Islamic traditions about Jesus are one indication of how much Muslims respect Jesus. When Muhammad took over Mecca in AD 630, he cleansed the Ka’aba of idols, and destroyed all icons except the Virgin Mary and her son. Those he covered with his coat. Another tradition says that in all humanity only Jesus and his mother were not touched by Satan at birth. Muslims say they honor Jesus more than Christians who claim he was crucified by the hands of cruel men.
They reject the cross for these reasons: theologically it need not happen; morally it should not happen; historically it did not happen. As someone succinctly put it: “Without the cross, there is no Christianity, and with the cross there is no Islam.” This article suggests that by building on what is known of Christ in the Qur’an, Christians can lead Muslims to consider God’s plan of redemption in the Bible. Jesus had to die and Easter is God’s vindication. We have a message of hope for Muslim friends.
Birth
Qur’anic references bring out the uniqueness of Jesus’ birth:
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 honor in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; He shall speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous. She said; “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?” He said: “Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, ‘Be,” and it is! (3:45-47). Also, during Mary’s pregnancy she is provided with drinking water from a stream and fed by dates from a nearby tree. Upon giving birth to a son, she returns home and accused of immorality, but Jesus defends her and announces his prophethood (19: 16-40).
Titles
Similarly, many titles for Jesus in the Qur’an set him apart and provide bridges for discussion of what the Bible says about him.
Sign
Two of the three references to Jesus as a sign also mention his mother (19:21; 21:91; 23:50). In the Qur’an, “sign”(ayat) later refers to a verse in the Qur’an. In the Gospels, Simeon predicted Jesus would be “a sign that will be spoken against” (Lk. 2:34), meaning he would be persecuted by his enemies.
Prophet
Most Muslims think Jesus was a prophet from birth (19:30) and the Bible says much about his prophethood (Mt. 13:57; Lk. 1:76; 4:24; Jn. 4:19). But the New Testament claim is that he is much more than a prophet. There, all he says and does is intended to help listeners understand and believe he is the Christ, the Son of God, and Savior of the world (Jn. 20:31). Jesus viewed himself as apex and culmination in the prophetic line. He said Moses and all the prophets spoke of him (Lk. 24: 25-27; Dt. 18:15, 18; Jn. 6: 14). In the New Testament he performs miracles on his own authority—not by “God’s leave”–as the Qur’an suggests. He even forgives sins (Mt. 9:6; Mk. 2:9-11).
Spirit
Another unique, albeit obscure term for Jesus in the Qur’an, is “Spirit” (2:87). There are seven references to this effect–not only at his birth–but in the cradle, in youth, and as a grown man. He is a “spirit from God” (4:171). In the New Testament Jesus is not called “Spirit,” but it is prophesied the Holy Spirit would “come upon” Mary for a miraculous conception (Lk. 1: 35). And the canonical Gospels say that at Jesus’ baptism the Spirit descended on him (Mt. 3:16) with a fullness that was without limit (Lk. 4:1; Jn. 3:34). During his earthly ministry he continued to work under the Holy Spirit’s divine empowerment (Lk. 4:14, 18).
Word
An important title given to Jesus in the Quran is “God’s Word” (3:39, 4:171; 19:35) and it should help Christians explain the difficult Son of God concept. In the New Testament, a meaningful term for Jesus is “logos” (Word) (Jn. 1) as it is rooted in creation when the powerful word of God was manifest (Gen. 1). God simply spoke the “word” and all things came into being. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (Ps. 33:6). Various passages in the New Testament state that Jesus Christ is the Creator (Col. 1; Heb. 1).
Messiah
This is also a significant term for Jesus in the Qur’an and he receives this title (Christ) eleven times–all in the context of Medina. (3:45; 4:157; 4:169; 4:170; 5:17; 5:75; 9: 31). Qur’anic commentators agree there is no one explanation as to the etymological root, so Christians can point to the Bible where it means an anointing (I Sam. 10:1; 16:13). They can demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the anointed One of God and chosen for the special work of redemption (Dan. 9:25, 26; Jn. 1:41; 4:25).
Miracles
The miracles of Jesus in the Qur’an are found primarily in two passages (3:49; 5:110), and the only Qur’anic miracle not mentioned in the Gospels, is creating birds out of clay. A modified version of that same account is found in the apocryphal Gospel, or Infancy Story of Thomas, and lingers to this day in Christian legend. Also, though the Qur’an says Jesus heals the lepers, gives sight to the blind and raises the dead, one must turn to the Gospels for details. Muhammad, on the other hand, made no claim to be a miracle worker (13:27-30; 20:133; 29:49).
Sinless
In spite of orthodox (Sunni) Islamic teaching that all prophets are sinless, the clear Qur’anic teaching is that they sinned and needed forgiveness: Noah (11:49); Abraham (26:80-82); Moses (28:15). This included Muhammad (40: 57; 47:21; 48:1, 2). Yet both the Qur’an and the Bible affirm that Jesus is without sin (19:9; Jn. 8:46; 14:30; Heb. 4:15; 7:28). Also, two passages in the canonized traditions (al-Muslim, Vol. 1, 373 and vol. 1, 378) state that error, fault and sin is found in Adam, Noah, Moses and Muhammad, but not in Jesus.
Death
Muslim-Christian discussion over the death of Christ can turn to sharp disagreement. For Christians, the cross is the heart of the Gospel, but Muslims have historically opposed it because the Almighty would not allow such a thing. They have come to this conclusion, not so much from the Qur’an (it leaves room for such an interpretation), but as mentioned above, that Islamic theology sees the cross as a defeat for God.
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