We Believe in Jesus

We Believe in Jesus

We
are presenting this not to placate you out of policy or diplomacy.
We are only articulating what our Creator had commanded us in the
Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"Say
(O Muslim), "We believe in Allah and that which has been sent
down to us and that which has been sent down to Abraham (Abraham),
Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat
[the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)], and that which has been given
to Musa (Moses) and 'Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given
to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between
any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)".

(Qur'an,
Al-Baqarah 2:136)

"We
believe in One Creator, we believe in all His Prophets, we believe
that Jesus (peace be upon him) was one of the mightiest Prophets
of God, That he was the Messiah as well as the Word of God, that
he was born miraculously - without any male intervention (which
many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave
life to the deeds by God's Permission, and that he healed those
born blind and the lepers by God's Permission."

Islam
respects all religions. Nevertheless, Muslims consider the view
of Christendom to be a misguided one. The Qur'an highlights the
important aspects of Jesus (peace be upon him) mother, his birth,
his mission and his ascension to heaven.

Virgin
Mary

The
story of Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an starts with the
conception of his mother, Mary, when the wife of Imran, Mary's mother,
vowed to dedicate her child to the service of God in the temple.
This is mentioned in the following verses (which is translated as
follows):

"(Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: "O my Lord!
I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated
for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your place
of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer,
the All-Knowing."

"Then
when she delivered her child [Maryam (Mary)], she said: "O
my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew
better what she delivered, - "And the male is not like the
female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with
You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaytan (Satan),
the outcast."

"So
her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance, He made her
grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya (Zachariya).
Every time he entered Al-Mihrab (a praying place or private room)
to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said:
"O Maryam (Mary)! from where have you got this?" She said
"This is from Allah" Verily, Allah provides sustenance
to whom He wills, without limit."

(Qur'an,
Al-'Imran 3:35-37)

The
Qur'an stated also that the Almighty Allah chose Mary, purified
her and raised her above all other women of the world. This is mentioned
in the following verses (which is translated as follows):

"And
(remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily,
Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief),
and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (Mankind and Jinns)
(of her lifetime)."

"O
Mary! "Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (Allah,
by worshipping none but Him Alone) and prostrate yourself, and Irkai
(bow down etc.) along with Ar-Raki'un (those who bow etc.)"

(Qur'an,
Al-'Imran 3:42-43)

Miraculous
Birth Of Jesus

Concerning
the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him), Allah says through chapter
Mary in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"And
mention in the Book (The Qur'an, O Muhammad, the story of) Maryam
(Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place
facing east."

"She
placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her
Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in
the form of a man in all respects."

"She
said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah)
from you, if you do fear Allah."

"(The
angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce)
to you the gift of a righteous son."

"She
said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor
am I unchaste?"

"He
said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me
(Allah): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a
mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by
Allah)."

"So
she conceived him, and she withdrew him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem
valley about 4-6 miles from Jerusalem)."

"And
the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of the date-palm.
She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been
forgotten and out of sight!"

"Then
[the babe 'Isa (Jesus) cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve
not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under you;"

"And
shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh
ripe dates upon you."

"So
eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say:
'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) so
I shall not speak to any human being this day."

"Then
she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said:
"O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariya (an unheard
mighty thing)."

"O
sister (i.e. the like) of Harun (Aaron) [not the brother of Musa
(Moses), but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary)]!
Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your
mother was an unchaste woman."

"Then
she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who
is a child in the cradle?"

"He
['Isa (Jesus)] said: Verily! I am a slave of Allah, He has given
me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;"

"And
He has made me blessed wherever I be, and has enjoined on me Salat
(prayer), and Zakat (charity), as long as I live."

"And
dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest."

"And
Salaam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die,
and the day I shall be raised alive!"

"Such
is 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). (It is) a statement of truth,
about which they doubt (or dispute)."

"It
befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son [this
refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying that
'Isa (Jesus) is the son of Allah]. Glorified (and Exalted be He
above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing,
He only says to it, "Be!" - and it is."

['Isa
(Jesus) said]: "And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord.
So worship Him (Alone). That is the Straight Path. (Allah's Religion
of Islamic Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His Prophets)."

