Al-Jaza’iri on the question whether Jesus died during the ascension to heaven

Ni’matullah Ibn Muhammad Al-Jaza’iri writes:

عيون الأخبار عن الرضا عليه السلام قال: ما شبه أمر أحد من أنبياء الله وحججه للناس إلا أمر عيسى ابن مريم وحده لأنه رفع من الأرض حيا وقبض روحه بين السماء والأرض ثم رفع إلى السماء ورد إليه روحه وذلك قوله عز وجل إذ قال الله يا عيسى إني متوفيك ورافعك إليه

“Uyun-ul-Akhbar reported from Ar-Rida (a.) that he said: “In the uncertainty there was no matter of any of the prophets of God and His proofs to the people, except only the matter of Jesus, the Son of Mary, for he was raised alive from the earth and died between the heaven and the earth. He was then lifted up to heaven and made alive again and this is His testimony when God said: “O Jesus, i will cause you to die and lift you up to Me.” (3:55)

 

أما قوله إني متوفيك ورافعك إلي فذكر المفسرون فيه أقوالا منها إني قابضك إلي ورافعك إلى السماء من غير وفاة بموت ومعنى متوفيك إن رافعك إلي وافيا لم ينالوا منك شيئا من قولهم توفيت منك كذا وكذا أي تسلمته

“As for His statement: “I will cause you to die and raise you up to Me” (3:55), the exegetes mentioned various statements about this. Among them is: “I take you to Me and raise you up to heaven without dying.” And that by “I will let you die” is meant: “I lift you up to Me completely. They cannot touch you.” From their statement: “I took from you this and that.” Which means: “I took it.”

ومنها إني متوفيك وفاة نوم ورافعك إلي في النوم من قوله وهو الذي يتوفاكم بالليل

“And to them belongs: “I will make you sleep like the dead, and in sleep I will raise you up to Me.” From His testimony: “It is He Who makes you sleep at night like the dead.” (6:60)

ومنها ما قاله ابن عباس من أن المراد إني متوفيك وفاة موت كما تقدم في الحديث وقال ابن عباس إنه توفاه أي أماته ثلاث ساعات

“And to them belongs what Ibn Abbas said, namely that by “I will let you die” (3:55) is meant dying by death, as mentioned in the tradition before and Ibn Abbas said that He let him die, that is, let him be dead for three moments.” (2:259)

وأما النحويون فيقولون هو على التقديم والتأخير أي رافعك ومتوفيك لأن الواو لا توجب الترتيب ويدل عليه ما روي عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال عيسى لم يمت وإنه راجع إليكم قبل يوم القيامة فيكون تقديره إني قابضك بالموت بعد نزولك من السماء

“And as for the philologists, they say that it is a matter of precedence and deferment, by which is meant: “I raise you up to Me and I let you die.” As a term and does not necessarily have to refer to the order, and this is indicated by what was narrated by the prophet (s.) that he said: “Jesus did not die and will return to you before the day of resurrection.” So the order would be: “I will cause you to die, after you come down from heaven.” [Qisas-ul-Anbiya’, page 388 – 389]