158 Preface بَل رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيهِ ۚ وَكانَ اللَّهُ عَزيزًا حَكيمًاYusuf AliNay, God raised him up1 unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise;-There is difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse. The words are: The Jews did not kill Jesus, but God raised him up (rafa'ahu) to Himself. One school holds that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally accepted Muslim view. Another holds that he did die (5:117) but not when he was supposed to be crucified, and that his being “raised up” unto God means that instead of being disgraced as a malefactor, as the Jews intended, he was on the contrary honoured by God as His Messenger: (see 4:159). The same word rafa'a is used in association with honour in connection with al Muṣṭafā in 94:4. (R).