What Does the Quran Say about Jesus?
In His infinite Wisdom, Almighty God has not only measured and defined
succinctly the nature and role of every creation on earth, but has
included all human beings as well as His prophets and messengers.
The Islamic view of Jesus (peace be upon him) lies between two
extremes. On one hand, the Jews rejected him as a Prophet of God and
called him as impostor. On the other hand, the Christians consider him
to be the Son of God and worship him as such. Islam considers Jesus
(peace be upon him) to be one of the great Prophets of God and respects
him as much as Ibrahim (Abraham), Moses, and Muhammad (peace be upon
them). This is in conformity with the Islamic view of the Oneness of
God, the Oneness of Divine Guidance, and the complementary role of the
subsequent mission of God’s messengers. (Islamic Future, March/April
1997 issue vol. XII, No. 67).
In Surah “Maryam” (Chapter Mary), the Quran tells us how Mary gave
birth to Jesus (peace be upon him), and how the Jews accused Mary of
blasphemy when she brought home her child. The home folks were amazed
and thought the worst of her. They accused her that she disgraced the
house of Aaron, the fountain of priesthood. The Quran provided the
dialogue between her and her people:
“At length she brought the (babe) to her people carrying him (in her
arms), they said: “O Mary! Truly a strange thing has thou brought! “O
sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a
woman unchaste!” But she pointed to the babe. They said: “How can we
talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” He said: “ I am indeed a
servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a Prophet.
“And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me
prayer and zakat as long as I live. “(He hath made me) kind to my
mother, and not overbearing or unblest; so peace on me the day that I
was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to
life (again)” (Quran 19: 27-33)
Jesus is not the Son of God: he was, obviously enough, the son of Mary. The verses continue:
“Such (was) Jesus, the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about
which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of)
Allah that he should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a
matter, He only says to it, “Be” and it is.” (Quran 19: 34-35).
The rejection of the idea of God having a son is re-stated with even stronger words:
“They say: “The Most Gracious has betaken a son!” Indeed ye have put
forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are about to burst, the
earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,
that they attributed a son to the Most Gracious. For it is not
consonant with the majesty of the Most Gracious that He should beget a
son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come
to The Most Gracious as a servant.” (Quran 19:88-93)
Jesus had no human father, but this does not make him the Son of God,
or God Himself. By this criterion, Adam would have been more entitled
to be the son of God, because he had neither a father nor a mother, so
that the Quran draws attention to the miraculous creation of both in
the following verse:
“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created
him from dust, then said to him: “Be”, and he was." (Quran 3:59, The
Quran)
The Quran rejects the doctrine of the Trinity, (e.g., God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) as strongly as it rejects the
concept of Jesus (peace be upon him) as the Son of God. It also,
rejects the doctrine of Crucifixion. Jesus (peace be upon him) was not
crucified but was raised to heaven. It was certainly the plan of his
enemies to put him to death on the cross, but God saved him and someone
else was crucified. The Holy Quran is clear on this:
“That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus, the son of Mary,
the Messenger of Allah”, but they killed him not, nor crucified him.
Only a likeness of that was shown to them. And those who differ therein
are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge. But only conjecture to
follow, for of a surety they killed him not: -Nay, Allah raised him up
unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, wise; - And there is none
of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and
on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them.” (Quran
4:157-159).
The Quran went on in explaining the role of Jesus (peace be upon him)
as only a Messenger of Allah, being His Word and a Spirit proceeding
from Him. It explained further that Allah alone is One God and he alone
is the Supreme Ruler of the entire Universe.
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of
Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more
than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary,
and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and his
Messengers. Say not “Three”: desist: it will be better for you, for
Allah is the only one that (God), Glory be to Him: (Far Exalted is He)
above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on
earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (Quran 4:171)
Here are some Quranic confirmations regarding Who God is and what Jesus
(peace be upon him) says about Allah (God). All prophets advocated the
absolute Oneness of God. He alone is worthy of worship, to whom all
heads should bow down in submission and adoration. He alone is the
Omnipotent Being and that all are in need of His favor and obliged to
solicit His help.
