The Qur=92an tells us a lot of wonderful things about Jesus. As a
result, believers in the Qur=92an love Jesus, honour him, and believe in
him. In fact, no Muslim can be a Muslim unless he or she believes in
Jesus, on whom be peace.
The Qur=92an says that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he spoke while
he was still only a baby, that he healed the blind and the leper by
God=92s leave, and that he raised the dead by God=92s leave.
What then is the significance of these miracles? First, the virgin
birth. God demonstrates his power to create in every way. God created
everyone we know from a man and a woman. But how about Adam, on whom
be peace? God created him from neither a man nor a woman. And Eve from
only a man, but not a woman. And, finally, to complete the picture,
God created Jesus from a woman, but not a man.
What about the other miracles? These were to show that Jesus was not
acting on his own behalf, but that he was backed by God. The Qur=92an
specifies that these miracles were performed by God=92s leave. This may
be compared to the Book of Acts in the Bible, chapter 2, verse 22,
where it says that the miracles were done by God to show that he
approved of Jesus. Also, note that Jesus himself is recorded in the
Gospel of John to have said, =93I can do nothing of my own
authority=94 (5:30). The miracles, therefore, were done not by his own
authority, but by God=92s authority.
What did Jesus teach? The Qur=92an tells us that Jesus came to teach the
same basic message which was taught by previous prophets from God=97that
we must shun every false god and worship only the one true God. Jesus
taught that he is the servant and messenger of that one true God, the
God of Abraham. These Quranic teachings can be compared with the Bible
( Mark 10:18; Matthew 26:39; John 14:28, 17:3, and 20:17) where Jesus
teaches that the one he worshipped is the only true God. See also
Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, and 4:27 where we find that his disciples
knew him as Servant of God.
The Qur=92an tells us that some of the Israelites rejected Jesus, and
conspired to kill him, but Allah (God) rescued Jesus and raised him to
Himself. Allah will cause Jesus to descend again, at which time Jesus
will confirm his true teachings and everyone will believe in him as he
is and as the Qur=92an teaches about him.
Jesus is the Messiah. He is a word from Allah, and a spirit from Him.
He is honoured in this world and in the hereafter, and he is one of
those brought nearest to Allah.
Jesus was a man who spoke the truth which he heard from God. This can
be compared with the Gospel According to John where Jesus says to the
Israelites: =93You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the
truth that I heard from God=94 (John 8:40).
The Virgin Birth of Jesus
Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. When the angels
announced to Mary (peace be upon her) about Allah=92s promise that she
will have a son, she was surprised, since she was a virgin. =93How can
this be?=94 she thought. She was reminded that it is easy for Allah to
create whatever he wills.
She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched
me? He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He
decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is (by the meaning
of the verse -Qur=92an 3:47).
It is not difficult for Allah to do anything he wants. He can create a
child with both human parents or only one. No miracle is beyond His
power. After all, He had created Adam (peace be upon him) from neither
a man nor a woman. He created the rest of us from both man and woman.
What is so hard if Allah decides to create a human being from a woman
only? He only commands =93Be!=94 and it occurs.
Some people think that since Jesus, peace be upon him, had no human
father then God must be his father. The Qur=92an rejects this view. The
position of Jesus with Allah is comparable to the position of Adam
with Allah. Just because Adam had no human parent does not mean we
should call him the Son of God.
Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He
created him from dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is. (by the
meaning of the verse-Qur=92an 3:59).
According to the Qur=92an, everyone except Allah are His servants.
And they say: the Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a Son. Assuredly
ye utter a disastrous thing, whereby almost the heavens are torn, and
the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall to ruins, that ye
ascribe to the Beneficent a son, when it is not meet for (the Majesty
of) the Beneficent that He should chose a son. There is none in the
heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (by
the meaning of the verse-Qur=92an 19:88-93)
The Miracles of Jesus
According to the Qur=92an, Jesus, on whom be peace, performed the
following miracles by Allah=92s leave:
1. Spoke while he was only a baby.
2. Healed those born blind.
3. Healed the lepers.
4. Revived the dead.
5. Breathed life into a bird made of clay.
In the Qur=92an Allah quotes Jesus, peace be upon him, as saying:
Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you
out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a
bird by Allah=92s leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper,
and I raise the dead, by Allah=92s leave. And I announce to you what you
eat and what you store up in your houses. Lo! herein verily is a
portent for you if you are to be believers.
And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to
make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you
with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me.
Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight
path. ( by the meaning of the verse-Qur=92an 3: 49-51).
Again, in the Qur=92an Allah tells us about the situation on the Day of
Judgement:
In the day when Allah gathers together the messengers and says: What
was your response (from mankind)? they say: We have no knowledge. Lo!
Thou, only Thou art the Knower of Things Hidden.
When Allah says: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto you and
unto your mother; how I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, so that
you spoke unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught
you the ure and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how you did
shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My permission, and
did blow upon it and it was a bird by My permission, and you did heal
him who was born blind and the leper by My permission . . . (by the
meaning of the verse-Qur=92an 5:109-110)
Not all of these miracles are recorded in the canonical gospels, the
four gospels contained in the Christian Bible.
The fact that Jesus spoke while he was yet a baby is not written
anywhere in the Bible. This should not be surprising, because none of
the Gospels can claim to recover every single event in the life of
Jesus. Instead, the gospel According to John seeks to emphasize that
the events were too many to record.
Similarly, the miracle of breathing life into a bird made of clay is
not attested by the Christian Bible. This too should not make us
wonder. It is obvious that the writers of the gospels could write down
only the tradition that was available to them. Furthermore, they could
not write down everything they knew about Jesus for they were writing
on papyrus material that were very limited in length.
What is worthy to notice here is that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace
and the blessings of Allah be upon him, was honest enough to
promulgate this information about Jesus. The religion taught by God
through Muhammad would deny the divinity of Jesus. Any human being,
therefore, who wished to deny the divinity of Jesus would have tried
to belittle Jesus. Since Christians looked upon the miracles of Jesus
as a proof of his divinity, we might expect that any human being who
tries to deny the divinity of Jesus would not have informed people of
miracles not previously known to them. He might have even tried to
deny some of the miracles recorded in the canonical gospels. On the
other hand, the prophet Muhammad honestly conveyed the message
delivered to him from Allah. (May the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him.)
Allah tells us the truth without fear. Human beings trying to win
followers tell us only what is conducive to winning us over. They
usually withhold information that could lead to opposite conclusions.
On the other hand, Allah informs us about the miracles of Jesus even
if people use this information to support their prior commitment to
the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. Allah does not need to win
worshippers. Those who worship Allah does so for their own good. And
those who worship false gods do so to their own detriment.
What Allah emphasizes, though, is that the miracles of Jesus do not
prove he was divine. The miracles he performed were a sign, a proof,
that he was God=92s messenger. He performed them with God=92s help and
permission. Those who use his miracles as proof of his divinity would
choose to forget the following sayings of Jesus:
I can of my own authority do nothing. (John 5:30)
They also forget the declaration of Peter:
Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves know. (Acts 2:22 KJV).
These passages suggest that Jesus did not do miracles on his own.
These, rather were accomplished by God=92s leave. Allah reminds us of
this. Jesus also constantly repeated to his audience that the miracles
he performed were by God=92s leave.