Jesus in the Qur'an
The Qur'an is an extremely important text in Islam; similar to the Bible in Christianity or the Torah in Judaism. It is believed by Muslims to be the literal word of God as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It was written around 1400 years ago throughout Muhammad’s era of being a prophet[1]. The Qur'an contains guidance for mankind in a variety of subjects including faith, justice, virtue, and worship. The content within the Qur'an has supposedly never changed from the original writings. Since it was believed to be revealed in Arabic, there have been no changes to the words since this revelation. This is backed up by the proposition that the oldest copy of the Qur'an (the Uthman Qur'an, written 19 years after the death of Muhammad) still exists in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The Hadith is also an important text in Islam. It contains a collection of Muhammad’s sayings, actions, teachings, and mannerisms. According to Ram Swarup, Muslim theologians make little distinction between the Qur'an and the Hadith. The Qur'an contains the divine revelation to Muhammad as dictated by the angel Gabriel. Muslims believe that this divine revelation is the direct word of God and is indisputable. The Hadith is a collection of sayings, actions, and teachings that were observed by Muhammad’s followers (companions) (Busse, 1998). These observations were passed down from generation to generation until they were compiled and written down into one text (Swarup). There is much less mentioned of Jesus in the Hadith than in the Qur'an, so the primary focus of this research dealt with Jesus in the Qur'an[2].
There are many references to Jesus throughout the Qur'an. In it, he is portrayed as an illustrious prophet, but with several different purposes. In his book Jesus Beyond Christianity: The Classic Texts, Gregory Barker explains the three different portrayals of Jesus in the Muslim world. The first is that Jesus is a human prophet chosen by God to pass judgment on humanity for worshiping idols and challenge the human race to turn to the one, true God. Another image of Jesus is that of an end-time figure. This portrayal of Jesus has him returning to earth at the end of times in order to fight the Antichrist. Muslims believe that this fight will then affirm Islam as the true religion and prove the prominence of Muhammad. The final image of Jesus in the Muslim world is that of an ascetic figure. The implication is that Jesus was more of a spiritual teacher and helped individuals internalize spiritual belief (Barker et al. 2010)
Much like the New Testament, the Qur'an does not go into detail about the life of Jesus. However, it does highlight several important aspects of his life including his birth, mission, and ascension to heaven. In The Muslim Jesus, Tarif Khalidi notes that the references to Jesus can be split into four different groups: (1)birth narrative, (2) miracles performed, (3) conversations between Jesus and God or Jesus and the Israelites, and (4) divine pronouncements on his humanity and purpose. Khalidi notes
The Hadith is also an important text in Islam. It contains a collection of Muhammad’s sayings, actions, teachings, and mannerisms. According to Ram Swarup, Muslim theologians make little distinction between the Qur'an and the Hadith. The Qur'an contains the divine revelation to Muhammad as dictated by the angel Gabriel. Muslims believe that this divine revelation is the direct word of God and is indisputable. The Hadith is a collection of sayings, actions, and teachings that were observed by Muhammad’s followers (companions) (Busse, 1998). These observations were passed down from generation to generation until they were compiled and written down into one text (Swarup). There is much less mentioned of Jesus in the Hadith than in the Qur'an, so the primary focus of this research dealt with Jesus in the Qur'an[2].
There are many references to Jesus throughout the Qur'an. In it, he is portrayed as an illustrious prophet, but with several different purposes. In his book Jesus Beyond Christianity: The Classic Texts, Gregory Barker explains the three different portrayals of Jesus in the Muslim world. The first is that Jesus is a human prophet chosen by God to pass judgment on humanity for worshiping idols and challenge the human race to turn to the one, true God. Another image of Jesus is that of an end-time figure. This portrayal of Jesus has him returning to earth at the end of times in order to fight the Antichrist. Muslims believe that this fight will then affirm Islam as the true religion and prove the prominence of Muhammad. The final image of Jesus in the Muslim world is that of an ascetic figure. The implication is that Jesus was more of a spiritual teacher and helped individuals internalize spiritual belief (Barker et al. 2010)
Much like the New Testament, the Qur'an does not go into detail about the life of Jesus. However, it does highlight several important aspects of his life including his birth, mission, and ascension to heaven. In The Muslim Jesus, Tarif Khalidi notes that the references to Jesus can be split into four different groups: (1)birth narrative, (2) miracles performed, (3) conversations between Jesus and God or Jesus and the Israelites, and (4) divine pronouncements on his humanity and purpose. Khalidi notes
that texts categorized in the fourth group help to understand Jesus as a human and that “’fanatical’ opinions of him must be abandoned”.
It is common understanding in the Muslim world that Jesus was born to a virgin woman named Maryam (Mary in English). According to Abdulsalam, this fact does not imply that Jesus was divine or worthy of worship. He cites Qur'an 3:59 and notes that Adam’s existence was more miraculous than Jesus’.
Abdulsalam, and many other Islamic scholars, state that Jesus performed miracles by the will and permission of God. These miracles were performed in order to perpetuate the greater goal of prophets on earth which was to convince people to worship the one true
Abdulsalam, and many other Islamic scholars, state that Jesus performed miracles by the will and permission of God. These miracles were performed in order to perpetuate the greater goal of prophets on earth which was to convince people to worship the one true
God and only that God. The miracles performed by Jesus were also used to prove that he was a prophet of God and that his message
was to bring the Jews who had deviated from the teachings of the Torah back in line with the Law.
William Phipps states in his book, Muhammad and Jesus, the reasoning behind the belief that Jesus was only human and had no divine aspects. Phipps notes that the Qur'an mentions Jesus’ humanity on several occasions. The strongest argument for this comes from the Qur'an story of Jesus’ death. While a Muslim remembered Muhammad speaking of a prophet who suffered the same demise as Jesus did as described in the New Testament, the Qur'an mentions that God would not allow a true prophet to be destroyed by his enemies. Phipps continues by stating that the thought of being humiliated and tortured in public is unacceptable in Islamic thought and that God raised Jesus into heaven before his execution could take place. This interpretation of Jesus’ death is in line with what the Qur'an says about other biblical prophets as well.
William Phipps states in his book, Muhammad and Jesus, the reasoning behind the belief that Jesus was only human and had no divine aspects. Phipps notes that the Qur'an mentions Jesus’ humanity on several occasions. The strongest argument for this comes from the Qur'an story of Jesus’ death. While a Muslim remembered Muhammad speaking of a prophet who suffered the same demise as Jesus did as described in the New Testament, the Qur'an mentions that God would not allow a true prophet to be destroyed by his enemies. Phipps continues by stating that the thought of being humiliated and tortured in public is unacceptable in Islamic thought and that God raised Jesus into heaven before his execution could take place. This interpretation of Jesus’ death is in line with what the Qur'an says about other biblical prophets as well.
Contemporary Views of Jesus in Islam
The Muslim viewpoint of Jesus remains very positive due to the way he is portrayed in the Qur'an. Almost all beliefs Muslims hold about Jesus come from the Qur'an and the perception of Jesus has hardly changed since the Qur'an was written and followed. Since he is considered to be a great, forbearing prophet, Muslims are quick to recognize the teachings and importance of Jesus. They are also quick to state that they believe Jesus was not divine and in no way was the “Son of God’. Phipps, as well as Abdulsalam, note that Muslims believe the Qur'an is the written truth of God as it was interpreted to Muhammad. With that in mind, Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the only “true” written work of God since it is a direct revelation rather than several generations of interpretation.
This is also reinforced due to the fact that Muslims believe textual errors play a large part if the “misunderstanding” of Jesus by Christians. Kenneth Cragg notes in his book, Jesus and the Muslim: An Exploration, that Jesus spoke Aramaic and his teachings were passed down for generations in many different languages. The stories were finally written down, originally in Greek, and then translated to many other languages. Muslims believe that this lead to many misunderstandings and mistranslations that altered the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings. Since Muslims feel that the Qur'an was written directly by divine revelation, it does not contain these textual errors, so therefore Christian literature and the Bible should be approached with speculation.
Even with this high regard for Jesus, Muslims still believe him to be inferior to Muhammad. According to Cragg, one reason Muslims see Jesus as inferior to Muhammad is the fact that Jesus was not “victorious” in his efforts on earth and it was only because he was rescued by God that he is vindicated. Islamic perception is based strongly on being victorious and triumphing over your enemies. Muhammad accomplished this on the battlefield and in the political realm as well as in creating and spreading Islam.
This is also reinforced due to the fact that Muslims believe textual errors play a large part if the “misunderstanding” of Jesus by Christians. Kenneth Cragg notes in his book, Jesus and the Muslim: An Exploration, that Jesus spoke Aramaic and his teachings were passed down for generations in many different languages. The stories were finally written down, originally in Greek, and then translated to many other languages. Muslims believe that this lead to many misunderstandings and mistranslations that altered the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings. Since Muslims feel that the Qur'an was written directly by divine revelation, it does not contain these textual errors, so therefore Christian literature and the Bible should be approached with speculation.
Even with this high regard for Jesus, Muslims still believe him to be inferior to Muhammad. According to Cragg, one reason Muslims see Jesus as inferior to Muhammad is the fact that Jesus was not “victorious” in his efforts on earth and it was only because he was rescued by God that he is vindicated. Islamic perception is based strongly on being victorious and triumphing over your enemies. Muhammad accomplished this on the battlefield and in the political realm as well as in creating and spreading Islam.
[1] Explore the Quran, "About the Quran: General Information ." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 28, 2012. https://www.explorethequran.com/about-the-quran/general-information.html.
[2] Muslims for Jesus, "JESUS IN HADITH." Accessed May 3, 2012. http://www.muslimsforjesus.org/Jesus in Hadith/jesusinhadith.htm.
[2] Muslims for Jesus, "JESUS IN HADITH." Accessed May 3, 2012. http://www.muslimsforjesus.org/Jesus in Hadith/jesusinhadith.htm.
Annotated Bibliography
Abdulsalam, M. IslamReligion.com, "Jesus in Islam." Last modified Febru 19, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2012.
http://www.islamreligion.com/pdf/en/jesus_in_islam_complete_from_part_1_to_3_31_en.pdf.
In his article, Abdulsalam addresses several major points of Christianity and offers his Islamic understanding of those points to counter the Christian belief. He explains how Muslims view different aspects of Jesus and offers up what he feels is the “truth” behind these different aspects of Jesus. His major conclusions consist of the ideas that Jesus was not divine but was the Messiah who was sent to the Jews to right them of their deviation from the teachings of Moses and other Old Testament messengers. He goes on to define that the Messiah is an illustrious prophet of God but not the “Son of God”. Abdulsalam mentions that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and performed miracles to prove that he was sent by God to the Jews. Jesus was not crucified, but raised directly into the Heavens by God. The thought that Jesus came and died for the sins of humanity is discounted and chapter 39, verse 7 from the Qur'an is quoted to defend this.
Barker, Gregory, and Stephen Barker. Jesus Beyond Christianity: The Classic Texts. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
In this portion of the book, Barker introduces the reader to the three distinct images of Jesus in the Muslim world which arose early in the history of Islam. The first of these is that Jesus is a human prophet chosen by God to present judgment on humanity for worshiping idols and to challenge humanity to turn to the one, true God. The second image is that of Jesus as an end-time figure in which he will return to earth at the end of times and fight against the Antichrist. This fight will then affirm Islam as the true religion and the primacy of Muhammad. The final image of Jesus in Islam is that of an ascetic figure. The Sufi movement led to the thought of Jesus as a spiritual teacher and an internalization of spiritual belief. Barker closes by saying that Christians do a disservice to Jesus’ goals when they ignore his prophetic messages and instead focus on his divine identity.
Busse, Heribert. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity: Theological and Historical Affiliations. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998.
Busse concludes in this book that the Prophet Muhammad’s recollections are a guiding force behind both doctrine and practice. The Qur'an is a divine revelation as announced to the world by Gabriel, the angel, to Muhammad. Muhammad’s followers (companions) then copied down all of the revelations as Muhammad spoke them as well as everything else he said or did. These traditions, first passed down by word of mouth and then compiled in writing, came to be known as Hadith. These traditions are still used today as sources for how to live one’s life and make binding decisions in questions of faith.
Cragg, Kenneth. Jesus and the Muslim: An Exploration. Boston, MA: Oneworld Publications, 1999.
Cragg goes into a very deep comparison of Jesus and Christian thoughts in a Muslim context. In his book, he notes that Muslims share a great amount of appreciation for Jesus, yet they discredit his association with Christianity. One thing that brings this into question is that Jesus is highly exalted by rescue rather than victory and is vindicated, but not through resurrection. Muslims see Jesus as inferior to Muhammad because Jesus lacked the strength of military might that Muhammad displayed. Cragg also brings to light the fact that Muslims discredit a lot of Christianity’s perceptions of Jesus as divine because of textual errors. The Gospels were originally written in Greek, while Jesus spoke Aramaic, and then were translated into many other languages. The Qur'an, on the other hand, was written directly by divine regulation in its original Arabic so Muslims take the Qur'an as truth while treating Christian literature with speculation.
Fry, George C. "The Quranic Christ." Concordia Theological Quarterly. 43. (1979): 207-221.
Fry calls into question the legitimacy of the Muslim portrait of Jesus and debates whether or not this image of Jesus is truly based on the Qur'an or some other, less significant source. In his article, he discusses the significance of Jesus’ name and titles, both in the Qur'an and the New Testament. He also explores the stories of Jesus’ birth and his works throughout his life. Fry mentions that Muslims believe Jesus was a “slave” of Allah and that he had to adhere to the will of his maker. Therefore, the miracles he performed and the message he delivered was all in accordance with what God wanted him to do. Jesus’ death is also examined and Fry explains several theories about how Jesus escaped death while someone else, unknown to the majority of people, died in his place. At the end of his article, Fry describes the Christian interpretation of Muhammad in that he was a false prophet because he failed to meet the Christian criterion of a prophet.
Khalidi, Tarif. The Muslim Jesus. Cambridge, MA: First Harvard University Press, 2003.
Khalidi offers a good interpretation of Jesus in Islamic literature, mostly focusing on the Qur'an. He states that the Islamic image of Jesus first took shape in the Qur'an. However, the Islamic image of Jesus is a compound one that has been developed through a Muslim perspective. Khalidi also mentions how Islam was born during the same time that many Christian communities were formed and thus faced the same struggles. This led to a particular tie between Christianity and Islam. Muslim tradition always identifies Jesus as a prophet and even has several stories depicting Jesus reciting the Qur'an, praying in the Muslim manner, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. But, unlike other Muslim prophets, Jesus maintains some distance from the strict orthodoxy of the Muslim writers who created his Islamic perception.
Larson, Warren. "Jesus in Islam and Christianity: Discussing the Similarities and the Differences." Missiology. 36. (2008): 327-341.
Larson’s article is rooted in attempting to create a Muslin-Christian dialogue in an effort to help Muslims think about Jesus as more than a prophet and more of a Messiah. While this mindset is not the point of this research, the article still contains information that is relevant to this project. Larson touches on Jesus’ birth, life, Passion/crucifixion, and return. He makes correlations between the Qur'an, Hadith, and the New Testament in which he conveys the similarities between Muslim and Christian understandings of Jesus in their own respective literature. These similarities are used by Larson to attempt to persuade Muslims into reconsidering Jesus as just a prophet of God and attempt to look at him as the Messiah, more in line with the Christian perception of Jesus.
Phipps, William. Muhammad and Jesus, New York, NY: The Continuum Publishing Company, 1996
In his book, Phipps compares the lives of both Muhammad and Jesus as well as the implications of both on their respective religions. Phipps states that Muslims interpret the Qur'an as absolute truth do to it being explicitly stated in the Qur'an that this is fact. Because of this, Muslims believe that truth in the Torah or Gospels is only what conforms to the Qur'an. Muhammad’s standpoint is that of human success because he, after a time of loneliness and deprivation, ended his life as a success. However, Jesus was “denied, betrayed, and deserted by his companions; he was tortured, condemned, and executed by his adversaries” and his life is led on the path of human defeat. Since Muslims portray Jesus as that of a prophet, the Qur'an treatment of Jesus’ death is consistent with that of other biblical prophets. The thought of being humiliated and tortured in public is unacceptable in Islamic thought and that, at the last possible moment, God raised Jesus from earth to contradict those who plotted against him.
Shehadeh, Imad N. "Reasons for Islam's rejection of biblical Christology." Bibliotheca Sacra. 161. (2004): 274-288.
Shehadeh states that Muslims view Muhammad as the last of all prophets who shared a special relationship with God, as other prophets of Israel, but his was more direct in the fact that God’s word was revealed to him through the angel Gabriel. Throughout the article, Shehadeh emphasizes two points for why Muslims reject Jesus as the Son of God: (1) Scriptural Corruption, and (2) Covenant Breaking. The Qur'an mentions that Christians are viewed as having broken their covenants with God because of the fact that they corrupted their Scriptures. These broken covenants lead to the proclamation that Jesus was divine and not human, as he is portrayed in the Qur'an. These points all lead in to the fact that Christians are prevented from ever finding grace because of their belief in redemption through Jesus Christ.
Swarup, Ram. Understanding Islam through Hadis. Smithtown, NY: Exposition Press, http://www.metalog.org/files/hadith.html (accessed April 29, 2012).
Swarup introduces a non-Muslim reader to the concepts of Islam as well as the importance of the two major Islamic texts; the Hadith and the Qur'an. The Qur'an contains Muhammad’s revelations as he got them from God. The Hadith is a collection of his sayings, actions, and teachings. Muslim theologians make no distinction between the Qur'an and the Hadith as they are both equal in the degree of revelations and in importance of teachings. One way Muslims make a distinction between the two is that God (Allah) “speaks through Muhammad” in the Qur'an while in the Hadith “he acts through him”. Regardless, God provides the divine principle of the matter while Muhammad is the living example. The Hadith contains every word, action, gesture, and mannerism of Muhammad as all of these were deemed important to his followers. All of these were passed down from generation to generation until they were compiled in writing.