This is an extension of the previous argument. The rationale is that as a human, Jesus (PBUH) is a combination of both soul and body. Therefore, when addressing Jesus (PBUH) with innī rāfi‘uka ilayya (‘I am going to lift you up to Myself’), it means that Allah will raise the human entity that Jesus (PBUH) represents, which is a combination of both soul and body. If only the soul or only the body were to be raised, then it would have been specifically stated thus: ‘I am going to lift your body or your soul up to Myself’. Without this clarification and differentiation, if it is said that Jesus is to be raised, it means that his entire being, comprising both body and soul, is intended. Writes Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani, in his work Maāriful Qur’an:
Wa rāfi‘uka ilayya - It obviously means that Jesus (PBUH) has been addressed and told: I am going to lift you up to Myself. Everyone knows that the name Jesus is not just of the soul but of the soul along with the body. Therefore, it is entirely wrong to take the expression lifting him up to mean only spiritual lifting, excluding the body. (2/76)
Highlighting the stress obtained by the preposition ilā, he adds:
Here, the use of the particle ilā along with the word raf, completely negates the possibility of a metaphorical meaning. In this verse, the Almighty says ‘rāfi‘uka ilayya’ (I am going to lift you up to Myself). In Surah An-Nisa, where the belief of the Jews is refuted, it has been said: ‘Wa mā qatalū hu yaqānan bal rafaa hu Allāhu ilayhi’ (they did not kill him at all, but Allah had taken him towards him). That is, the Jews have certainly not killed Jesus. Rather, Allah lifted him up to Himself. To lift someone up to oneself implies nothing but raising of the living being, both soul and body. (2/76)