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ELEVEN FACTS
ABOUT JESUS AND HIS MOTHER (MARY) IN ISLAMIC TEACHINGS
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The Clear Religion Series - Part 3
Excerpted from Who Deserves to Be Worshipped
www.saaid.net/The-clear-religion/017.pdf
Majed S. Al-Rassi
Edited by Ann Ronayne
Revised 2019
This book may be copied and distributed for free as long as no changes are made.
www.saaid.net/The-clear-religion/04.pdf
NO DOUBT THIS LIFE IS AN EXAMINATION
WHICH NEEDS YOUR FULL CONSIDERATION
AS TO WHAT YOU WILL TAKE TO
YOUR FINAL DESTINATION
ONLY TRUE BELIEF AND GOOD DEEDS ARE
YOUR WAY TO SALVATION
(Muhammad Sherif)
CONTENTS
HONORIFIC PHRASES IN THIS BOOK 3
ABOUT THE WORD ‘LORD’ 4
ABOUT THE WORD ‘ALLAH’ 5
INTRODUCTION 7
ELEVEN FACTS ABOUT JESUS (PBUH) AND HIS MOTHER (MARY) IN THE ISLAMIC TEACHINGS 9
1. The status of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam 9
2. The beginning of Jesus’ lineage 10
3. The status of Mary 11
4. The news about Jesus (pbuh) 12
5. The birth of Jesus (pbuh) 12
6. Subsequent miracles of Jesus (pbuh) 13
An important note 16
7. Human qualities of Jesus (pbuh) 16
8. The prophethood of Jesus (pbuh) 18
9. The mission of Jesus (pbuh) 18
10. The ascension of Jesus (pbuh) 20
11. The second coming of Jesus (pbuh) 20
Conclusion 22
A CALL TO REASON 23
THIS IS IT 25
A WHISPER 27
2 Eleven facts about Jesus
HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM 31
TO SUM IT UP… 37
BIBLIOGRAPHY 39
APPENDIX 40
GLOSSARY OF ISLAMIC TERMS 43
HONORIFIC PHRASES IN THIS BOOK
(the Exalted): used after the mention of God/Allah to express: Glorified and Exalted is He
(bpuh): Blessings and peace be upon him; used after mention of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh): Peace be upon him; used after mention of any prophet or after mention of Angel Gabriel
(May Allah be pleased with him): used after mention of a male Companion of the Prophet
(May Allah be pleased with her): used after mention of a female Companion of the Prophet
ABOUT THE WORD ‘LORD’
he word lord in English has several related meanings. The original meaning is ‘master’ or ‘ruler’, and in this sense it is often used to refer to human beings: ‘the lord of the mansion’ or ‘Lord So-and-So’ (in the United Kingdom, for example). The word Lord with a capital L is used in the lexicon of Islam to refer to the One and Only God—Allah. In Islam, there is no ambiguity about the meaning of this word. While it is true that one may occasionally use the word lord (whether capitalized or not) to refer to a human being, in Islamic discourse the reference of this term is always clear from the context. Whereas for Christians, Hindus and other polytheists, the word Lord with a capital L may refer to Allah, to Jesus or to some imagined deity, for Muslims, there can be no plurality of meaning. Allah alone is the Lord, and the Lord is Allah—not Jesus, not Rama, not any other being.
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ABOUT THE WORD ‘ALLAH’
lthough the English word ‘God’ has often been used interchangeably in this book with the word Allah, there is a difference. ‘Allah’ is the word in Arabic that is translated as ‘God’. However, ‘Allah’ has a much more precise meaning than ‘God’. ‘Allah’ is not merely an Arabic term for the word ‘god’. Instead, the root word of the word ‘Allah’ is ilah, which means ‘a god’. There are countless numbers of made-up ‘gods’, but only One True God worthy of worship, Whose name is Allah. The word ‘Allah’ literally means ‘the worshipped’, or ‘the God’. Allah is, thus, the proper name for the only Being that is worthy of worship in truth, the True Creator of the universe. By saying ‘Allah’, Muslims are, in essence, negating every other entity which people wrongfully worship, while affirming worship to Him alone. The name ‘Allah’ is how God Almighty has referred to Himself in the Quran, and how Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) also referred to Him. Therefore, in this work, the term ‘Allah’ will often be used in reference to this One and Only God Who is worthy of worship.
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INTRODUCTION
llah (the Exalted), the Most Kind, Most Compassionate, did not leave people to go astray. He sent prophets to tell us Who created us and why, what rights He (being our Lord) has over us, what rights we have if we obey Him, what His attributes are, how to worship Him, the reality of death, and what happens after death: paradise for those who follow His messengers, and hellfire for those who do not.
Allah, the Most Kind and Wise, did not leave the followers of Jesus (pbuh) to forever suffer splits and conflicts among themselves over the reality of his personality. Indeed, He sent Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) to reveal the facts and resolve what people perceived as a mystery or a point of great division.
This humble work sheds light on the personality of a great prophet, Jesus, the son of Mary (peace be upon them both). It details his characteristics and clarifies all the doubts about his personality, by referring to specific references in both the Bible and Islamic sources. These are supported with theoretical and logical proofs that ultimately establish Prophet Jesus at the correct level in the mind of the fair reader, without going to any extremes or engaging in any deviation.
I would like to thank all those respected scholars who gave me a chance to learn and quote extensively from their books, especially Dr Jamal Badawi, Dr Bilal Philips, Ahmed Deedat, Dr Naji Arfaj and Brother Muhammad bin Abdullah Caraballo. Their wonderful works formed the foundation on which I built my book Who Deserves to Be Worshipped?, from which this book was adapted.
With this short introduction, I leave you to peruse this book.
Kind regards,
Majed S. Al-Rassi Phone: 966 50 5906761 e-mail: majed.alrassi@gmail.com
A
ELEVEN FACTS ABOUT JESUS (PBUH) AND HIS MOTHER (MARY) IN THE ISLAMIC TEACHINGS
he Quran highlights the important aspects of Jesus’ birth, along with his miracles, his mission, and his ascension. The Quranic account of Jesus’ ministry confirms most of his miracles mentioned in the Bible; it even identifies some that are not mentioned in the Bible. What we know about Prophet Jesus Christ (pbuh) can be divided into two topics: his personality and his message. The following are eleven facts that you should know about Jesus (pbuh) in the Islamic teachings.
1. The status of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam
Islam teaches that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is one of the most respected prophets because of his efforts in spreading the word of Allah. Muslims display a true spirit of love towards him and his mother, Mary. There is not a single disparaging remark against Prophet Jesus (pbuh) or any other prophet in the entire Quran or in other Islamic literature or Islamic history books. Evidence of praise for Jesus (pbuh) is the fact that his story, along with that of his mother, is mentioned in three places in the Quran: Chapters 3, 4, and 19. In fact, an entire chapter of the Quran (Chapter 19) is named ‘Maryam’ (Mary) in her honour.1
Another sign of praise is that the name of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned twenty-five times in the Quran; in contrast, Prophet
1 Readers should note that this honour has not been given to Mary in the New Testament, and none of its books is named after Mary or her son Jesus. It is also noteworthy that there is no chapter in the Quran named after any of Prophet Muhammad’s wives or daughters.
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10 Eleven facts about Jesus
Muhammad (bpuh) is mentioned by name only four times. This proves that Islam honours all prophets for the message they have in common; it did not disregard earlier prophets with the coming of another.
Jesus (pbuh) has been referred to in the Quran by many titles: Ibn Maryam (son of Mary), the Messiah (the anointed one), Abdullah (slave of Allah), and Rasool Allah (Messenger of Allah).
This praise and glorification agree with what Jesus (pbuh) is reported to have said about the prophet who would succeed him, “He will glorify me.” (John 16:14)2
2. The beginning of Jesus’ lineage
The Quranic account of Jesus (pbuh) starts with the story of his grandmother, the wife of Imran. When she conceived Mary, she vowed to dedicate her unborn child to the worship of Allah and to the service of Bayt al-Maqdis.3
Mary grew up to be very righteous. She dedicated herself to the service of Bayt al-Maqdis and to the worship of Allah, the Exalted, and she received provisions from Him. Therefore, it is no mystery as to why she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus (pbuh). The Quranic verses inform us:
{[Mention, O Muhammad,] when the wife of ‘Imran said: My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for
2 The translations of Bible verses are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV).
3 Bayt al-Maqdis is the Islamic name for Jerusalem, especially for its place of worship, which was built many centuries before Moses (pbuh) and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times throughout history. After the death of Prophet Muhammad (bpuh), the second Islamic caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, ruled Palestine and built the Islamic mosque that remains in that location today.
