Isa ibn Maryam - Jesus, son of Mary
Jesus in Islam
To love Jesus is a condition of being Muslim. Here is who he is to us, in his own words and in the words of the Quran.
What every Muslim must believe about Jesus
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever testifies that there is no god but God alone without partner, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, that Jesus is the servant of God and His messenger and His word which He bestowed upon Mary and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise is true and Hell is true - God will admit him into Paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
He also said: “I am the nearest of all people to the son of Mary, in this world and the next. The prophets are brothers; their mothers are different but their religion is one.” (Bukhari)
He is the Messiah
The Quran calls him al-Masih (the Messiah) eleven times. No other person holds this title in Islam.
Born of the Virgin Mary
Conceived by God's command without a father, as a sign for all humanity (Quran 19:16-22, 21:91).
A Word from God and a Spirit from Him
Created by God's word 'Be', and given a spirit from Him (Quran 4:171, 3:45).
He performed great miracles
Healed the blind and leper, raised the dead, spoke as an infant - all 'by God's permission' (Quran 3:49, 5:110).
He received the Gospel (Injil)
A revelation of 'guidance and light' confirming the Torah (Quran 5:46).
He was sinless
The angel announced 'a pure boy' (Quran 19:19). Islam does not attribute any sin to him.
He was not killed or crucified
God saved him from his enemies and raised him to Himself (Quran 4:157-158, 3:55).
He will return
Before the end of the world he will descend, defeat the Antichrist, and rule by justice (Quran 43:61; Bukhari, Muslim).
He is a servant and messenger of God
Not God, not the son of God, not one of three. 'Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allāh' (Quran 4:172).
His name and titles
In Arabic he is Isa, close to the Aramaic Isho/Yeshua he was called in his own lifetime. The Quran names him Isa ibn Maryam - Jesus, son of Mary - 23 times, deliberately attaching him to his mother, because he had no human father. He is also:
- al-Masih - the Messiah, the Anointed One
- Kalimatullah - the Word of God (compare John 1:1)
- Ruhun minhu - a Spirit from Him
- Rasulullah - the Messenger of God
- Abdullah - the Servant of God (his own first words, Quran 19:30)
- Nabi - Prophet
- Wajih - distinguished and honoured in this world and the next
- Ayah - a Sign for all the worlds
- One of the five Ulul-Azm - the prophets of greatest resolve, with Noah, Abraham, Moses and Muhammad
The one thing we do not say
We do not say he is God, or the son of God in a literal sense, or the third of three. Not because we honour him less, but because he never said it, and because God in every scripture has declared Himself One. Jesus, when asked for the greatest commandment, answered with the Shema: “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord” (Mark 12:29). The Quran repeats his words:
They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.
I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Put these two verses side by side. One is from the Gospel, one from the Quran, and they say the same thing. That is the message of this website. Read more on the Jesus in the Bible and Trinity pages.
What Jesus taught, in one sentence
… Indeed, Allāh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path.
This sentence is quoted from Jesus three times in the Quran (3:51, 19:36, 43:64). It is the whole religion.
Jesus said: “Worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Matthew 4:10. That is Islam: submitting to the One God alone, exactly as Jesus did. Take a moment to see how simple the next step is.