Jesus in the Qur'an

By Daniel Scot Sept 2008

Click here to get this in Tract form as a Word doc https://MuslimHope.com/DanielScot/04-TheMessiahInTheQuran_TractForm.doc

Sura 'Al-Fatihiah' (The Opening) 1:1-7

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The Beneficent, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment, You (alone) we worship; You (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path, The path of those whom You have favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Your anger nor of those who go astray.

 

Jesus said: "...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

Warning—This pamphlet contains words of the Qur'an in Arabic and English. Please use appropriately.

NOTE: Authoritative Islamic texts are the Qur'an and Hadith. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the revealed word of Allah (verse numbers differ slightly in different versions). Sura always stands for a chapter in the Qur'an. Islamic belief is that Muhammad is the perfect example to be followed by all Muslims. Whatever he said, practiced or approved is called Hadith. There are six different sets of authentic a hadith (Hadiths): Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmizi, Sunnan Ibn Majah and Sunnan Nasa'i. This pamphlet is intended to show the teachings and examples of Muhammad, and is not intended to be offensive to Muslims; many Muslims may have little real knowledge of what their god, Allah, and their prophet has said on this topic.

Jesus in the Qur'an

Jesus has impacted history uniquely. Jesus ['Isa or 'Iesa] is claimed to be the promised Messiah by both Christians (John 1:41, 4:25-30, Acts 3:20, Ephesians 2:12, 13) and Muslims (Sura 3:45, 4:171-172). It is important to understand who Jesus was and who He claimed to be when He took on the role of Messiah.

Messiah means 'anointed one' in Hebrew and Aramaic Even today, Jews still wait for the Messiah, but Christians and Muslims know who the Messiah is: Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.

The Messiah was unique among all the prophets of God, only He is considered anointed by God - no other prophet had this type of Divine anointing. In fact, John the Baptist declared that he wasn't worthy to untie the Messiah's sandals (John 1:27). Let's look at what the Qur'an says about the qualities of this Messiah.

Jesus was born of a Virgin

Jesus was born of a virgin. He had no earthly father.

Z Sura 21:91: 'and (remember) her [Mary] who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of our spirit, and we made her and her son a sign for all peoples.' (see Sura 3:45, 47; 4:171 and Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus was Sinless

Z Sura 3:46, 'He [Jesus] will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous.'

Sura 3:46 says that Jesus was righteous from childhood to manhood. In other words, He never sinned. The Bible says Jesus challenged His enemies to prove that He had committed even one sin:

... John 8:46, "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?" (see Isaiah 53:9; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22; and Revelation 19:11)

Many Muslims believe that God's prophets were all without sin, but reading the Qur'an carefully reveals that this is not the case. Prophets confessed their sins and were asked to repent of them—prophets such as:

  • Adam (Sura 2:33-37; 7:23, 189-190; 20:119-121
  • Noah (Sura 11:46-48)
  • Abraham (Sura 2:260; 6:75-79; 21:57-65; 26:69-82)
  • Moses (26:18-21; 28:15-16)
  • Aaron (Sura 7:150-151; 20:92-94)
  • Muhammad (Sura 4:105-106; 40:55; 47:19; 48:1-2; Bukhari, vol. 8, Hadith No. 319 and 407)

The Qur'an, however, does record that Jesus was sinless.

Z Sura 19:19, "(The angel) said: 'I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.'" (see Sura 3:36; Bukhari, vol. 4, Hadith No. 506, 641, 651-652)

The word "righteous" comes from the word meaning to purify. What purpose did God have in keeping Jesus sinless? What did Jesus need to purify? In answer to these questions, we read in the Gospels that Jesus came to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).

Jesus Performed Many Miracles

Sura 5:110 records that Jesus healed lepers and blind people and even raised the dead.

Jesus is a Sign of God for ALL Mankind

See Sura 21:91; 19:21 and 43:61.

Jesus is Illustrious in this World and the Hereafter

Z Sura 3:45, '(And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah).'

