In Sura 19, the Quran describes the birth of Isa, and sura 4 explicitly states Isa as the Son of Maryam. Sunni Muslims believe Isa is alive in Heaven and did not die in the crucifixion. Sura 4, verses 157–158, also states that: "They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did," since the messiah was "made to resemble him to them." According to religious scholar Mahmoud Ayoub, "Jesus' close proximity or nearness (qurb) to God is affirmed in the Qur'anic insistence that Jesus did not die, but was taken up to God and remains with God"