Isa's birth

What does the Quran say about Jesus?

by Yusuf · Nov 29, 2013

This seems to be a question every Muslim is curious about. Yet few take the time to search the words of the Quran. So let’s look at a few important facts about Jesus:

1. Jesus was the only person to be born of a virgin, distinguished from all humans and prophets:

She said, How shall I have a son, whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchaste. He said, Even so thy Lord has said: Easy is that for Me; and that We may appoint him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us. It is a thing determined.
(Sura Miriam 20 and 21)

2. Jesus is different from all other prophets because he is called the Kalimatullah (Word of Allah)

The Messiah, Isa son of Mary, Allah’s Messenger, and His Word…
(Sura The Women 171; Sura al Imran 40).

3. Only Jesus was born from the spirit of Allah; for this reason He did not need a traditional, genetic birth.

The Masih, Isa Son of Mary, Allah’s Messenger, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him.
(Sura The Women 169)

4. Only Isa spoke while in the cradle.

[Jesus, the baby] said, “Indeed, I am the servant of Allah . He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet…
(Sura Miriam 19:30)

Also, the Quran tells us that Christ needed no one to teach Him anything, not even how to speak.

Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor hath taught Him knowledge and showed to Him the way of understanding.
(Isaiah 40:1,13-14)

5. Jesus was the only perfect prophet. All other prophets have sinned. Even though this not a popular viewpoint, their actions and sins were mentioned in both the Quran and Taurat. Isa was the only sinless one.

Highly honored shall He (Isa) be in this world and the next.
(Sura al Imran 45)

Also, the influential Arab writer and imam Al-Bukhari taught about the perfection of Prophet Jesus:

Satan pokes with his finger the side of every human at birth, except Jesus, son of Mary; when he went to poke Him, he poked the curtain.
(Hadith of Sahih Bukhari Vol 4, Book 54)

6. Jesus was distinguished from all other prophets because, through Allah, he gave life:

I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it and it will be a bird.
(Sura al Imran 42)

7. Only Jesus was could know other men’s secrets

I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely, in that is a sign for you if you are believers.
(Sura Al Imran 48)

8. Jesus performed miracles and signs which no other prophet could.

And I will also heal the blind and the leper…
(Sura Al Imran 48)

9. Only Jesus could raise the dead.

And I will bring life to the dead…
(Sura al Imran 48 & Sura The Table 110)

(The Injil also tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus after he had been dead several days)

10. Only Jesus received the honored title of “the Masih” (i.e. the chosen one).

The Masih, Isa son of Miriam, was Allah’s Messenger, and His Word committed to Miriam…
(Sura The Women 169)

The Taurat made known the real identity of the Masih, saying:

Behold the days come, says the Lord, that I will raise unto Dawud a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth… and this is the name whereby He shall be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(Jeremiah 23:5-6)

11. Jesus was a Sign and Mercy from Allah

Unto men who fell under the burden and the shackles of sin; for which, Allah’s justice and holiness condemned them to eternal perdition. For this reason the only Savior, who can offer eternal salvation to men came to be a Mercy from Allah.
(Sura Miriam 20)

12. Only Jesus would die, yet also predict before he died that he would come back to life.

I will cause thee to die, and I will raise thee to Me, and I will purify thee of those who believe not. I will set thy followers above the unbelievers till the resurrection Day
(Sura al Imran 55)

13. Jesus will come to this world to judge the living and the dead.

The Arab teacher Al-Bukhari confirmed this fact, saying:

The Last Hour will not come until the Son of Mary come down as the just Judge.

Allah’s Message to the World

by Yusuf · Nov 6, 2013

Isa’s birth was to be a message to the entire world and he was to be one of the righteous.

3:46 “He will speak to the people in the cradle and in
manhood, and he will be one of the righteous.”

