Wahb b. Munabbih and Death of Jesus

 لا اله الا الله

محمد رسول الله

The great Yemenite scholar Wahb bin Munabbih رحمة الله عليه from the 8^th century CE was one of those early Muslim authorities who believed that the Messiah عليه السلام has already died:

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ حُمَيْدٍ قَالَ ثنا سَلَمَةُ عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَمَّنْ لَا يُتَّهَمُ عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ الْيَمَانِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‌تَوَفَّى ‌اللَّهُ ‌عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ثَلَاثَ سَاعَاتٍ مِنَ النَّهَارِ حَتَّى رَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهِ

Allah caused Jesus son of Mary to die for three hours during the day until He raised him to Himself (Tafsir at-Tabari; v.5, p.450):

Note that Ibn Jarir at-Tabari put this narration under the heading

وقال آخَرون معنى ذلك إنّى مُتَوَفِّيك وفاةَ موتٍ

ذكرُ مَن قال ذلك

The others who say the meaning of ‘Inni Mutawaffīka’ is ‘Wafāta Mawtin’ [Death]

Ibn Abi Hatim has likewise mentioned this narration of Wahb b. Munabbih with his own sanad in his Tafsir (p.661, #3581):