Eleven facts about Jesus (pbuh) and his mother (Mary) 11
Your service],4 so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing. But when she delivered her, she said: My Lord, I have delivered a female—and Allah was most knowing of what she delivered—and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled [from the mercy of Allah]. So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah visited her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said: O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you? She said: It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.} (Quran 3: 35-37)
It is interesting to note that when the mother of Mary delivered her child, she was a bit disappointed to discover that she did not have a son, because she had always wished for her child to be dedicated to the worship of Allah. Little did she know that this very child would be extremely righteous and would end up being the mother of Jesus himself. This was better for her than a son, hence Allah’s words: {…and Allah was most knowing of what she delivered…}
3. The status of Mary
Mary, mother of Jesus, is very highly respected in Islam. Her story is an important one that is mentioned several times in the Quran. Mary is mentioned by name thirty-one times in the Quran, and an entire chapter is named after her. This is an honour that not even the women in Prophet Muhammad’s family were accorded. Although there are stories and anecdotes in the Quran about other women of strong faith, and others of importance in the history of the three Abrahamic religions, none other than Mary is actually mentioned by name.
Allah has said:
4 meaning through service to Bayt al-Maqdis.
12 Eleven facts about Jesus
{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. O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer]. That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you [O Muhammad]…} (Quran 3: 42-44)
4. The news about Jesus (pbuh)
When Mary approached adulthood, she was informed well before Jesus’ birth about the honour of bearing this noble son. It was the angel Gabriel (pbuh) who appeared in front of her with this news. The following verses in the Quran describe the dialogue between Mary and the angel:
{[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]. He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous. 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: 45-47)
5. The birth of Jesus (pbuh)
Mary conceived this child miraculously (and this was the first miracle of Jesus) and retired to a distant place where she waited for the birth of her child. This amazing story has been related to us in Chapter 19 of the Quran, titled Maryam (Mary):
{So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten. But he called her from below her: Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates. So eat and drink and
Eleven facts about Jesus (pbuh) and his mother (Mary) 13
be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say: Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.} (Quran 19: 22-26)
Allah created Adam from neither a man nor a woman, while he created Eve from the rib of a man (Adam). He has created the rest of humanity, both male and female, from the union of males and females. From the union of a man and woman, He can create males only, females only, both males and females, or no offspring at all (if one or both of them are infertile). He is the Creator and All-powerful. He can create from elderly men and women, as He did with Prophets Abraham and Zachariah and their wives, who were given Isaac and John the Baptist, respectively. Bearing that in mind, the creation of Jesus through the medium of a woman, but without the intervention of a man, is certainly possible and in accordance with the notion that Allah creates whoever and however He wills; thus, it is not difficult to believe and accept.
{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 was.}
(Quran 3: 59)
6. Subsequent miracles of Jesus (pbuh)
Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was blessed with the ability to perform many miracles. This supported his claim that he was a prophet sent by Allah Almighty, Who has said:
{…And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the pure spirit…} (Quran 2: 87)
Muslims do not hesitate to accept that Jesus (pbuh) performed miracles. At the same time, Muslims do not elevate Jesus (pbuh) to the position of Allah or describe him as the ‘son of God’. They do not
14 Eleven facts about Jesus
consider him to be anything more than a divinely-inspired man: a messenger and prophet of Allah.
The same applies to all the other prophets, since many of them were blessed with different miracles as well.
The first miracle associated with Jesus (pbuh) was that he was born from a mother without any human intervention (father). Allah gave the divine command “Be,” and he was created.
The Quran has mentioned the miraculous creation of both Adam and Jesus in the following verse (which was mentioned in the previous section):
{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 was.}
(Quran 3: 59)
The Quran has mentioned that Jesus’ miraculous birth did not change his status as a human; in other words, he did not evolve from a human being to become Allah or a son of Allah. If that had been the case, then Adam would have had a greater right to such an honour, since he was born without a human father OR mother.