(Qur'an,
Maryam 19:16-36)

Jesus
the Son of Mary

The
Church maintains that Jesus (peace be upon him) is the "Only-begotten
Son" of God, and also God Himself, since the doctrine of Trinity
considers God as the Son, as the Father and as the "Holy Ghost"
all at the same time! Catholics further emphasize the divinity of
Mary as the "Mother of God". Islam rejects all these concepts
in totality. Allah says in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"Surely,
they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah ['Isa
(Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary)", But the Messiah ['Isa (Jesus)]
said; "O Children of Israel! worship Allah, My Lord and your
Lord." Verily, whosoever set up partners in worship with Allah,
then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be
his abode. And for the Polytheist and wrongdoers there are no helpers."

"Surely,
disbelievers are those who said: "Allah is the third of the
three (in a Trinity)", But there is no Ilah (God) (none who
has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilah (God - Allah). And
if they cease not from what they say, verily, painful torment will
befall the disbelievers among them."

"Will
they not repent to Allah and ask His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful."

"The
Messiah ['Isa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a
Messenger; Many were the Messengers that passed away before him.
His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddiqah [i.e. she believed in
the words of Allah and His Books]. They both used to eat food (as
any other human being, while Allah does not eat). Look how We make
the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lesson, signs, revelations,
etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away (from the
truth)."

(Qur'an,
Al-Maidah 5:72-75)

The
Muslims rather contend that the miraculous birth of Jesus (peace
be upon him) without a father does not make him a God or a "begotten"
son of God. Allah said in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"And
they (Jews, Christians and pagans) say: Allah has begotten a son
(Children or offspring). Glory be to Him (Exalted be He above all
that they associate with Him). Nay, to Him belongs all that is in
the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience (in worship)
to Him."

"The
Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter,
He only says to it: "Be!" - and it is."

(Qur'an,
Al-Baqarah 2:116-117)

Further
more Allah says in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"Say:
(O Muhammad) "He is Allah, (the) One", "Allah-us-Samad
(The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither
eats nor drinks)", "He begets not, nor was He begotten",
"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

(Qur'an,
Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

The
birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) was not any more supernatural
than the creation of our father Adam. Allah said in the Qur'an (which
is translated as follows):

"Verily,
the likeness of 'Isa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam.
He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!"
- and he was."

(Qur'an,
Al-'Imran 3:59)

Mission
of Jesus

Our
creator sent Prophets to set mankind on the right path. Jesus (peace
be upon him) was similarly one of the Messengers of God, he was
prepared by God to be sent to the Jews (children of Israel) who
had deviated from the teachings of prophet Moses (peace be upon
him) He (Allah) taught him the Book, the wisdom, the Torah, the
Gospel and supported him with numerous miracles to prove that he
was a Messenger from Allah. In the Qur'an Allah says (which is translated
as follows):

"(Remember)
when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives
you the glad tidings of a Word ["Be!" - and he was! i.e.
'Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from him, his name will be
the Messiah 'Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour
in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who
are near to Allah."

"He
will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will
be one of the righteous."

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

"And
He (Allah) will teach him ['Isa (Jesus)] the Book and Al-Hikmah
(i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom,
etc.), (and) the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)."

"And
will make him ['Isa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the children of Israel
(saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that
I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird,
and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and
I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead
to life by Allah's Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and
what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you,
if you believe."

"And
I have to confirm that which was before me of the Taurat (Torah),
and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and
I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allah and
obey me."

(Qur'an,
Al-'Imran 3:45-50)

It
should be mentioned that while Muslims believe that Jesus (peace
be upon him) was given God's "Good news" they do not recognise
the present "Four Gospels" as the utterances of Jesus
(peace be upon him).

Even
the church agrees that the "Four Gospels" were written
by four different men, but they maintain that they were divinely
inspired. This idea is rejected by us. It can be agreed that if
the four writers were divinely inspired, then why are there so many
serious discrepancies and omissions in their individual accounts
of the life of Jesus (peace be upon him)? Another mission of Jesus
(peace be upon him) was to tell the people about the coming of the
final Prophet after him. The Almighty God said in the Qur'an (which
is translated as follows):

"And
(remember) when 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: "O
Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming
the Taurat [(Torah) which came] before me, and giving glad tidings
of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed. But
when he (Ahmed i.e. Muhammad) came to them with clear proofs, they
said: "This is plain magic."

