Did Jesus Die?

The most religiously significant Christian holiday, Good Friday is upon us; celebrated as the day that Jesus was tortured and then crucified by the Roman regime. Many old churches in Europe are decorated with very gory pictures of his suffering, generally called “The Passion of Christ.” While some might view him as one of many prophets who were killed by the government for the political content of his sermons, Christians take a mythical view, that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, and that understanding his story of sacrifice absolves mankind of their own sins.

The Quranic take on individual responsibility is a bit different.

“Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (Quran, 99:7-8)

The amazing historical legends surrounding the man’s death – or non-death – are incredibly varied. While Catholics believe that Jesus literally died around 3pm and was buried that night, in early Christianity there were many disputes among sects as to whether or not Jesus died and then his soul ascended, or whether he was actually raised up to heaven a moment before death, or whether the entire scenario was staged, and a false person executed in his place, after which Jesus went on roaming the world teaching! Islam is also filled with similar disputes. Many Muslims literally believe that the wrong person got executed and some sects even teach that the real Jesus wandered all the way to India and died a natural death there, though locals claim that grave to be that of a Muslim saint. Regardless of the truth, Jesus is not here to defend himself.

“Behold! Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith, until the Day of Resurrection: Then you will all return unto Me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.’” (Quran 3:55)

The Quran, without describing the event in any detail, confirms that God raised Jesus to Himself. The belief that Jesus is alive with God, then, is common to Muslims and Christians. In response to the enemies of God, the Quran says:

That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah” – 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, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not: Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” (Quran 4:157-8)

On face value this would appear to be a legal argument or perhaps an emotional reaction, but according to Ibn Kathir, whose work is considered authentic by traditional Sunni scholars:

Ibn Abbas said, said, “Just before Allah raised Jesus to the Heavens, Jesus went to his disciples, who were twelve inside the house. When he arrived, his hair was dripping with water (as if he had just had a bath) and he said, ‘There are those among you who will disbelieve in me twelve times after you had believed in me.’ He then asked, ‘Who among you will volunteer for his appearance to be transformed into mine, and be killed in my place. Whoever volunteers for that, he will be with me (in Paradise).’ One of the youngest ones among them volunteered, but Jesus asked him to sit down. Jesus asked again for a volunteer, and the same young man volunteered and Jesus asked him to sit down again. Then the young man volunteered a third time and Jesus said, ‘You will be that man,’ and the resemblance of Jesus was cast over that man while Jesus ascended to Heaven from a hole in the roof of the house. When the Jews came looking for Jesus, they found that young man and crucified him.” Al-Nasa’i, Al-Kubra, 6:489

While this an interesting scenario, it is not clearly described that way in the Quran. When it is said that he appeared to die but he did not die, one could take a philosophical approach, taking into account another verse from the Quran:

“Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. They rejoice in the Bounty provided by Allah: And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve. They glory in the Grace and Bounty from Allah, and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the least).” (Quran 3:169-171)

In a very real sense, every person who is tortured to death or killed by or because of any government died for all of our sins and because of our sins, because we failed to make a decent world.  

Nevertheless, every man is responsible for his own actions and the consequences. Nobody else can die in order to absolve our sins. We are not responsible for the sins of others. What we are responsible for, in this life, is how sincerely we tried to understand and implement Christ’s teachings.

What did he tell us to do? That is key.

“O you who believe! Be helpers of Allah: as said Jesus the son of Mary to the Disciples, “Who will be my helpers for (the work of) Allah?” Said the Disciples, “We are Allah’s helpers!” then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved: But We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the ones that prevailed.” (Quran 61:14)

Free Jahar Movement–Spirituality & Politics

January 16, 2014 by TMO 

File: Dzhokhar (Jahar) Tsarnaev appearing before US Magistrate Marianne Bowler in the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston for his arraignment.

“I don’t argue with fools who say islam is terrorism it’s not worth a thing, let an idiot remain an idiot” – January 16, 2013 tweet by Jahar @J_tsar

While mainstream media maligns the Tsarnaev brothers as the Chechen terrorists who bombed the Boston marathon long before any convincing evidence has been presented in a court of law, a strong social undercurrent questioning the official version of events has spontaneously, pretty much miraculously emerged without any organization, and without any funding. The Free Jahar movement also supports Jahar’s imprisoned best friends Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, foreign students from Khazakstan, and the family of Tamerlan’s friend Ibrahim Todashev who was murdered in Orlando by the Boston FBI. Thousands of young people, mostly women in their early 20s, impeccably groomed for their online profile photos and savvy with all the modern technology – most of whom have never met each other before – are now enthusiastically and internationally networking. Nothing like this has ever happened before in history.

Baffled and disturbed by the revelation that they can no longer keep up with the latest technology young people are using today, and are thus no longer able to control public opinion, the outdated pro-FBI mainstream media has obnoxiously mocked and dismissed “Jahar’s Army” as a bunch of silly “fangirls” crazed by the boy’s good looks.

