BOOKS

CRUCIFIXION OR CRUCI-FICTION

This is one of Ahmed Deedat's most potent books which created quite a stir within the Christian world since its release in March 1984. In his usual inimitable style and incisive manner Ahmed Deedat has the Christian pulse ticking in absolute disarray as he unveils mind-blowing evidence within the New Testament which attest to the irrefutable Quranic facts espoused in Chapter 4 Verse 157 that Christ was neither killed nor crucified. It was Ahmed Deedat's encounter with the Christian missionaries during his youth and their persistent argument
that there is no salvation for any of us unless we believe in the crucifixion that Jesus died for our sins that irked and prodded him to research and write this book. "Whilst I accepted the Quranic argument that Jesus was not crucified and did not die for our sins as final and conclusive, I was amazed at the manner in which scores of articulate youth believed in the crucifiction as their only factor for salvation. And they seemed to be concerned about my being condemned to hell for not believing in it. Whereas Muslims believe that every child is born sinless and innocent, the Christian concept undoubtedly borrowed from Mithraistic legends, have us to swallow the idea that sin is inherited from one generation to the next and thus every child comes into the world as an impure being. Refuting this idea Major Yeats Brown in his 'LIFE OF A BENGAL LANCER' says "No heathen tribe has conceived so grotesque an idea involving the assumption as it does that man was born with a heredity stain upon him, and that this stain for which he was not responsible, had to be stoned, and that God Almighty had to sacrifice his only begotten son to neutralize this mysterious curse". It was St. Paul who more than anyone else claims that salvation can only be obtained through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: "If Christ be not risen from the dead, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also vain" (1 Corinth 15:14)

Sheikh Deedat's most compelling evidence against the doctrine of Cruifixion is that Jesus after his alledged "crucifixion" presents himself to individuals and in paticular to his disciples in the FLESH i.e his physical body, thus negating the very idea that he could have been ressurected, for according to the Bible a resurrected body would have to be spiritualized (see Corinthianus 15:42). On the contrary one finds Jesus proclaimimg to his disciples "Behold my hand and feet that it is I myself. Handle me and see for a spirit has NO FLESH AND BONES as you see me have. (LUKE 24:36) In other words Jesus was adducing factual and practical arguments to convince his disciples that he was not resurrected.

Further evidence is the fact that Jesus was simply reluctant to die on the cross, that he was afraid, sorrowful and distressed, took precaution and prayed earnestly to Almighty God to save him from whatever his enemies were plotting against him. In addition we find in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prepares his warriors to be on the defence and candidly introduces the prospect of potential warfare, He says "Whoever has no SWORD must sell his coat and BUY ONE" Luke 22:35 indicating that if the going were to get tough, Jesus and his Disciples would employ deadly means to prevent an infringemnt on his person and his life. Furthermore Jesus beseeched God to save him "And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44)

To obtain the entire awe-inspiring book write to The Islamic Propagation Centre International.