How righteous was ‘Isa? Allah told Maryam, in Sura Maryam 19:19, that ‘Isa would be “a faultless son.” The Injil Sharif teaches us that ‘Isa never killed anyone; he did not have a love for money; he never married; he spoke out against corruption among the religious leaders; he prayed every day; he fasted for 40 days and nights in which he did not eat anything at all; and he taught us to love our enemies.

If Isa ever committed a sin, then he would have ceased to be Allah’s Kalimatullah or Ruhullah and he could not have gone to heaven to be with Allah. Through Isa, Allah showed the world how “Completed” Muslims should live their lives. This would be a wonderful world if we all lived our lives like ‘Isa.

3:47 She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?” He said: “So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” and it is.

Maryam was shocked at the news that Allah gave her. She said to Allah, “How can I have a baby when I am not married and no man has ever touched me?”. Allah was very patient with Maryam. He answered her, “I am Allah; it is easy for me to do what I wish.”

Knowing that Allah does nothing by accident, all that Allah does is according to his perfect plan, why would Allah have Isa born without a father? Has there ever been another prophet born without a father? What does this event mean to all Muslims?”

However, to answer these questions we must look closely at the life of Adam…

Maryam and the Birth of Isa

by Yusuf · Dec 6, 2012

Before the Holy Injil Sharif was written, there was a period of 400 years in which the People of the Book did not have a prophet to speak to them. Allah’s people felt despair and hopelessness. It was at this dark moment in the history of the world, Allah did something very unusual. He spoke through the angel Jibrial to a young virgin woman named, Maryam.

3:42 And (remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, and made you pure, and has preferred you above the women of the creation.

3:43 O Maryam! “Be obedient to your Lord and bow with those who bow (in worship).

The angel told her that Allah chose her for a special assignment. But first, Maryam was to reaffirm her calling as a true Muslim. She was told to totally submit herself in obedience to Allah.

3:44 This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto you. You were not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Maryam, nor were you present with them when they quarreled thereupon.

The Quran lets us look into the activities that took place in heaven among the angels. It appears that all of the angels wanted to be given the assignment to be the guardian angel in charge over Maryam. To settle this issue, the angels cast lots to see who would be given the assignment.

In no other place in the Quran do we read of this much excitement taking place in heaven. Allah was about to do something very special for all the people of the world; something that has never been done before or since.

3:45 (And remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name ‘Isa Masih (Jesus Messiah), the son of Maryam, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to Allâh.”

Ayat 45 is the announcement to Maryam that she had been chosen to give birth to the prophet Isa. Muslims around the world have two names for Isa. We call him “Isa Kalimatullah” (Word of Allah) and “’Isa Ruhullah” (Spirit of Allah). Why do we call Isa by these two names?

The answers are in Sura Al-Imran 3:45 and Sura Ambiyaa 21:91. Allah said that He would put his Word into Maryam. What or who is Allah’s “Word?” To better understand this, read Sura Ambiyaa 21:91

“…and she (Maryam) guarded her chastity, therefore We breathed into her of our Spirit and made her and her son a sign for all people.”

Why do we refer to ‘Isa as “Isa Kalimatullah” and “Isa Ruhullah?”

The Quran makes it clear: ‘Isa is the Word (Kalim) and Spirit (Ruh) of Allah. No other person or prophet carries these titles. Allah’s “Word” and “Spirit” that was placed inside Maryam became flesh in the form of a baby. He told Maryam to name the baby ‘Isa Masih. Masih means “the anointed or promised one.” 758 years before the birth of ‘Isa, the prophet Isaiah wrote,

Isaiah 7:14 “…a virgin will conceive and his name will be called, ‘Immanuel’”

“Immanuel” is a word meaning “Allah with us.”

Isa would be honored by all people in this world and forever in heaven and he would be one of those nearest to Allah Himself. The Quran paints a picture of ‘Isa for us. He is Allah’s Kalim, Ruh, promised anointed one, and “a sign for (all) the nations” (Ambiyaa 21:91).

When we want to go somewhere that we have never gone before, we look for a sign to guide us. Where will we go if we follow ‘Isa?