Surah 5:117
"I only said to them what You commanded me: “Serve God, my Lord and your Lord!” And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them. But when You took me, You became the Watcher over them. You are a Witness over everything."
5.117 – But when You took me
The Arabic verb here, tawaffā, is the same verb that causes the confusion at 3.55. In all occurrences not related to ‘Īsā, tawaffā is commonly translated “cause to die,” and some translations render the verb this way here as well (e.g., Shakir; Droge adds “in death” in a footnote). Perhaps in an effort to be consistent with Muslim beliefs about ‘Īsā, most translations render 5.117 with expressions like “when you took me.” See a discussion of these tawaffā verses at 3.55.
- from The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam