Mention in the Quran

And that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty five times.

For example:

"We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 2,Verse 87

"O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary..." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 45

"...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god..." The Holy Qur'an ,Chapter 4,Verse 171

"...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary..." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 5, Verse 46

"And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 6, Verse 85

Other titles

Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning "The son of Mary"; and as the Maseeh (in Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as "Christ". He is also known as Abdullah, "The servant of Allah"; and as Rasul u Allah, the messenger of Allah. He is spoken of as "The Word of God", as "The Spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire Quran.

Eesa or Jesus?

The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as Eesa. Actually, his proper name was Eesa (Arabic), or Esau (Hebrew); classical Yeheshua, which the Christian nations of the West latinised as Jesus. Neither the "J" nor the second "s" in the name Jesus is to be found in the original tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages. The word is very simply "E S A U" a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in the very first booklet alone of the Bible, in the part called "Genesis".

Mary Honored

The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:

"'Behold'! the angels said: 'O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of all nations" The Holy Qur'an ,Chapter 3,Verse 42

"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honor is not to be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continues:

"O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 3,Verse 43

There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Surat u Maryam, (Chapter 19) "Chapter Mary", named in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; again, such an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Mary!

If Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with Mary, the mother of Jesus, his own mother Aamina, his dear wife Khadija, or his beloved daughter Fatima. But No! No! This can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!.

Divine Revelation

What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original Arabic, moves men to ecstasy and tears? verse 44 below explains:

"This is part of the tidings, of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Muhammad!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point)." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 44

So neither Muhammad, the unlettered prophet nor his followers were aware of such tremendous and truthful information concerning all of the messengers, Mary, her mother, Zachariah and those who disputed with him regarding who would care for Mary. Nor were they aware of Zachariah winning charge of her after he had drawn lots with pens with his opponents. They did not know how Zachariah welcomed her and of who used to bring sustenance from God as a gift to her, which led Zachariah inspite of his old age and the barrenness of his wife to ask God to grant him righteous offspring. Neither Muhammad nor his followers were aware of this previously. It is not possible that you will be able to find such speech bearing the highest level of splendor and eloquence and which is nicely phrased and magnificiently presented in the Gospels or anywhere else. This shows that Prophet Muhammad did not speak of his own whims, but rather that it was revelation revealed to him by the Lord of all creations.

Miraculous Birth and absolving of Virgin Mary from slander

"Then We sent to her Our spirit, and he appeared before her in a form of a man in all respects." This refers to angel Gabriel. So at the time this (miraculous) event took place, this pure and chaste woman had set out to devote herself to worshipping God, and she had placed a screen in front of her for this purpose in order to protect her honor and chastity and so that she can establish her worship. Then lo and behold, a human that was well-proportioned in his form and beauty suddenly appeared before her. So she demonstrated the signs of her chastity and modesty in this instance, saying: "Verily, I seek refuge in the Most Gracious (Allaah) from you, if you do fear Allaah."

Then the noble messenger Gabriel gave her news that caused her fear to be removed and her heart to find tranquility: "I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son." So she replied in amazement: "How can I have a son when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste ?" So the angel informed her: "So it will be. Your Lord said: 'That it is easy for Me. And We wish to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us.'"

So this spirit blew (the life of Jesus) into her. So she conceived Jesus, and withdrew with the baby in her womb to a far away place. There she gave birth to her child and was faced with the problem that any chaste and honorable woman like her would feel, so she wished she was dead. Then there came that removed her fear and anxiety: "(The baby Jesus) cried out to her from below her, saying" 'Grieve not, your Lord has provided a water stream under you.'"

These were the signs and miracles that increased her reliance, tranquility and faith in the fact that God would protect her, demonstrate that she was free from any claims of fornication, and manifest her honor and nobility. So all she needed to do was to point to this infant that the slanderes used as a means to accuse her of fornication. This child said from the cradle: "Verily, I am a slave of Allaah. He has given me the scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I may be. And He has enjoined on me prayer and giving of charity for as long as i live. And (He has enjoined me) to be dutiful to my mother, and He has not made to be arrogant and wretched. And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die, and the day I will be raised alive."

.... Adam also was born miraculously

Does the miraculous birth of Jesus make him a God or a "begotten" son of God? No! says the Holy Quran:

"The similitude of Jesus before Allah (God) is that of Adam; He created him from dust then said to him: 'Be', and he was." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 3,Verse 59

If being born without a male parent entitles Jesus to being equated with God, then, Adam would have a greater right to such honor.

Crucified??

Contrary to Christian beliefs, Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified, but rather that someone else was made to resemble him and crucified instead of him. The Qur'an states that he was raised up to the heavens where he will await until the day when he will be sent back to earth towards the end of time. Allah says: "And because of their (Jews) saying boastfully: 'We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, Messenger of God.' But they killed him not nor did they crucify him, but rather the resemblance of Jesus was put in another man (and they killed that man). And those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no certain knowledge; they follow nothing but conjecture, for surely they killed him not. Rather, Allah raised him up (body and soul) unto Himself. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, Most Wise. And there is none of the people of the Scripture (i.e. Jews and Christians), except that he will surely believe in Him (that he was really a messenger of God) before his (Jesus') death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 4,Verse 157-159

Descent of Jesus, Son of Mary

Jesus, son of Mary will be returning to this world before the Day of Resurrection. He will return to become a leader of the Muslim nation.

"And he (Jesus, son of Mary) shall be known sign for (the coming of) the Hour (Day of Resurrection). And follow Me (Allah) This is the Straight Path (of Islamic Monotheism, leading to Allah and to His Paradise)." The Holy Qur'an,Chapter 43,Verse 61

The Prophet Muhammad has prophesised that Jesus will return and judge mankind with justice. He will descend by the white minaretin the east of Damascus, placing his hands upon the wings of two angels, and will fight against the Antichrist (Dajjaal) until he reaches the gate of Ludd (present-day Israel), where he will kill him.

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Was Jesus sent to be crucified?

One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified:

1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins:

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." Then Jesus went a little further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus' own words.

2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ:

After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." These words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God would grant him his request. The word "heard in that he feared" (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked of God to "let this cup pass from" (Matthew 26:39) him, God respond to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.

3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened:

When the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this sign was. The details are shown in the following verses:

Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

Matthew 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be in the heart of the earth, " For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40). Now let us see if this prophecy came to pass.

Jesus was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians, and that is the reason for calling that Friday by "Good Friday". Jesus was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting:

1.Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.
2.Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.
3.Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2.

Mary Magdalene, very early in the morning before sun rise and after the Sabbath (Saturday), went to the see Jesus, and he was not there. The following verses relate this event:

Mark 16:1 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

Mark 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

Mark 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

The number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had prophesied. When I tell this to my Christian brothers, some of them responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had Jesus meant that, he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted the people to know that this was a sign (miracle) and that it will be like Joans' sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. These were his own words.

4. Why Would Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?

According to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The idea here is that every human is born with sins, or that all humans will sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure as Jesus would be the crucified to nullify these sins. The question is; why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the All-Merciful, could as easily give us forgiveness if we ask for it? Isn't God the one who makes the rules? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our sins or for someone else's sins? Isn't that unjust of Him? According to the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for sacrifice. The Bible says:

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Clearly the soul that sins shall die. Clearly that no one shall bear the iniquity (sins) of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing what is right, and keeping the commandments.

Also we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It is that one should fear God, and keep the commandments, and nothing else.

Again in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." This clearly states that to seek forgiveness from God we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and turn away from wickedness.

Finally the Bible says in Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." This clearly states that obeying God is better that sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans, or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change his mind, and change his ways. God says in the Holy Quran, "Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise" The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 9, Verse 28.

Now that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of these laws. Let's look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Jesus clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of which had already existed. So what is mentioned above cannot be discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5:18 and 19 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus here states that not even as much as a dot (tittle) shall not pass from the law. Every thing is kept the way it was. That is why the previous laws cannot be removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws "he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven."

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Prophet Jesus and The Da Vinci Code

This article appeared in a Magazine Radiance NewsWeekly.

Say ye: “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between one and another of them: and we bow to Allah (in Islam).” (Al-Baqarah 2:136)

Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah giveth Thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah. (Al ‘Imran 3:45) We believe in all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. We respect and honor all of them without any discrimination. We believe that all Prophets preached the message of Tawhid (monotheism) and all of them invited human beings to worship Allah alone and to live righteous life. Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him- was not the only Prophet of God, but he was the last and final Prophet of God. Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of Islam; all Prophets submitted to God (Muslims) and followed the way of submission to God (Islam). We believe that Jesus was one of the great prophets of God. In the Qur’ân he is called ‘Isa. He is also known as al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary). He has many other honorable names and titles in the Qur’ân. He is a highly respected religious figure. Every Muslim believes in him, honours him and loves him. His mother is also highly respected, loved and honoured. There are hundreds of thousands of Muslim men all over the world who feel proud and blessed to have the name ‘Isa; as there are thousands of Muslim women who feel honoured and blessed to be called Maryam.

There is a big controversy going on all over the world at this time about Dan Brown’s novel known as The Da Vinci Code. This novel has become a big thriller and until now more than 45 million copies of it are sold. Today a movie is going to be released based on this novel. Many Christians, especially Catholics are outraged with this novel. In several countries Christians are protesting and asking their governments to ban this novel and its movie. Some Bishops and Cardinals referred to Danish Cartoons against Prophet Muhammad and said that Muslims were angry with a few cartoons we should be more angry with this book. Some Muslims and non-Muslims are asking our reaction to this book.

We as Muslims do not want to be known as people who react only when something wrong is done to the blessed name of our Prophet Muhammad only. We stand for the respect of all religious figures of all religions. Furthermore, Jesus –peace be upon him- is also a blessed Prophet to us. We believe in him and honour him. We also have something to say something about this novel and movie.

There are two things that I would like to say about the Da Vinci Code and its movie. One is positive and the other is negative. The positive thing is that it says that for the first four centuries Jesus was known only as a Prophet of God, not God. At the Council of Nicea around the year 325 CE the Emperor Constantine and some Bishops with him changed the true teachings of Jesus. The Da Vinci Code also says that Jesus – peace be upon him - married one of his female disciples Mary Magdalene and had children and his descendants still exist. Although the Qur’ân does not say anything about Jesus’ marriage, his wife or children (nor does the New Testament); there is nothing wrong from the Islamic point of view if he was married and produced children. Allah says in the Qur’ân:

We did send Messengers before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a Messenger to bring a Sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each period is a Book (revealed). (Hud 13:38)

Some Christians consider this a blasphemy. According to them to say that Jesus was married means that he was not God. Although they say that God had a son (na’udh billah); but they say that Jesus could not have a son. However, as Muslims we say that if he was not married then this does not make him God; because Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist) who was Jesus’ contemporary was not married and no one considered him divine. Celibacy does not make any person divine. And if Jesus was married then this does not take away his honour because there were many prophets before him and after him who were married and had offspring. It is interesting to see a number of books produced today by Christian writers that also say that Jesus was not crucified and he never claimed to be “the Son of God.” This is what the Qur’ân said long time ago.

There is, however, a negative side of the Da Vinci Code for which we as Muslims should criticise it. The Da Vinci Code is a novel, a fiction. It has not presented facts about Jesus’ life in a serious and respectful manner. It has fictionalised his life and story and in this sense it has downgraded this great Messenger of Allah. The author of the Da Vinci Code took some historical facts and then spun a mystery story to thrill and chill his readers. God’s Prophets and His Messengers should not be treated in this manner. They are entitled to receive utmost honour and respect from us. It is for this reason Islam forbids making pictures of Allah’s Prophets and Messengers and also forbids making fictitious stories and movies about them. Islam teaches us that we should present their Sirah (life and teachings) with great care, respect and utmost authenticity.

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