“Certainly they disbelieved who Says: “Allah is Christ, the son of
Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord
and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah, - Allah will
forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for
the wrong-doers be no one to help."
"They disbelieve who say: Allah is one of three (in a Trinity): for
there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of
blasphemy), verily a grievous chastisement will befall the disbelievers
among them."
"Why turn they not to Allah and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-forgiving, most Merciful."
"Christ, the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the
Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of
truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make
His Signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away
from the truth!"
"Say: Will ye worship, besides Allah something which hath no power
either to harm or benefit you? But Allah, - He it is that hearth and
knoweth all things.” (Quran 5:72-76)
“And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say
unto men, ‘take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah’/”. He will
say: “Glory to Thee. Never could I say what I had no right (to say).
Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou
knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Thine. For
thou knowest in full all that is hidden."
"Never said I to them aught except what thou didst command me to say,
‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’”. (Quran 5: 116-117).
God Almighty having the absolute power without limit over all things
may create anything He wishes. These Quranic verses below may enlighten
us about Him and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him).
“Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about
which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to the majesty of
Allah that He should beget a son. Glory is to Him! When He determines a
matter, He only says to it, “Be”, and it is. Verily Allah is my Lord
and your Lord; Him therefore serves ye: this is a Way that is
straight.” (Quran 19: 34-36).
“If you disbelieve, then verily,Allah is not in need of you, He likes
not disbelief for His slaves.And if you are grateful (by being
believers), He is pleased therewith you. No bearer of burdens shall
bear the burden of another. Then to Your Lord is your return …” (Quran
39:7).
Mary never claimed that she was a mother of God, or that her son was
God. She was a pious virtuous woman. And Jesus disclaims here any
knowledge of the sort of things that are attributed to him by those who
take his name. The worship of Mary, though repudiated by the
Protestants, was widely spread in the earlier churches, both in the
East and the West.
Some more reference about what Jesus (peace be upon him) says concerning God and himself:
In (Matthew 4:10) where Jesus (peace be upon him), reproves Satan for
desiring the worship of other than Allah (God): “Begone, Satan! For it
is written ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you
serve.” Jesus (peace be upon him) stressed the point that God alone
should be worshipped.
In (John 20:17) where he says to Mary Magdalene, “… Go to my brethren
and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God
and your God.” Jesus (peace be upon him) wanted to convey that he is no
different from us with regards to our relationship with the Almighty
God called by him as “Father”. Hence, he urged his disciples to pray
the “Lord’s Prayer”: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
(Matthew 6:9)
In (Luke 18:19) where he rebukes a ruler for calling him God Master:
“Why do you call me god? No one is god but Allah (God) alone.” Godness
is one of God’s exclusive attributes and Jesus (peace be upon him)
emphasized to his listeners that no creator can arrogate to himself
anything that belongs to God.
In (John 14:1) Jesus (peace be upon him) says: “Let not your hearts be
troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” In giving assurance of
glad tidings to his disciples, Jesus made it a point that in believing
in God, his disciples should also believe in him, which implies that he
was indeed separate and distinct from God.
And in (Mark 12:29-32), he says, “The first commandment is, “Hear O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One; and you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind, and with all your strength.
Do Islam, Christianity and Judaism have different origins?
No. Muslims believe that the original, unchanged message given to
Muhammad, Jesus, Moses and all the other prophets came from the One
same God. This common origin explains their similarities in many
beliefs and values.
“Say: We believe in God and what has been revealed to us, and what was
revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and
what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord;
we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him (God) do
we wholly give ourselves.” (Quran 3:84)
Jews, Christians and Muslims all consider Abraham their Patriarch.
Abraham is mentioned in the Quran as one of the great prophets. He was
blessed by God to be the father of many nations. From his second son,
Isaac, descended the tribe of Israel, and through them, Moses and
Jesus; and from his first son, Ishmael, came Muhammad (peace and
blessings)