However, a closer look reveals that this depiction is inaccurate. The Free Jahar movement is one of the most unique social justice movements that the world has ever seen – nearly all female and fiercely maternal in its passion to protect the innocent:

“Jahar, We will be your voice while your own is taken. Trust in us. We are here. We love you. We will make it right. Justice will be yours.”

Luna, a Native American single mother of four living in Oklahoma who administrates the group Ohana along with Jahar’s sisters, Ibrahim’s widow and her mother, told TMO she had used google translate to locate them, as well as friends and relatives of Azamat and Dias via the Russian social media network VK and invited them to join Facebook. She said she is now “more aware of how the government and courts work” because of this “girl community.”

Alice in New Zealand told TMO, “Like most people, prior to the bombings I sort of took everything on ‘face value’ and believed everything that was shown to me. In a strange way Jahar and his family showed me the truth, if you will, and made me see otherwise… I’m forever grateful for my eyes being opened to it as a result of everything I’ve learned from this case, it’s given my heart so much love and compassion towards Muslims because they deal with so much more than the average person. It’s been the turning point in my life and changed how I see the world and has made me into a better person.”

Every generation has to realize the fact that governments lie. But unlike my generation, instead of despair, this generation of wonderful young people came up with this idea that if we love Jahar, we are no longer alone in this world. Upon believing in Jahar’s innocence, an intensely affectionate global family is formed, whose electronic (((hugs))) are like a tidal wave of divine love washing over this world. Jahar in his true suffering has undeniably and deeply blessed countless lives. He is almost like a Christ figure.

“He was chosen by the higher powers to be – Our makers, We call God, to Wake up the Sheep and turn them into Lions – hear them ROAR !!!” posts Unique Firefly of Florida.

“He has the character of the best person who could exist. Anyone who sees him falls in love with him. Dzhokhar, he is a gift from Allah, not just because he is my son – he is like an angel, this child. The Americans know him better than I do. They taught him. He was in the newspapers everywhere: he was excellent, good, kind. He worked all the time. In his extra moments, he worked so that things would not be difficult for us, his parents. He didn’t keep a penny for himself. This kind of child. You understand,” stated his father Anzor Tsarnaev via let-goletgod.

Most political prisoner support movements in the west have tended to be organized by aging secular leftists who attend meetings, pen statements, organize conferences and demonstrate on the street. The culture of this new movement is very, very different from traditional protest movements. This global women-led cultural movement is charged by prayers for peace and healing, respect for Christian and Muslim values, emotional support for each other, and unconditional, passionate respect for Jahar’s family and friends.

North American Jahar supporters have often found that the world has suddenly opened up for them, as they familiarize themselves with Muslim customs and world geography and learn about history and geopolitics from their new friends around the world.

“Yeah I had no idea Asians lived in Khazakstan!” laughs Jill of Massachusetts.

“You know what I truly admire, whenever it’s their time to pray no matter wherever they are they will stop and pray. Love it,” comments Sharon in Vancouver.

Jahar’s supporters do their share of letter writing and strive to attend status hearings, but their fight to influence public opinion takes place mostly in online forums. Unlike most prisoner support movements that hinge on court dates and then fizzle out, the Jahar groups are active around the clock. Communication takes place on Facebook, Twitter, and other apps that only young people have heard of. The largest Facebook group, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is Innocent, has over 17,000 members and continues to grow. While the group’s political influence on matters of US justice is unclear, Jahar himself has received so many gifts to his prison commissary that he has begged supporters to stop sending money or he might lose his state-funded attorneys!

They don’t just circulate news articles, court documents, and action alerts. Participants post a steady stream of family photos, personal anecdotes, pictures of lions (Jahar’s Twitter symbol), and even poor Ibrahim’s cat, Todashev Pisu Ibragimovich, curled up asleep in the bathroom sink, who misses his daddy very much. The group follows status updates from the Tsarnaev sisters with the same level of excitement other women might reserve for the Kardashians. They look up to Jahar’s mother Zubeida as a source of beauty, strength, courage and advice.

“Zubi told me how her kids are nice and she said I’m nice like her kids. And I’ve read that in Islam you have to be nice to everyone,” Maria from Kosova told TMO. The movement has indeed evolved into something indescribable that’s all about emotionally supporting complete strangers.

Whenever someone loses a family member, falls ill, gets pregnant or goes through a break-up, she receives prayers and best wishes from all around the world. They send each other birthday cards, thank you cards, I love you cards, and even Christmas presents for each others’ children. If a young lady posts a “selfie,” she is told how beautiful she is, inside and out. They visit their new friends while traveling, and confide in each other on personal matters. During the boys’ court hearings, women around the world hover around Twitter for updates, trying to decipher the legal jargon.

Kimberly in Ohio told TMO that “the ‘event’ has had a great impact in many ways on my previously held beliefs… the Boston Bombing has drastically changed my heart and opened my mind about so many things, that I don’t know where to begin, to end…”