of classical scholars so no excuse is left.

1) Tafsir Al Tabari

ذِكْرُ مَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ: حَدَّثَنِي الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ: ثنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ: ثني مُعَاوِيَةُ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَوْلُهُ: {إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ} [آل عمران: 55] يَقُولُ: «إِنِّي مُمِيتُكَ»

(تفسير جامع البيان في تفسير القرآن، الطبري ت 310 هـ)

2) Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim, Volume 2, Page 661

حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عن ابن عَبَّاسٍ قَوْلُهُ: إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ يَقُولُ: إِنِّي مُمِيتُكَ

3) Ibn Hajr (R.H)

وقال ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ” مُتَوَفِّيكَ : مُمِيتُكَ “. قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ : ثنا أَبِي ، ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ ، ثنا مُعَاوِيَةُ ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، بِهَذَا.

(تغليق التعليق لابن حجر» كتاب التفسير» من تفسير سورة المائدة 1410/206)

4) Tafseer Ibn Al-Mundhir, Volume 1, Page 221

حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عن ابن عَبَّاسٍ قَوْلُهُ: إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ يَقُولُ: إِنِّي مُمِيتُكَ

2) This is a Muallaq narration

Another Sunni claim is that the narration is Muallaq and thus not authentic. Muallaq narrations are those that have one or more successive narrators omitted from the beginning of their chain.

This allegation shows an utter lack of knowledge in hadith sciences. Muhaddthin and Sunni scholars agree that Muallaq narrations of Imam Bukhari are indeed authentic if in affirmative or definitive form like Qala (said) or Rawā (narrated). This is the case with the narration of Ibn Abbas (R.A) in Sahih Bukhari as it says “Qala Ibn Abbas”. Here are some of the proofs.

“According to the rules that the ulama’ of hadith have generally upheld, the Mu’allaq aḥadīth of al-Bukhārī are considered as Sahih if the suspension is made in decisive words, such as qala (said), fa’ala (did), amara (commanded), nahā (prohibited), dhakara (mentioned), rawā (narrated) and so on. Suspension (ta liq) would not convey validity and soundness (şihha) if it occurs in a defective form or expression (sighat al-tamrid) such as “it is narrated from so and so” (yurma an kadha wa kadha), “it is said of him” (yuqalu ‘anhu), “it is mentioned, or narrated” (yudhkaru, yuḥkā) and the like, which are in any case usually not employed in the typical cases of ta’liq.”

[A Textbook of Hadith Studies Authenticity, Compilation, Classification and Criticism of Hadith by Mohammad Hashim Kamali, p163]

The two most famous Sunni websites also say the same:

Mu‘allaq Hadeeths in Saheeh Al-Bukhari falls into two categories:

1.     Those that he narrated with a definitive form, for example: when he says so-and-so said such-and-such or mentioned such-and-such… This method of narrating Mu‘allaq Hadeeths is considered a judgment by Al-Bukhari that these Hadeeths are authentically attributed to the person they are attributed to. This is because he would never have definitively attributed something to a certain narrator unless he had verified the authenticity of that attribution to that narrator.

2.     Those with a less definitive form, for example, when he says, it was said or it was narrated on the authority of so and so…  Hadeeths in this form are not necessarily authentic because this form of narration may be also used with Dha‘eef (weak) Hadeeths.

[Islamweb Fatwa (Sunni website)]

From what the scholars have said about the methodology of Imam al-Bukhaari in narrating mu’allaq reports, we can divide his mu’allaq reports (of which there are one hundred and sixty) into two categories: 

1- Those which were narrated in a decisive form, such as saying “He narrated…” and so on.

The ruling on these mu’allaq reports is that they are saheeh or hasan, because it is not possible for him to state that in a decisive form unless it was saheeh in his view. Rather there are some reports which meet his conditions but he reported them in mu’allaq form. 

The scholars made an exception from this principle in the case of just one hadeeth, which is reported in mu’allaq form in the Book of Zakaah (2/525).

[IslamQA Answer (Sunni Website)]

More references regarding Muallaq narrations in Sahih Bukhari can be found here.

Argument 3:

The word Mutawaffika (مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ) does not mean death but means to “sleep” meaning he was caused to sleep.

Firstly, to claim the meaning that Allah is promising Isa (A.S) to cause him to sleep in this verse will be a mockery of the Quran. He has caused Isa (A.S) to sleep thousands of times before so why would He mention this in a verse specifically in the context of Quran 3:55 of Allah and the disbelievers both planning. Allah causing Isa (A.S) to sleep simply does not fit.

Secondly, let’s look back at the Quran 5:117 where Isa (A.S) uses the word Tawaffa for himself. Let’s look at the verse through the lens of Isa (A.S) sleeping. If we take the meaning of Tawaffa as sleep, then in this context, Isa (A.S) would be saying “I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to SLEEP (tawafaitani), Thou hast been the Watcher over them”.

How is Isa (A.S) being exonerated in this verse by mentioning that since he was asleep, he does not know the condition of his people? How is sleep a good excuse for not knowing the misguidance of his people? How is this in the realm of reason by any standard?! What makes it even more absurd is that this is the statement of Isa (A.S) on the day of judgment.