(Qur'an,
Al-Anam 6:61)

The
New Testament speaks of the coming of a "Comforter" after
the ministry of Jesus. Some Christians believe or were made to believe
that the promised "Comforter" is the "Holy Spirit",
but this view cannot be maintained because the "Holy Spirit"
was already present during Jesus (peace be upon him) ministry, and
its coming was not a future event. The Muslims, therefore, believe
that the term "Comforter" of necessity refers to a Prophet.
He was Muhammad the unlearned Prophet , the sole Prophet who brought
with him a complete, comprehensive revelation from God which has
been preserved as it was revealed to him originally, challenging
the whole world to come up with one chapter like it, yet unsuccessfully
challenged till present day. It is the Miracle of Miracles, the
Last Testament of faith addressed to the whole world embodying complete
light and guidance as well as the reprove of sin.

Jesus
was Raised to Heaven

Jesus
(peace be upon him) was followed by a few disciples who were inspired
by God to support him. Not only that, but the nonbelievers plotted
to kill Jesus (peace be upon him), but God had a better plan for
him and his followers as the Qur'an tells us in the following verses
(which is translated as follows):

"Then
when 'Isa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who
will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?" Al-Hawariun (the disciples)
said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and
bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah)."

"Our
Lord! We believed in what You have sent down, and we follow the
Messenger ['Isa (Jesus)]; so write us down among those who bear
witness (to the truth i.e. La Ilaha Ill-Allah - none has the right
to be worshipped but Allah)."

"And
they (disbelievers) plotted [to kill 'Isa (Jesus)], and Allah planned
too. And Allah is the best of the planners."

"And
(remember) when Allah said: "O 'Isa (Jesus)! I will take you
and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that
'Isa (Jesus) is Allah's son] of those who disbelieve, and I will
make those who follow you (Monotheist, who worship none but Allah)
superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allah, or disbelieve
in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad, 'Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses),
etc. (peace be upon them), or in His Holy Books, e.g. the Taurat
(Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), The Qur'an] till the Day of Resurrection.
Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters
in which you used to dispute."

"As
to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment
in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers."

(Qur'an,
Al-'Imran 3:52-56)

As
the above verses indicate Jesus was raised to heaven before he died.
This means that according to the Qur'an he was not crucified. It
was the plan of the enemies of Jesus (peace be upon him) to put
him to death on the cross, but God saved him and somebody else was
crucified. This plot and the false accusation about Mary are considered
by the Qur'an to be some of the sins of the non-believing Jews.
All of this is made clear in the following verses (which is translated
as follows):

"And
because of their (Jews) disbelief and uttering against Maryam (Mary)
a grave false charge (that she has committed illegal sexual intercourse);"

"And
because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Isa
(Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allah," - but
they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Isa
(Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and
those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain)
knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they
killed him not [i.e. 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam [Mary]:"

"But
Allah raised him ['Isa (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto
Himself (and he (peace be upon him) is in the heaven). And Allah
is ever All-Powerful, All-Wise."

"And
there is none of the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians),
but must believe in him ['Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), as
only a Messenger of Allah and a human being], before his ['Isa (Jesus)
or a Jews or a Christian's] death (at the time of the appearance
of the angel of death). And on the Day of Resurrection, he ['Isa
(Jesus)] will be a witness against them."

(Qur'an,
An-Nisa 4:156-159)

Finally,
we testify that there is no God except Allah and there
is none worthy of worship except Him, He has no partners, Muhammad
is His slave and His Messenger, and that 'Isa (Jesus) son of Mary
is Allah's slave, His Messenger, His word (Be! and he was) which
he bestowed on Mary and a spirit created by Him. We believe that
all Prophets are brothers no different between their religion, which
is one religion "Al-Islam". We attest that the Paradise
is true, the Hell-fire is true, and God will Resurrect mankind from
graves. Allah says in The Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"He
(Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islam) which He
ordained for Nuh (Noah), and that which We have inspired in you
(O Muhammad) and that which We ordained for Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa
(Moses) and 'Isa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e.
to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no divisions
in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). Intolerable for
the Polytheist, pagans and idolaters is that to which you (O Muhammad)
call them. Allah chooses for Himself who He wills, and guides unto
Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience."

(Qur'an,
Ash-Shura 42:13)

This
is our message and we will be witnesses against you in the day of
Judgement that we conveyed the message of truth and left
it up to you, to follow the truth or stay in darkness. The
Almighty Allah said in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"Allah!
La Ilaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He),
the Ever Living, the One Who Sustains and protects all that exists.
Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake him. To Him belongs whatever
is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can
intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens
to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them
in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge
except that which He wills. His Kursi (a footstool or chair) extends
over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding
and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."

"There
is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right path has become
distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in worship other
than the real God (Allah), and believes in Allah, then he has grasped
the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. Allah is All-Hearer,
All-Knower."