The Messenger Of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever dies without an Imam will die a death of Jahiliyyah” (Musnad Ahmad)

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Ibn Hazm (RH): Isa (AS) Has Died

05 Sep, 2026 Scholars, Tawaffa

Introduction

Abu Muhammad Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa’id ibn Hazm al-Andalusi al-Zahiri (d. 456 AH / 1064 CE) is celebrated throughout Islamic history as one of the most brilliant and uncompromising jurists of classical Islam. Renowned for his strict adherence to the literal text of the Holy Quran and authentic Sunnah, Ibn Hazm refused to accept theological claims that lacked direct textual proof.

When addressing the conclusion of the earthly life of Prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, Ibn Hazm arrived at the undeniable conclusion: Jesus of Nazareth died a natural death.

The Foundational Rule: Tawaffa is an Arabic verb that means to take something. When Allah takes (does Tawaffi of) a human, it ONLY means taking of the soul. It never means the taking of the body & soul.

Ibn Hazm proved this foundational linguistic and theological reality through strict deductive analysis of the Holy Quran itself.

Ibn Hazm’s Definitive Ruling in Al-Muhalla

In his masterwork of Islamic jurisprudence and theology, Al-Muhalla bi’l-Athar, Ibn Hazm writes:

وعيسى عليه السلام لم يُقتل ولم يُصلب، ولكن توفاه الله عز وجل ثم رفعه إليه، قال تعالى: {وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ}، وقال عز وجل: {إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ}، وقال تعالى عنه أنه قال: {فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ}، وقال تعالى: {اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا}، فالوفاة ضربان: نوم، وموت فقط، فلم يرد عيسى بقوله: {فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي} وفاة النوم، فصح أنه إنما عنى وفاة الموت، ومن قال إنه عليه السلام قُتل أو صُلب فهو كافر مرتد حلال الدم والمال لمكذبته القرآن وخلافه الإجماع

“Jesus, peace be upon him, was neither killed nor crucified. Rather, Allah took him and raised him to Himself. Allah said: ‘They neither killed nor crucified him’ (Quran 4:157) and He, the Exalted, said: ‘I will take you to Me and lift you up to Me’ (Quran 3:55).

And He, the Exalted, said of him that he (Jesus) said: ‘When You took me to You, You became Watcher over them, and You are a Witness over everything’ (Quran 5:117), and Allah the Most High said: ‘Allah takes the souls at the time of their death and those who do not die in their sleep’ (Quran 39:42).

So there are two types of wafat: sleep and death alone.

And with his statement ‘when You took me’ (Quran 5:117) Jesus did not mean the wafat of sleep.

It is therefore correct that the wafat of death applies to him.

And whoever says that he (Jesus, peace be upon him) was killed or crucified is an unbelieving apostate, his blood is permitted (to be shed) and likewise his wealth is permitted (to be taken) because he has refuted the Quran and opposed the consensus.”

— [al-Muḥallā bi’l-Āthār, vol. 1, p. 43, mas’alah 32]

The Deductive Logic of Ibn Hazm

Ibn Hazm’s argument is rooted in rigorous logic and linguistic precision:

  1. Only Two Types of Wafat Exist: In Surah az-Zumar (39:42), Allah explicitly defines wafat when applied to living human beings as being of two categories only: the temporary taking of the soul during sleep, or the permanent taking of the soul at death. The Quran knows no third category of “taking physical body and soul into the sky.”
  2. Jesus Did Not Mean Sleep: In Surah al-Ma’idah (5:117), Jesus speaks on the Day of Judgment to Allah, recounting his departure from his community after which his followers corrupted his teachings. It is impossible that Jesus meant sleep, because sleep is a temporary state after which a prophet wakes up and remains among his people.
  3. The Unavoidable Conclusion: Since Jesus did not mean sleep, the only remaining category is the wafat of death. Therefore, Jesus (AS) died a natural death before his followers went astray.

Ibn Hazm on the Absence of Consensus (Ijma)

Many modern critics claim that there is a unanimous consensus (Ijma) among Muslims that Isa (AS) is alive in the sky. However, Ibn Hazm himself refuted this assumption centuries ago.

In his classical treatise on consensus, Maratib al-Ijma, Ibn Hazm explicitly documented:

واختلفوا في عيسى عليه السلام هل يأتي قبل يوم القيامة أم لا

“And they [the Ummah] differed regarding Jesus (peace be upon him), whether he will come before the Day of Judgment or not.”

— [Marātib al-Ijmā‘, p. 173]

Ibn Hazm Maratib al-Ijma scan

This proves beyond all doubt that classical scholars recognized the widespread diversity of opinion on this subject, and that the belief in the natural death of Isa (AS) has deep roots among the foremost authorities of the Sunni tradition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Ibn Hazm believe Isa (AS) was taken bodily to heaven?

No. In al-Muhalla, Ibn Hazm categorizes wafat into only two types based on Quran 39:42: sleep and death. Because Jesus in Quran 5:117 could not have meant sleep, Ibn Hazm concluded that the wafat of death definitively applied to him.

What is the Arabic rule for Tawaffa?

Tawaffa is an Arabic verb that means to take something. When Allah takes (does Tawaffi of) a human, it ONLY means taking of the soul. It never means the taking of the body & soul.

Did Ibn Hazm affirm an Ijma on Jesus being physically alive?

No. In his famous book Maratib al-Ijma (p. 173), Ibn Hazm explicitly recorded that the scholars differed on whether Jesus would return before the Day of Judgment, confirming that no consensus exists on his physical presence in the heavens.

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