Where is the tomb of the crucified person? Why is there no such record?

- We say that Hz. Isa (Jesus) did not die and was not crucified. The Quran rejects the Christians’ belief of the Crucifixion (4:171). However, some Missionaries or Defenders put forward the following argument: “You Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified on the Cross, but that someone else was crucified instead of Jesus. Where is the grave of the crucified person then? Why is there no such record?”
 - Besides, it is claimed later that the tomb where Jesus was buried was empty. Whose is that empty tomb? Thus, they say that it was Jesus who was crucified.
- How can we answer such claims?
- Where is the grave of the person who died instead of Jesus?

Dear Brother / Sister,

“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.” (an-Nisa, 4/157)

It is indicated in the verse above that Jesus was not crucified, that the person they killed was a person who was mistaken for him, that those who claim it have no definite knowledge about the issue they discuss, and that all they knew was due to a misconception.

The phrase “with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow...” in the verse is related to the murder of Jesus but it can also be considered an indication of who the murdered person was and where he was buried in general.

It is stated in tafsir books that - so to speak - the people who were there during the crucifixion said, “Well, if this is Jesus who was killed, where is our friend (who was mistaken for him); if this is our friend who was killed, where is Jesus?” Thus, they investigated the issue. (see Razi, Maraghi, Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse in question)

However, we could not find any information showing that answers to those questions were found.

We have no means of determining this reported information, which we cannot find in the Quran and hadith sources, through the mind.

Questions on Islam