Jesus or Isa in Arabic (peace be upon him) is of great significance in both Islam and Christianity. However, there are differences in terms of beliefs about the nature and life occurrences of Jesus.
There are about 71 verses in the Quran that refer to Prophet Jesus. The Noble Quran has stated that the Almighty Allah chose Mary, purified and raised her above all other women of the world. This is mentioned in the following verses (which are translated as follows): Allah says:
وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ
“And when said the Angels, “O Maryam! Indeed, Allah (has) chosen you and purified you and chosen you over (the) women (of) the worlds.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:42)
We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an apostle with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride?- Some ye called impostors, and others ye slay! “(Surah Al-Baqara, 87)
The Quran confirmed the first thing and made it plain that the birth of Jesus without a father was only a manifestation of the infinite powers of God. He can create anybody in whatever manner He wills. His miraculous birth, therefore, is no reason why he should be made a god or a partner in Godhead. Allah says:
وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ
“And He will teach him the Book, and [the] wisdom, and the Taurat, and the Injeel. ” (Surah Al-Imran, 3:48)
The Qur’an also confirms the second thing and even recounts the miracles performed by Jesus, but makes it clear that all those miracles were performed by him, as a servant of God, by His leave and not as an independent authority. It is, therefore, wrong to infer that Jesus was a partner in Godhead. Allah says:
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Say, “We have believed in Allah and what (is) revealed to us and what was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqub and the descendants, and what was given (to) Musa and Isa and what was given (to) the Prophets from their Lord. Not we make a distinction between any of them. And we to Him (are) submissive.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:136)
This shows that like all other Prophets, Jesus also based his teachings on the following three fundamentals:
- The Supreme Authority to which mankind should submit and surrender exclusively belongs to God and all the social and moral systems should be built entirely on it.
- Being a representative of the same Paramount Power, a prophet must be obeyed unconditionally.
- God alone is entitled to prescribe laws and regulations for making things lawful or unlawful, pure and impure; consequently, all laws imposed by others must be abolished.
Thus it is clear that Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and all other Prophets (God’s peace be upon them all) had one and the same mission. Those people who say that different Prophets were sent with different missions and to fulfil different aims are gravely mistaken. Allah says/l
يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
“O Maryam! Be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow down.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:43)
Anyone, who is delegated by the Absolute Master of the Universe to His subjects, cannot have any other mission than to prevent the people, from becoming disobedient to and independent of Him, and to forbid them to set others to rank with God as partners in His Authority in any way. For, they are sent to invite the people to surrender and submit and be loyal to the Almighty God and worship Him alone. Allah says:
وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ
“And when I inspired to the disciples to believe in Me and in My Messenger they said, “We believe and bear witness that indeed we (are) those-who-submit/Muslims” (Surah Al-Ma`idah 5:111)
Our Creator sent prophets to show mankind the right path. Jesus (peace be upon him) was one of those messengers that Allah had prepared to be sent to the Jews (Children of Israel) who had deviated from the teachings of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). Allah taught him the Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel and supported him with numerous miracles to prove that he was a messenger from Allah. In the Noble Quran Allah says:
وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“And Zakariya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas – all (were) of the righteous. ” (Surah Al-Anam, 6:85)
“(And remember) when the angels said: ‘O Mary! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. (He will be) held in honour in this world and the Hereafter, and will be one of those near (to Allah). He will speak to the people in (his) cradle and in (his) manhood, and he is of the righteous.’ She said: ‘My Lord! How shall I have a son while no man has touched me?’ He said: ‘So (it will be). Allah creates what He will. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only: Be! And it is. And He will teach him (Jesus) the Book and the wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. Allah says/l
وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ آيَةً وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
“And We made (the) son (of) Maryam and his mother a Sign, and We sheltered them to high ground, of tranquillity and water springs.” (Surah Al-Mu`minun 23:50)
It is thus clear that those people who try to prove the death of Jesus from these verses, really try to show that God is not able to express Himself clearly and unambiguously. (May God protect us from such blasphemy!). Those who rejected” him were the Jews who were invited by Jesus to accept the Truth. Allah says/l
وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
“And when is presented, (the) son (of) Maryam, (as) an example behold! Your people about it laughed aloud.” (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 23:57)
“Those who follow” him are really the Muslims only but if it may be taken to imply all those who believe in him, then the sincere Christians may also be included. Allah says/l
ذَٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ
“That (is what) We recite [it] to you of the Verses and the Reminder – [the] Wise.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:58)
That is, “If one’s miraculous birth entitles one to become God or the Son of God, then Adam was better entitled to it because he was created without either a human father or a mother, while Jesus was born without a father only. He was no more than a servant: Allah says/l
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
“Not the (was) except a slave, We bestowed Our favour on him and We made him an example for (the) Children of Israel.” (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:59)
Finally, we testify that there is no god except Allah and there is none worthy of worship except Him. We believe he has no partners, and that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger. We are also certain that Jesus, son of Mary is Allah’s slave, His messenger, His word (Be! And he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit created by Him. We accept that all prophets are brothers and that there is no difference among their religions, which is one religion,
