In the Name of Allāh, the Ever Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
Jesus, or more appropriately ʿĪsā (عيسى, also Yesua, Esau), the son of Mary, peace be upon him, was no more than a Prophet in a long line of prophets who called to pure monotheism [singling out Allāh (al-ilāh, elohim) in worship and shunning worship of everything and anything besides Him] and ʿĪsā was sent to the Banī Isrā’īl (Children of Israel) to abide by the Torah. Muslims believe that ʿĪsā came to be through the word of Allāh, that he was of miraculous birth, that he was raised up unto Allāh and will return in the end times to proclaim the message of Islām as left by the final Messenger, Muḥammad (prayers and peace be upon him). Muslims are the true followers of Jesus today. They abide by his monotheistic teachings, they worship like ʿĪsā (and the Prophets of Banī Isrā’īl ) and they resemble ʿĪsā in their appearance and dress. Below is the minaret of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, in whose proximity ʿĪsā will descend near to the approach of the final Hour.
The Messiah Jesus Was No More Than a Messenger
Allāh, the Sublime and Exalted, stated in the Qurʾān:
The Messiah (Jesus, son of Mary) was no more than a Messenger, many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddeeqah (she believed in the words of Allāh and his Books). They both used to eat food [as other human beings do while Allāh does not eat]. Look at how We make the signs clear to them, yet look at how they are deluded from the Truth (Sūrat al-Māʾidah, 5:75).
Comments
In this verse, Allāh establishes the invalidity of the saying of the Christian sects who appeared after ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) and ascribed divinity to him. The mother of ʿĪsā, Mary (peace be upon her) gave birth to ʿĪsā like all other women give birth, and this is only characteristic of humans, not of the Lord of the Worlds. ʿĪsā is simply a messenger like all the other messengers of Allāh who came and went. Allāh performed many miracles through the person of ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) as signs, admonitions, lessons and evidences for his truthfulness, just as He had done with previous Messengers.
His mother Mary (peace be upon her) was a very truthful woman in word and deed and she was a believer in previous scriptures and in the signs of Allāh. The words siddeeq, siddeeqeen, siddeeqah (representing the utmost truthfulness in intention, word and deed and congruency between them) are used in the Qur’an as the highest rank and status which comes after Prophethood, meaning the highest rank a human can achieve short of Prophethood.
Both ʿĪsā and his mother Mary used to eat food, because they were in need of food and drink in order to sustain their bodies, and anyone who is like that can never ever be a deity in truth, since one who is like this is dependant upon another and is not self-sufficient. And all people of sound innate disposition (fitrah) know that dependence upon food is a sign of incapacity and he who is incapable (of self-sufficiency) can never be the deity in truth. Al-Baghawi, the exegete (mufassir), states that the mention of food here is an indirect expression of the passing of stool and urine, meaning that anyone who ate and drank must necessarily pass stool and urine, and thus, how can the one characterized as such be a deity in truth? So this is a subtle allusion to the falsehood of the claim of the Christians that ʿĪsā is divine.
Allāh says, “Look at how We make the signs clear to them, yet look at how they are deluded from the Truth” this truth is recognized by people whose innate dispositions are intact and sound, and for this reason many of those who are disillusioned with the Christian doctrines innovated after ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) know and recognize the truth of what is said regarding ʿĪsā in Allāh’s final revelation, the Qur’an, because their innate dispositions still have a semblance of recognition of what is imprinted in their souls, that there is no creator, provider and sustainer worthy of worship besides Allāh alone.
Refer to the tafsirs (explanations) of al-Tabari, al-Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, al-Sa’dee and Tafsir al-Muyassar for further elaboration upon this particular verse.
A Broad Summary of the Status of Jesus Son of Mary in the Qurʾān
Jesus (Yesua, Esau) is a prophet and messenger of Allāh (al-ilāh, elohim), the sole creator and originator of the universe and the only deity worthy of worship. Jesus is al-Maseeh (the Messiah) whose arrival was promised to the Jews and who were anticipating the Messiah, as well as another Prophet to come after him. Jesus was born of miraculous birth through Mary (Maryam) yet he is a mortal human devoid of any characteristics of divinity.
He is no more than a messenger in a line of prophets and messengers sent to preach the pure monotheistic creed which entails and necessitates that none is worthy of worship besides Allāh. Neither any man, or jinn, or angel, or stone, or tree, or natural element is to be given any of the types and forms of worship which include supplication, prostration, bowing, soliciting rescue, and such love, fear, hope and reverence due only to Allāh, since the worship of whatever is besides Allāh is the foundation of all false religion, and the is the greatest crime that can be committed.
Jesus came to be through the word of Allāh, the Exalted, in that Allāh only says to a thing “Be!” and it is. And tidings of his arrival came through the spirit (al-Ruh) who is Jibreel (Gabriel), who is the greatest and loftiest of the Angels, responsible for conveying information and revelation from His Lord. Thus, Jesus is said to be a “word” and a “spirit” from Allāh, in the manner described and not upon the sense claimed by Christians. Jesus holds a special position as he is mentioned in two places in the Qurʾān as being from the “firmly determined and resolved Messengers” (أولى العزم) alongside Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
It was belief in Jesus as Messenger of Allāh and affirmation of his message, that of pure monotheism and abiding by the law (Torah) which characterized the Islām (submission) which all prophets and messengers came with, namely, singling out Allāh in worship and abiding by whatever law was given for that era. This is what Jesus came to preach to the Jews and he came to admonish and reprimand them for their deviation from the law of Moses and for falling into superstition, sorcery, usury and the likes.
Jesus was given miracles to prove his truthfulness and from them were healing the sick and giving life to the dead. Jesus was not abandoned by Allāh to the Jews to be crucified or killed. Rather, Allāh, the Exalted raised him up unto Himself and it was made to appear to them that they had crucified him. The people after Jesus innovated the false saying that Jesus is Allāh, or the son of Allāh, or one of three. And they distorted and changed the scripture of the Gospel, taking liberties with it, adding things to it and they twisted the words from their proper places. These false doctrines appeared when the message of Jesus was adapted to be more palatable to a Greek and Roman pagan audience. Jesus is alive and he will return upon earth at the appointed time near the approach of the Hour when he will kill al-Dajjaal (the great liar), and he will abide by and establish Islām, and there will be none from the people of the book (Jews, Christians) except that they will affirm their faith in him and his essential message of Islām.
Why Was Mary Referred to as ‘Sister of Aaron’ When She Brought the Baby Jesus to Her People?
When Maryam (peace be upon her) delivered Jesus and brought him to her people, they spoke in astonishment, making great this matter and declaring to her that her parents were not impious people. Here is the Qurʾānic account:
Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: “O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing an unheard mighty thing. O sister of Harun (Aaron)! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste woman” (Sūrat Maryam, 19:27-28).
The question arises here as to why was Maryam (peace be upon her) addressed by her people as “sister of Aaron.” The Muslim exegetes have cited two explanations for this:
The first:The first is that Harun (Aaron) was the name given to righteous people amongst them, because of a man amongst them called Harun who was very righteous. So when she brought the baby, they said to her “O sister of Harun”, meaning “O one who is associated with rectitude, righteousness” because she came from a righteous family. Al-Tabari mentions this view from Qataadah (an early commentator of the Qur’an who studied with the Prophet’s companions), and Muhammad bin Seereen and others. Al-Baghawi mentions that Qataadah and others stated that Aaron was a righteous worshipper and that forty-thousand people followed his funeral the day that he died and all of them were called Aaron.
This name therefore was associated with piety and righteousness and hence, the use of the phrase “O sister of…” is not referring to blood relationship. This is like the saying of Allāh, “Verily, the spendthrifts (those who squander wealth) are the brethren of the devils…” (17:27). Al-Baghawi also cites a narration from al-Kalbi that Aaron referred to here was a brother of Maryam through her father, and he was the most righteous man amongst Bani Isra’eel in that time. Ibn Kathir supports this view and cites from al-Tabari in this regard. And Imaam al-Sa’dee from the contemporary Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah (those adhering to the Prophetic tradition) also supports the view that this statement is referring to an actual brother of Mary called Aaron, and that the Bani Israa’eel used to call their children by the names of former prophets.
The second:The second is that is indeed Harun (Aaron) the brother of Moses, and Maryam was from his lineage, and thus it was said to her “O sister of Aaron” just like it is said to one who belongs to a tribe, “O brother of the tribe” such as for example one who is a Tamimi (of the Tameem tribe), “O brother of Tameem” and to the Mudarree (of the Mudarr tribe), “O brother of Mudarr.” Al-Tabari mentions this view from al-Sudee (another early Qur’anic exegete).
The first is the most correct view, and when we read the remainder of the verse, “Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste woman…” we see that the people were protesting the fact that she was the sister of a very righteous man and her father and mother were not impious, so on all these three counts, how has she come with a baby, when all of her family members (father, mother, brother) are associated and known for piety and righteousness? Maryam (peace be upon her) did not speak and simply pointed to the child, and we shall take this matter up in a separate article, and this is from the miracles of ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) in that he spoke as an infant and defended his mother’s honour and reputation.
The position of ʿĪsā and his mother Maryam (may peace be upon them both) is a very lofty one in the Qurʾān and this contrasts to how they are both viewed in Talmudic literature and the animosity and denigration that is found amongst the Jews towards these two great figures, one a Messenger and Prophet of Allāh, and the other (Mary) a Siddeeqah (extremely truthful in intention, word and deed), a title given to those from mankind attaing the best possible rank short of prophethood.
The Utmost Chastity of Maryam, Mother of Jesus
The Qurʾān uses expressions to indicate the lofty virtues and utmost heights of the chastity of Maryam (peace be upon her), indicating the great status she holds amongst mankind. Allāh, the Exalted said:
And (remember) she who guarded her chastity [the virgin Mary], We breathed into (the sleeves of) her (shirt or garment) [through our Spirit, Jibreel], and We made her and her son [Jesus] a sign for the worlds (men and jinn) (Al-Anbiya 21:91).
Comments
This verse occurs after the mention of Zakariyaa (alayhis salam), the father of Prophet Yahyaa (John) (alayhis salaam), and Zakariyaa was an old man who was married to an old and infertile wife, yet Allāh blessed them with a son, a prophet. Allāh mentions Zakariyyaa alongside and before the example of Maryam because in both cases an extraordinary thing occurred.
The meaning of this verse is: Remember Maryam (peace be upon her) who is being praised, and whose status is being explained, and whose nobility is being announced, the one who preserved her innocence and virginity through the utmost chastity by safeguarding from what is unlawful and everything that brings one closer to what is unlawful (in terms of sexual relations). Nay, she even guarded herself from what was lawful, thus, not marrying due to being preoccupied and engrossed in worship, and in serving her Lord. Indeed when Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to her in the form of a man of good appearance and manners, she said, as occurs in the Qur’an:
She said: “Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah.” (Maryam 19:18)
As a reward for her utmost piety and chastity Allāh, the Exalted, rewarded her by bestowing her a son without the intervention of any male, (as is the usual order of things). Hence, she maintained her chastity. Jibreel was sent to give her glad tidings and he came with the spirit which was breathed into her, leading her to conceive, by the permission of Allāh. Both Mary and Jesus were made a sign for the worlds (of men and jinn) in that Mary gave birth without male intervention and Jesus spoke as an infant, and miracles were made to occur through him, such that generation after generation would make mention of them, and that they may come to know that Allāh is powerful over all things, and that He creates whatever and however He wills.
This lofty and noble status of Maryam (peace be upon her) in the Qur’an and in the Prophetic tradition and in the Islamic tradition in general contrasts with what is found of denigration and hate amongst factions of the Jews, this emanating from the Talmudic descriptions of Jesus and the Mary (may peace be upon them both, and may Allāh absolve and purify them above what the oppressors claim).
Jesus Was Not Too Proud to Be a Humble Servant and Worshipper of Allāh
Allāh (al-Ilah, Eloh-im) stated in His last and final revelation, the Qur’an:
The Messiah will never be proud to reject to be a slave to Allāh, nor the angels who are near (to Allāh). And whosoever rejects His worship and is arrogant, then He will gather them all together unto Himself (An-Nisa 4:172) .
Comments
When a delegation of Christians from Najraan came to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), they said to him, “O Muhammad, you belittle our companion (meaning Jesus),” and they meant that you call him an “Abd Allāh”, slave of Allāh, and he replied, “It is not a shortcoming for Eesaa (Jesus) to be a slave of Allāh (Abd Allāh),” and this particular verse was then revealed. Jesus (peace be upon him) did not scorn being a slave of Allah, just as the near Angels do not scorn to be in servitude to Him, and he, like all the Prophets of good, were humble servants of Allah who bowed and prostrated to Him in humility and worship.
This is in contrast to the exaggeration of the Christians with respect to the person of Jesus (peace be upon him), who raised him and gave him divine qualities. Thus Jesus is mentioned in this verse, along with the near Angels, who are in humble submission to their Lord. Jesus was desirous of worshipping his Lord, and this matter is still preserved in the Gospels that remain extant in which it is mentioned that Jesus would fall on his face in worship. This means prostration and this was the worship of all the Prophets of Banee Israa’eel (Children of Israel), who would bow and prostrate in submission to their Lord.
And prostration (sujud) is from the greatest of aspects of prayer, others being bowing (ruku’) and standing (qiyaam), and sitting (julus) and invocation (du’a) – and the Muslim prayer comprises of all of these matters, and it is the very prayer of all of the Prophets of Allāh whose details can still be found in the Torah and Gospel, enough to recognize the striking similarities.
So this is the example of Jesus, a Prophet, a humble worshipper of Allāh, in a line of Prophets, sent to the Jews calling them to single out Allāh in worship and to abide by the Torah, and he was a mortal, both he and his mother (peace be upon her) ate and drank, and his mother was favoured by Allāh for her utmost chastity, and He bestowed upon her this noble Prophet. They were monotheists, given to devotion and worship of Allāh, and they shunned the worship of others, and this was the very religion of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Muhammad (peace be upon them all), which is represented in the word “Islam.”
Jesus Is the Messenger, the Word and the Spirit of Allāh, the Exalted
Allāh (al-Ilaah, Eloh-im), the Sublime and Exalted, said in His final revelation to mankind, establishing the truth about Jesus, the Messenger (peace be upon him):
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allāh aught but the truth. The Messiah Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allāh and His Word (through which He created him), (a Word) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him. So believe in Allāh and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allāh is (the only) God (worthy of worship), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs. (An-Nisa 4:171)
Comments
This verse was revealed in relation to various factions of the Christians (Ya’qubiyyah, Nestoriyyah, Malikaaniyyah, Marqoosiyyah), and they had various sayings so some said, “Jesus is Allāh”, others said, “He is the son of Allāh” and others said, “He is the third of three.”
Allāh, the Exalted is saying:
O people of the Gospel, do not exceed the true belief in your religion, and do not exaggerate and say of Allāh except the truth. Do not claim a son and wife for Him, for Eesaa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) was no more than a Messenger like many other Messengers, he was sent with the ultimate truth, which is submitting to Allāh alone without any partners, a truth that is witnessed to by all the signs in creation, and which the innate disposition and natural instinct of every person recognizes, provided it has not been corrupted (through nurturing upon false religion). So Jesus is the Messenger of Allāh. And likewise He is the Word of Allāh, with the meaning that he was created through a Word spoken by Allāh which is “Be!” (not that he, Jesus, in his essence, is the actual Word of Allāh) and with this Word, Jibreel was sent, and Jibreel breathed into Maryam (peace be upon her) from the Spirit of Allāh.
The Spirit is a created entity, not something that is from Allāh’s essence, but the word Rooh (Spirit) is used to refer to a created entity, and the Rooh (Spirit) was also breathed into Aadam (peace be upon Him) – and none knows the reality of this Rooh save Allāh – so this Rooh (Spirit) was breathed into Maryam (peace be upon her) by Jibreel, so Jesus is the Spirit of Allāh, in this sense, in that he was created through Allāh’s sending of the Rooh (Spirit) with Jibreel and the breathing of this spirit into Maryam (peace be upon her). This is the truth, so believe in it, and believe in this truth regarding Jesus, Son of Mary, and submit to Allāh alone, and worship Him alone, and shun the worship of all other deities including Jesus and his mother Mary, for they were mere mortals, who ate and drank, and Allāh chooses whomever He wills for Prophethood.
And do not say “There are three (deities)”, for there is only one deity in truth. For you have unjustly raised him (Jesus) from the station of Prophethood and Messengership to one of Lordship (Rububiyyah), yet Jesus and his mother Mary are mere mortals, they eat and drink and walk the earth, and they own and control nothing of the heavens and earth, save that Allāh gave miracles to Jesus as a sign of his prophethood and as a evidence to Banee Israa’eel (Children of Israel) that he is indeed sent by Allāh. So if you desist from saying this statement of “Three” it is better for you, because this is the way of deliverance, to believe in the unicity of Allāh, His sole right to be worshipped, He is sanctified and too sublime that He should have a son, rather to Him belongs the heavens and the earth, so everything is under His dominion, and everything is subservient to Him and sufficient is He alone as a disposer of all affairs.
Just as this verse was revealed to correct the exaggeration (ghuluww) of the Christians, it was also revealed to correct the belittlement and rejection of the Jews of the Messiah Jesus and so in this verse Allāh establishes that Jesus is the Messenger of Allāh, the Word of Allāh and the Spirit of Allāh (as explained above). And with this Allāh, the Exalted has established the truth for the People of the Book, both Jews and Christians.
References:
- Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Baghawi
- Tafsir al-Sa’dee, Tafsir al-Muyassar
A Message to Christian Nations: Why Are They Turning to Islam?
christianity-leafletYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
Jesus in Islam, Christianity and the Judaic Talmud
jesus-islam-christianity-judaismYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
The Muslim Preservation of the Language of Jesus (Aramaic) Is Superior to That of the Christians
In the following clip from a 2008 Australian documentary, a community in a Syrian village is mentioned. The inhabitants are 50% Muslim and 50% Christian and they all speak Aramaic, though the Muslims are superior in its understanding and preservation. This is because it is only through Arabic that other Semitic languages can be fully understood and restored, and this in turn is because Arabic (Fuṣ-ḥā) is a clear (mubeen) language, has remained pure, and has not undergone devolution, dilution or distortion, and is preserved with the Qur’an.
In the clip below, a Christian priest acknowledges that Aramaic is better preserved by Muslims.
Paul Altered the Religion of Jesus: Part 1
islamjesus-paul-faith-deedsYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
Ibn Taymiyyah’s Debate With Christians Regarding the Claimed Divinity of Jesus
ibn-taymiyyah-jesus-divinity-argumentYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
The Qurʾān, the Speech of Allāh, Jesus the Messiah, Christian Apologists and ‘The Word’
doubts-quran-eternal-christiansYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
An Analysis of Christian Apologist James White’s Polemics Regarding the Quran, ‘Created or Not?’
James White is a Christian apologist from the United States who engages in public debates with Muslims on various issues pertaining to scripture, doctrine and history. In a video published on Youtube on 10 October 2019, titled “Has the Qurʾān Eternally Existed”, White debates a Muslim apologist on the subject matter of the Qurʾān as the speech of Allāh (عز وجل) and the issue of its eternality. These debates are not new and did not appear in the modern era. Rather, they took place in the era of the Righteous Salaf when Christians saw opportunities to argue for their doctrines using the innovations and heresies of astray sects such as the Jahmites, Muʿtazilites, Kullābites, Ashʿarites and Māturīdites. These heresies arose on account of foreign influence from Hellenized Sabeans, Jews and Christians upon individuals who debated without being grounded in knowledge and without sound understanding of the Qurʾān. This series addresses this subject and removes the ambiguity and confusion regarding it.
doubts-quran-eternal-christians-james-white-01You can download the PDF above by clicking here.
doubts-quran-eternal-christians-james-white-02-fullYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
doubts-quran-eternal-christians-james-white-03You can download the PDF above by clicking here.
Regarding the Hadith: ‘I Saw My Lord in the Best Appearance’ and the Doubt of the Christians and Jahmites Regarding It
doubts-hadith-surah-dream-2You can download the PDF above by clicking here.
The compilation above was authored by Abū ʿIyāḍ Amjad Rafīq.
A Study of the Origins and Evolution of Modern Christianity
Here is a brief study of the origins of Modern Christianity and its development over the years. It is intended to be an easily digestible read, and food for further study and research.
Excerpt: Our discussion then, is going to be from a few angles: we want to look at the affair historically, and secondly, we want to look at that which has been mentioned by men of knowledge within the Christian world. Thus, the bulk of what we are going to be mention is going to come from bona fide Christian scholarly sources concerning the realities of Christianity, so it would not be said that we have unjustly spoken about Christianity, or that it is a ‘Muslim’ take on Christianity and the development of Christianity. So we are going to be quoting from some of the well-known sources within the scholarly realm of Christendom, such as the varying Bible Studies, explanations of the Bible and Bible dictionaries.
ahbd_eb_20190414_the_origins_of_modern_christianity_finalYou can download the PDF above by clicking here.
This page shall be updated, ʾIn shāʾ Allāh, with additional resources in the weeks and months to come.
.هذا وصلى الله وسلم وبارك على نبيه المصطفى محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
