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In His infinite Wisdom, Almighty God has not only measured and defined
succinctly the nature and role of every creation on earth, but has
included all human beings as well as His prophets and messengers.
The Islamic view of Jesus (Pbuh) lies between two extremes. On one hand,
the Jews rejected him as a Prophet of God and called him as impostor. On
the other hand, the Christians consider him to be the Son of God and
worship him as such. Islam considers Jesus (Pbuh) to be one of the great
Prophets of God and respects him as much as Ibrahim (Abraham), Moses, and
Muhammad (Pbut). This is in conformity with the Islamic view of the
Oneness of God, the Oneness of Divine Guidance, and the complementary role
of the subsequent mission of God’s messengers. (Islamic Future,
March/April 1997 issue vol. XII, No. 67).
In Surah “Maryam” (Chapter Mary), the Qur’an tells us how Mary gave birth
to Jesus (Pbuh), and how the Jews accused Mary of blasphemy when she
brought home her child. The home folks were amazed and thought the worst
of her. They accused her that she disgraced the house of Aaron, the
fountain of priesthood. The Qur’an provided the dialogue between her and
her people:
“At length she brought the (babe) to her people
carrying him (in her arms), they said: “O Mary! Truly a strange thing has
thou brought! “O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor
thy mother a woman unchaste!” But she pointed to the babe. They said: “How
can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” He said: “ I am indeed a
servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a Prophet. “And
He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer
and zakat as long as I live. “(He hath made me) kind to my mother, and not
overbearing or unblest; so peace on me the day that I was born, the day
that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)”
(Maryam, 19:
27-33)
Jesus is not the Son of God: he was, obviously enough, the son of Mary.
The verses continue:
“Such (was) Jesus, the son of Mary: (it is) a
statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting
to (the majesty of) Allah that he should beget a son. Glory be to Him!
When He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be” and it is.”
(Maryam, 19: 34-35).
The rejection of the idea of God having a son is re-stated with even
stronger words:
“They say: “The Most Gracious has betaken a
son!” Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are
about to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down
in utter ruin, that they attributed a son to the Most Gracious. For it is
not consonant with the majesty of the Most Gracious that He should beget a
son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to
The Most Gracious as a servant.” (Maryam 19:88-93)
Jesus had no human father, but this does not make him the Son of God, or
God Himself. By this criterion, Adam would have been more entitled to be
the son of God, because he had neither a father nor a mother, so that the
Qur’an draws attention to the miraculous creation of both in the following
verse:
“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that
of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”, and he was."
(Al-‘Imran, 3:59, The Qur’an)
The Qur’an rejects the doctrine of the Trinity, (e.g., God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) as strongly as it rejects the concept of
Jesus (Pbuh) as the Son of God. It also, rejects the doctrine of
Crucifixion. Jesus (Pbuh) was not crucified but was raised to heaven. It
was certainly the plan of his enemies to put him to death on the cross,
but God saved him and someone else was crucified. The Holy Qur’an is clear
on this:
“That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ
Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”, but they killed him not,
nor crucified him. Only a likeness of that was shown to them. And those
who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge. But
only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not: -Nay,
Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, wise; -
And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before
his death; and on the Day of Judgement he will be a witness against them.”
(An-Nissa, 4:157-159, The Qur’an).
The Qur’an went on in explaining the role of Jesus (Pbuh) as only a
Messenger of Allah, being His Word and a Spirit proceeding from Him. It
explained further that Allah alone is One God and he alone is the Supreme
Ruler of the entire Universe.
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in
your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son
of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He
bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah
and his Messengers. Say not “Three”: desist: it will be better for you,
for Allah is the only one that (God), Glory be to Him: (Far Exalted is He)
above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth.
And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (An-Nisaa, 4:171,
The Qur’an)
Here are some Qur’anic confirmations regarding Who God is and what Jesus
(pbuh) says about Allah (God). All prophets advocated the absolute Oneness
of God. He alone is worthy of worship, to whom all heads should bow down
in submission and adoration. He alone is the Omnipotent Being and that all
are in need of His favor and obliged to solicit His help.
“Certainly they disbelieved who Says: “Allah is
Christ, the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children of Israel! Worship
Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah, -
Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There
will for the wrong-doers be no one to help."
"They disbelieve who say: Allah is one of three (in a Trinity): for there
is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of
blasphemy), verily a grievous chastisement will befall the disbeliveers
among them."
"Why turn they not to Allah and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is
Oft-forgiving, most Merciful."
"Christ, the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the
Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth.
They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His Signs
clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!"
"Say: Will ye worship, besides Allah something which hath no power either
to harm or benefit you? But Allah, - He it is that hearth and knoweth all
things.” (Al- Maidah, 5:72-76, The Qur’an)
“And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of
Mary! Didst thou say unto men, ‘take me and my mother for two gods besides
Allah’/”. He will say: “Glory to Thee. Never could I say what I had no
right (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known
it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Thine.
For thou knowest in full all that is hidden."
"Never said I to them aught except what thou didst command me to say,
‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’”. (Al-Maidah, 5: 116-117,
The Qur’an).
God Almighty having the absolute power without limit over all things may
create anything He wishes. These Qur’anic verses below may enlighten us
about Him and Prophet Jesus (Pbuh).
“Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a
statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting
to the majesty of Allah that He should beget a son. Glory is to Him! When
He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be”, and it is. Verily Allah
is my Lord and your Lord; Him therefore serves ye: this is a Way that is
straight.” (Maryam, 19: 34-36, The Qur’an).
“If you disbelieve,then verily,Allah is not in
need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves.And if you are grateful
(by being believers), He is pleased therewith you. No bearer of burdens
shall bear the burden of another.Then to Your Lord is your return …”
(Az-Zumar, 39:7, The Quran).
Mary never claimed that she was a mother of God, or that her son was God.
She was a pious virtuous woman. And Jesus disclaims here any knowledge of
the sort of things that are attributed to him by those who take his name.
The worship of Mary, though repudiated by the Protestants, was widely
spread in the earlier churches, both in the East and the West.
Some more reference about what Jesus (Pbuh) says concerning God and
himself:
In (Matthew 4:10) where Jesus (Pbuh), reproves Satan for desiring
the worship of other than Allah (God): “Begone, Satan! For it is written
‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” Jesus
(pbuh) stressed the point that God alone should be worshipped.
In (John 20:17) where he says to Mary Magdalene, “… Go to my brethren
and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God
and your God.” Jesus (Pbuh) wanted to convey that he is no different from
us with regards to our relationship with the Almighty God called by him as
“Father”. Hence, he urged his disciples to pray the “Lord’s Prayer”: “Our
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, they
will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)
In (Luke 18:19) where he rebukes a ruler for calling him God Master:
“Why do you call me god? No one is god but Allah (God) alone.” Godness is
one of God’s exclusive attributes and Jesus (Pbuh) emphasized to his
listeners that no creator can arrogate to himself anything that belongs to
God.
In (John 14:1) Jesus (Pbuh) says: “Let not your hearts be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in me.” In giving assurance of glad tidings
to his disciples, Jesus made it a point that in believing in God, his
disciples should also believe in him, which implies that he was indeed
separate and distinct from God.
And in (Mark
12:29-32), he says, “The first commandment is, “Hear O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One; and you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind, and with all your strength. |