Another miracle was that Allah gave Jesus (pbuh) the ability to speak as a new-born baby, a blessing which helped save his mother from the harsh slander of her own community. This remarkable story has been narrated in the Quran:
{Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said: O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented. O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste. So she pointed to him. They said: How can we speak to one who is in the cradle, a child? [Jesus] said: Indeed, I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive, and [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on
Eleven facts about Jesus (pbuh) and his mother (Mary) 15
me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.}5 (Quran 19: 27-33)
Other subsequent miracles performed by Jesus (pbuh) have also been mentioned in the Quran:
{[The day] when Allah will say: O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favour upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the pure spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity;6 and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom,7 and the Torah and the Gospel,8 and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said: This is not but obvious magic.} (Quran 5: 110)
Indeed, the Islamic account of the miracles bestowed on Jesus (pbuh) describes more miracles than those known to Christians. Points 10 and 11 below describe two more miracles associated with Jesus (pbuh) and his role as the Messiah.
5 It should be noted that this amazing miracle was not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament.
6 This means that Jesus called people to worship Allah both while he was a baby in the cradle and when he reached adulthood.
7 ‘Wisdom’ here means the correct and profound understanding of religion.
8 In this context, ‘Gospel’ refers to the original form of revelation given to Jesus, not the Gospels that exist in the Bible today. According to Quranic exegesis, Jesus had memorized this revelation as well as the Torah (the scripture revealed to Moses).
16 Eleven facts about Jesus
An important note
As shown in the previous verse, it was emphasized after mentioning each miracle that whenever Jesus (pbuh) performed a miracle, he informed people that it was by Allah’s permission. He made it clear to his followers that he was not performing the miracle by himself. As Dr Philips points out:
There are texts in the New Testament which confirm that Jesus did not act on his own. Jesus is quoted in John 5:30 saying: I can of mine own self do nothing... In Acts 2:22, Paul writes: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know...9
7. Human qualities of Jesus (pbuh)
Islam forbids the deification of human beings (going to excess in the exaltation of human beings—prophets or otherwise—to the point where they perceive them to be divine). On the other hand, Christian beliefs teach that Jesus (pbuh) was human and divine at the same time. Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, Allah has said in the Quran:
{O People of the Scripture,10 do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah, and His word which He directed to Mary, and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say: Three; desist—it is better
9 Philips, The True Message of Jesus Christ, 45.
10 Allah begins this sacred verse with a word of respect; the Jews and the Christians are addressed as learned people who have received revelation in the form of scripture.
Eleven facts about Jesus (pbuh) and his mother (Mary) 17
for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. Never would the Messiah disdain to be a slave of Allah, nor would the angels near [to Him]. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant—He will gather them to Himself all together. And as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will give them in full their rewards and grant them extra from His bounty. But as for those who disdained and were arrogant, He will punish them with a painful punishment, and they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper. O humankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light. So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him—He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.} (Quran 4: 171-175)
Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) also warned against the deification of humans. He said:
«O people, beware of going to excesses in religion, for verily people before you were destroyed for going to excesses in religion.» (Recorded by Ibn Majah and Nasai with a sound chain of narration)
Being a human prophet, Jesus (pbuh) did not ask people to worship him, and there is no evidence in the Bible that he did so. Allah has informed us in the Quran that on the Day of Judgement, He will gather all the nations in front of Himself and will ask the messengers how they were received by their peoples and what they said to them. Among those who are going to be questioned is Jesus (pbuh):
{And [beware the day] when Allah will say: O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people: Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah? He will say: Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. I said not to them except what You commanded me—to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among
18 Eleven facts about Jesus
them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. If You should punish them—indeed they are Your slaves; but if You forgive them—indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. Allah will say: This is the day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness. For them are gardens [in paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.} (Quran 5: 116-119)
It is clear that Jesus’ essence is different from Allah’s essence, so it is not logical to say that Jesus is the son of Allah.
8. The prophethood of Jesus (pbuh)
The Islamic view of Jesus (pbuh) is a moderate one, as it lies between the two extremes. The Jews rejected Jesus (pbuh) in his role as a prophet of Allah and called him an impostor. The Christians, on the other hand, considered him to be the son of God (Allah) and ‘God-incarnate’ in some cases; thus, they began worshipping him. Islam considers Jesus (pbuh) to be one of the greatest prophets of Allah, Who has said:
{The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth.11 They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.}
(Quran 5: 75)