Thirdly, even if we take it to mean sleep, then his body is still asleep while the soul is alive in heaven which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) saw on Mairaj. This means his soul and body are separated for at least 600 years.

Fourthly, the strongest proof that it cannot mean sleep is that we have already shown 3 authentic narrations that show the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), Ali (R.A), and all prophets will use the word Tawaffa similarly, at the same time, in same context, and same place, i.e., the Day of Judgement. We know that Ali RA and the rest of the Prophets (A.S) have died. Why should we take this baseless interpretation against the clear interpretation in Sahih Ahadith? Read more on it here.

Argument 4:

When they cannot prove مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ means to “take me”, they claim that it means death BUT it will happen on the 2nd coming. To back that up they quote a famous tafsir by Imam Suyuti and Imam Tabari which has this weak narration:

عن ابن عباس في قوله { إني متوفيك ورافعك } يعني رافعك ثم متوفيك في آخر الزمان

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas about the Ayah “I’ll take you and raise you”; “It means I’ll raise you then will cause you to die near the End of Times.”

[Durr Manthur 2/347 under 3:55]

Firstly, this narration contradicts Quran 5:117 where Isa’s (A.S) death is mentioned in his first coming rather than the second. Check here.

Secondly, this view contradicts the belief of Ibn Abbas (R.A) himself as we have shown earlier. Check here.

Thirdly, this narration is weak as Sa’id ibn Juwabyr and Ad Dahak are weak narrators.

Fourthly, Ad Dahak never met Ibn Abbas (R.A).

Finally, this narration is weaker than the one quoted above. We quoted Sahih Bukhari’s narration which has a seal of authenticity by Imam Bukhari(R.H) himself while they are quoting one from Durr Manthur to counter it. Sahih Bukhari is the most authentic book after the Holy Quran. In comparison, Durr Manthur is not even part of the Sihae Sitta (6 most authentic books of hadith).

Argument 5:

When non-Ahmadis fail to prove mutawaffika means to take someone, or death only on the 2nd coming, they bring up another argument. They call it Taqdim Wa Tahkir meaning the “Rafa” of Isa (A.S) happened before his Tawaffi, thus they change the order with which it is mentioned in the Quran. This means that Tawaffa does indeed mean to die, but it will happen after his rafa (exaltation). In short, Isa (A.S) will be lifted to heaven alive, then sent back in the latter days, when he will die.

Let us quote the verse and see the order in which Allah chose the verse to be:

“When Allah said, ‘O Jesus,I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself, and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ”

[Quran 3:56]

As seen, the order in which Allah described the sequence of events is that Isa’s (AS) tawaffi happened first then his exaltation. Yet the non-Ahmadis persist in changing Allah’s order.

Their first attempt is to quote a weak narration attributed to Ibn Abbas, through Ad-Dahaak and Saeed Ibn juwaybir, who have unanimously been declared weak when reporting from Ibn Abbas. Some scholars who have rejected these narrators include Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Al-Dhahabi, Imam an-Nasai and Imam al-Dar Qutni. These are 1% of the evidence for how this narration is very weak, however it will not be further expounded here.

Nevertheless, the non-Amazis cannot attribute this belief to Ibn Abbas, the greatest mufassir of the Quran.

They are now left to their thoughts, and their only thought now is to state “The order is switched just because it sounds nice to me”; if the non-Amazis simply ponder over this they would leave this belief at once. However, the false notion will still be refuted in several ways.

1) The Christians went astray only after Isa AS’s Tawaffi. 

Detailed response: Isa AS’s Tawaffi is mentioned twice in the Quran. Once at 3:55, and the other at 5:117 during judgment day. 5:117 states that:

“I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me—‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou caused my Tawaffa, Thou hast been the Watcher over them; and Thou art Witness over all things.”

From this verse many things are clear:

1. Isa AS testified that his people were upon Tawheed as long as he remained among them preaching. (I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me—‘Worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them)
2. It was only after Allah did the tawaffi of Isa AS, that he was not amongst his people anymore.

After pondering over this, there is no reason for a non-Ahmadi to still hold this position. However, this false notion will still be refuted through a different angle:

2) Allah raises the status of humans, so even if we were to switch Tawaffi and Rafaa, it would mean that Allah would first exalt the status of Isa AS, then he would take his soul at death. 

This would be in line with the Quranic verse:

These Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others: among them there are those to whom Allah spoke; and some of them He exalted by degrees of rank. (2:254)

If we were to entertain this false notion of Taqdim wa Takhir, Isa AS’s Rafa would be the rafaa of this verse, meaning that he was exalted in rank, then Allah took his soul at death. So, even for argument’s sake if this notion was accepted, it would still not support the physical ascent and descent of Isa AS.

In conclusion, the Non-Ahmadis should truly ponder over how ridiculous this notion. If they switch the order of Tawaffi and Rafaa, what is stopping them from switching the order of the other parts of the verse?

“and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ”.

Why do the Non-Ahmadis not place the last part of the verse at the beginning, and what right do they have to say someone is wrong if they choose to do something like that?

The true meaning of the verse is that Allah will cause Isa AS to die, then raise his status.