What You Don’t Know About Jesus’ Birth
The birth of Jesus was more than the account of one more human being born into this world, but its significance was felt around the world and continues to affect the lives of people everywhere till the end of time. The birth of Jesus was God’s sign to people and a mercy to mankind. Interestingly, Jesus is the only one of the prophets mentioned in the Quran who is said to have had a virgin birth.
The miracle of Jesus’ creation
Islam believes in the virgin birth of Jesus. The term virgin birth refers to the virginal conception of Jesus; that is, the belief that Jesus was conceived in Mary by a miraculous work of God the Almighty, without the agency of a human father. The birth and the creation of Jesus was a supernatural event and involved a special kind of birth.
Now let’s make a comparison between the Quranic and the Biblical languages about the virgin birth of Jesus:
The Quran describes that the angel appeared to Mary to announce to her that God has chosen her above the women of the worlds as stated:
“And [mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.” [Quran.com/3/42].
The angels come to announce to her the gift and the birth of the “Word of God”.
“[And mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah].” [Quran.com/3/45].
Mary’s reaction
Mary was astonished at the news. Both the Quran and the Bible talk about her astonishment and her asking of how that could happen, but the answers of angels in the Quran and the Bible are totally different!
The Quran states Mary’s reaction to the angel’s announcement of the virgin birth of her son:
She said, “My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?”
[The angel] said,
“Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [Quran /3/46-47].
The Biblical story of Mary’s reaction
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” [Luke 1:34-35]
Now let’s have some insight into both answers
On the face of it, the answers appear to be the same, but if we compare closely between the biblical and the Quranic languages, we will find that there is such a huge difference between what the Quran and the Bible are saying. When Mary asked how this will be as she is a virgin and no man has touched her, in the Quran, the angel says,
“Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [Quran /3/47].
On the contrary, in the Bible, the angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” [Luke 1:34-35]
Certainly, there is no suggestion in the Quranic language that Jesus was conceived through any physical relation with Mary. But in the Bible, the language is so different. The language used in the Bible and the use of words such as “The Holy spirit will come upon you” and “overshadow you” can give a chance to any atheist or agnostic to ask: “How did that happen? Like a man doing to his wife?”
In Islam, the approach of Jesus’ birth is totally clear and the Quran makes it so evident. If God wants to create millions of Jesus without a human father or even without a father or a mother,
“He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [Quran /3/47].
The first man, Adam, for example, also came miraculously from the hand of God. He had neither a father nor a mother; there was no conception. But Adam was not God or a son of God.
So we see that there are differences between the person of Jesus and his birth as painted in the Quran and the Bible. But there are huge similarities too! Here are some examples:
Both affirm that an angel visited Mary.
Both indicate that Mary was chosen and purified among the women of the worlds.
Both affirm the fact of the virgin birth of Jesus without a human father.
The titles of the Christ in the Quran and those in the Bible are quite similar. Jesus is called in The Quran “His word” in [Quran /4/171], meaning the Word of God a similar claim to Jesus describing himself: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” [John 5:24]
Similarly, the Qur’an calls Jesus “the servant of Allah” [Quran/19/30]. The servant of God was one of Jesus’ favorite terms for himself and he clearly taught that he was the person talked about in the prophet Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” written many centuries before.
So we see that there are similarities between the person of Jesus as painted in the Qur’an and the Bible, but there are huge differences too.
To Conclude,
God performs supernatural acts or signs to show us that He is the only ONE Creator who deserves worship. He is the one who has unlimited power. He creates what He wants, the way He wants. Adam, Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad are all His prophets and servants. Islam has declared that the God of the religion of Jews and Christians and Muslims is one and the same. All these signs and miracles of Jesus, peace and blessing be upon him, are made to guide us to the path of God. There is no “purpose” to all of these but to straighten out the way in the name of God, to serve God and worship Him alone.
And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. (16)
And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man. (17)
She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allah.” (18)
He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy.” (19)
She said, “How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?” (20)
He said, “Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.'” (21)” [Quran.com/19/16-21].