Note this carefully - the Qur'an reveals that Jesus is illustrious in this world and the Hereafter. He has been highly exalted by Allah!

Jesus is the World of God and the Spirit of God

Look again at Sura 3:45. Note this time that Jesus ('Iesa) is a word from/of God [kalam-at-ullah]. If someone is the Word of God, what does this mean?!

Z Sura 66:12, 'And Mary, daughter of 'Imran, whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed therein something of Our Spirit [Ruhullah]. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the obedient.' (see Sura 21:91 and 4:171 and Bukhari, vol. 4, Hadith No. 644)

What does it mean to have something of the Spirit of God? Is anyone else called the Word of God or the Spirit of God? These two unique titles are given to Jesus only and no one else.

Jesus taught what Muhammad was commanded to believe the Torah and Gospels.

Sura 2:285 and 4:136 commands Muhammad and all Muslims to believe in the Scriptures (plural) that God had sent to the prophets before Muhammad. How can you believe in them without reading or knowing what is in them?

Sura 5:43-47 commands Muslims to judge the Christians and Jews by the Gospel [Injil] and the Torah. How can Muslims evaluate Christians if they haven't read these books?

Z Sura 3:50, "And I [Jesus] have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurât (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allâh and obey me." (see Sura 2:41; 2:97; 3:3; 6:92; 43:61-63; 46:12)

In Sura 3:50, Jesus says that he came to confirm the Torah for His followers. The Christians have the Torah in their Bibles and read it and apply the principles to their lives. Do you read the Torah? Do you obey Jesus? Can you obey Jesus without knowing His teachings?

If the commandment to worship only one God was found in the Scriptures from Moses' time (Deuteronomy 6:4), what was the new teaching that Jesus brought? Where can you find the teachings of Jesus?

Allah promises Paradise to Jesus' Followers

Z Sura 3:55, "(And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering you and causing you to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing you of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me you will (all) return, and I shall judge between you as to that wherein you used to differ."

This aya (or verse) teaches two things:

1. Jesus is in heaven (also Sura 19:31, 33).

2. Everyone who follows Jesus will be first in God's mind.

While Muslims can be sure that Jesus is in Heaven, they cannot be certain that anyone else will surely go to Paradise because even Muhammad didn't know what Allah would do with him:

Bukhari, vol. 5, Hadith No. 266, "...He [Muhammad] said, "As to him, by Allah, death has overtaken him [Uthman bin Maz'un], and I hope the best for him. By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me," By Allah, I will never assert the piety of anyone after him...."

The Followers of Jesus

In pledging support for Jesus, the disciples of Jesus said:

Z Sura 3:53, "Our Lord! We believe in that which Thou hast revealed and we follow him [Jesus] whom Thou hast sent. Enroll us among those who witness (to the truth)."

Conclusion

Muslims pray many times a day. They repeat and pray Sura 1, al-Fatihah [The Opening], where they seek guidance for the straight path (see cover). Jesus teaches in His Injil [Gospels] that He is the straight path.

... John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.""

The only person whom we know to be in Heaven is Jesus; not even Muhammad was sure where he would go. If Jesus is the path or the way, and you follow Him, where will you finish?

Z Sura 43:61-62, "And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me [Allah]: this is a Straight Way. Let not the Evil One hinder you: for he is to you an enemy avowed. When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: "Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me.""

The content here will probably have raised some questions in your mind. Muslims are commanded to read and believe the Scriptures that God gave Christians and Jews. If you think they have been corrupted, doesn't God say that His word cannot be changed? (Sura 6:115; 10:64/5; 18:27; 48:23). If you'd like more information regarding the authenticity of the Bible, please contact us at the bottom of the page. Perhaps you need to find a copy of the Torah and Injil [Gospels] and read them for yourself.

Read the Holy Bible online: http://www.ibs.org/bibles

Watch the Jesus Film online: http://www.jesusfilm.org/languages

Mizan ul Haqq

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