In this series of articles entitled “A Sign to the People”, we will go together in a journey with our beloved Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH)) starting from his birth until his raising to the heaven. We will try in our journey to find answers of some of the questions that many of us may have about Jesus (PBUH). We will try together to answer the following questions:
What about the abnormal birth of Jesus? What is the meaning of him being a word of God?
Is Jesus God?
Is Jesus literally the son of God?
Was Jesus really crucified and died for our sins? What is the salvation from Islamic perspective?
Did Jesus bring tidings of the coming of Muhammad?
Now, let’s quickly start the first article in our series and try to answer the first question about the creation of Jesus (PBUH).
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.”” [Quran.com/2/285].
In Islam, believing in all Prophets and Messengers of God without distinction between them is a main pillar of Muslim’s faith. As for Jesus (PBUH), Muslims not only believe in Jesus (PBUH) and revere him and his mother Virgin Lady Mary (Peace Be Upon Her (PBUH)), but they also consider him one of the best five Messengers of God. Muslims’ faith is not complete until they believe in Jesus as well as all other Prophets and Messengers who were sent by God from Adam to Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them all). The Muslim is not Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (PBUH).
The birth of Jesus
At the same time, Muslims believe in Jesus (PBUH) only as a human prophet, neither as a god (or God) nor the son of God. A prophet whose birth was miraculous, just like the birth of Adam, that shows the complete and absolute power of God and His absolute ability to create whatever He wants even without the reasons that we can understand with our limited minds.
If we have four probabilities of creation:
The creation from no man and no woman.
The extreme opposite case which is the creation from a man and a woman.
The creation from a man only without a woman.
Then, the remaining possibility is the extreme opposite case of number 3 which is the creation from a woman only without a man.
a. The first probability is represented by the creation of Adam.
b. The second probability is represented by the creation of you, me, and all human beings.
c. The third probability is represented by the creation of Eve.
d. The fourth and last probability is represented by the creation of whom? Jesus!
So, just like Adam was created from no man and no woman, and just like Eve was created from a man only without a woman, Jesus was also created from a woman/ mother only without a man/ father. And this miraculous creation of Jesus (PBUH) clearly shows the complete and absolute power of God to create in all cases with or without reasons, or even with just a part of the reasons!
Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he is.” [Quran.com/3/59].
Is Jesus a word of God?
What’s meant by “word of God”?
Now, let’s think about this question and try to relate it to what we mentioned till now.
What is the meaning of “word of God”?! The meaning of “word of God (Almighty Allah)” is that God created him with the word “Be”.
But the word of God “Be” is not God Himself. Otherwise, the Torah, as being a word of God, should be worshiped! And this is obviously wrong!
Let’s clarify the point through an example: when the magician says some words so that people see the ropes as snakes, here we say that the word of the magician became a snake. But does it mean that the snake is the magician himself?! Did the word of the magician become the magician, so that the snake became the magician?!
Allah creates whatever He wants with or without reasons. He creates everything with a word from Him. Allah said:
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, “Be,” and it is.” [Quran.com/36/82].
And said:
“Indeed, Our word to a thing when We intend it is but that We say to it, “Be,” and it is.” [Quran.com/16/40].
Not only in the Qur’an, but also in the Bible the same meaning exists. God creates everything with the word “Be”, and the thing comes into existence either from nothingness or from something else. In Genesis 1:
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”
7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.
9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.”
This is exactly the same with the creation of Jesus (PBUH). The creation of Jesus with a word is the same as the creation of Adam (who was in the Bible “son of God” too!) that was with a word also, and the same as the creation of all the creatures that was also with a word. All were created with the same word: “Be”.
When Virgin Lady Mary (PBUH) wondered of having a child without a man or a father, the answer was:
Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [Quran.com/3/47].
“It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.” [Quran.com/19/35].
If Allah created Adam from the dust, while it is not from the same sort of the human body, is not Allah then capable of creating Jesus from a woman who is from the same sort of the human body?! Allah created Adam from the dust then He said to him “Be” and he was. However, Adam was never a god and he was only a human. And the same thing happened with the creation of Jesus, he was created in the same way, thus, he is only a human too, and he was never a god.
Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he is.” [Quran.com/3/59].
