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Isa al-Masih (Jesus Christ): Difference between revisions
→No More Than a Messenger
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==No More Than a Messenger== | ==No More Than a Messenger== | ||
The Qur'an designates Jesus as a "rasul" (رسول) "messenger" or "apostle", putting him on the same level as the prophet Muhammad and the in this regard. This is an attack on the trinitarian, god-unity conception of him in orthodox Christianity, which is underscored by how he is placed together with the other "messengers." | The Qur'an designates Jesus as a "rasul" (رسول) "messenger" or "apostle", putting him on the same level as the prophet Muhammad and the in this regard. This is, in effect, an attack on the trinitarian, god-unity conception of him in orthodox Christianity, which is underscored by how he is placed together with the other "messengers." | ||
{{Quote| {{Quran|5|75}}|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!}} | {{Quote| {{Quran|5|75}}|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!}} | ||
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{{Main|Injil}} | {{Main|Injil}} | ||
The Qur'an talks of the '''Injil''' (إنجيل) referring to the New Testament of the Bible (usually the four Gospels) as being given to Jesus, rather than being written by his followers. The Qur'an also treats this as one book instead of many (and not as the general "good news" of Jesus' incarnation, death, and resurrections as the word is used in Christian literature) | The Qur'an talks of the '''Injil''' (إنجيل) referring to the New Testament of the Bible (usually the four Gospels) as being given to Jesus, rather than being written by his followers. The Qur'an also treats this as one book instead of many (and not as the general "good news" of Jesus' incarnation, death, and resurrections as the word is used in Christian literature): | ||
{{Quote| {{Quran|5|46}}|And We sent after them in their footsteps Isa, son of Marium, verifying what was before him of the Taurat and We gave him the Injeel in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of Taurat and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard (against evil).}} | {{Quote| {{Quran|5|46}}|And We sent after them in their footsteps Isa, son of Marium, verifying what was before him of the Taurat and We gave him the Injeel in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of Taurat and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard (against evil).}} | ||
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==The Crucifixion of Isa== | ==The Crucifixion of Isa== | ||
Islam's portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus differs vastly from the mainstream Christian view and approaches the Gnostic view. According to [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Islamic Theology|Islamic theology]], Jesus was never crucified. It was merely a [[Allah the Best Deceiver|deception by Allah]] who made it appear that he was. This conception of Jesus' crucifixion curiously borrows elements from the docetist heresy (in Greek Δοκηταί Dokētaí , from the word δοκεῖν/δόκησις dokeĩn "to seem", dókēsis "apparition, phantom), a heresy which otherwise is the total opposite of the Islamic christology: in this conception, Jesus was a totally unearthly, divine being, without even a human body. | Islam's portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus differs vastly from the mainstream Christian view and approaches the Gnostic view. According to [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Islamic Theology|Islamic theology]], Jesus was never crucified. It was merely a [[Allah the Best Deceiver|deception by Allah]] who made it appear that he was. This conception of Jesus' crucifixion curiously borrows elements from the docetist heresy (in Greek Δοκηταί Dokētaí , from the word δοκεῖν/δόκησις dokeĩn "to seem", dókēsis "apparition, phantom), a heresy which otherwise is the total opposite of the Islamic christology: in this conception, Jesus was a totally unearthly, divine being, without even a human body. Knowledge of its doctrines in the present day are based on several apocryphal works which have been discovered, particularly from the Nag Hammadi cache of gnostic Christian texts. | ||
The dates of authorship for these writings show the relative lateness of the doctrine. All of The canonical Christian scriptures were authored during the 1st century A.D. The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter and the Second Treatise of the Great Seth were authored during the 3rd century A.D.<ref>Ehrman, Bart D. (2003) ''The Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament''. (p. 78). Oxford: Oxford University Press. "Most scholars have dated this gnostic treatis [The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter] to the third century."</ref><ref>Ehrman, Bart D. (2003) ''The Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament''. (p. 82). Oxford: Oxford University Press. "This book [The Second Treatise of the Great Seth], which was discovered at Nag Hammadi (see page 19), probably dates from the third century."</ref> Meanwhile, according the traditional Muslim chronology, the Qur'an was revealed between 610-632 AD; its initial compilation was in 633 AD; and a "revisionary committee" preserved a standardized version sometime between 644-656 AD. Possible modern findings allow for an even earlier date of composition, but no estimate puts any Qur'anic material as in existence before the 5th century. | The dates of authorship for these writings show the relative lateness of the doctrine. All of The canonical Christian scriptures were authored during the 1st century A.D. The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter and the Second Treatise of the Great Seth were authored during the 3rd century A.D.<ref>Ehrman, Bart D. (2003) ''The Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament''. (p. 78). Oxford: Oxford University Press. "Most scholars have dated this gnostic treatis [The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter] to the third century."</ref><ref>Ehrman, Bart D. (2003) ''The Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament''. (p. 82). Oxford: Oxford University Press. "This book [The Second Treatise of the Great Seth], which was discovered at Nag Hammadi (see page 19), probably dates from the third century."</ref> Meanwhile, according the traditional Muslim chronology, the Qur'an was revealed between 610-632 AD; its initial compilation was in 633 AD; and a "revisionary committee" preserved a standardized version sometime between 644-656 AD. Possible modern findings allow for an even earlier date of composition, but no estimate puts any Qur'anic material as in existence before the 5th century. | ||
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===Canonical Christian Scriptures=== | ===Canonical Christian Scriptures=== | ||
The doctrine of Jesus' escape from the crucifixion starkly contrasts with all of the writings of Paul the apostle, as well as the canonical gospels, which along with the testimony of some Roman historians such as Tacitus, Josephus and Seutonius constitute our | The doctrine of Jesus' escape from the crucifixion starkly contrasts with all of the writings of Paul the apostle, as well as the canonical gospels, which along with the testimony of some Roman historians such as Tacitus, Josephus and Seutonius constitute our earliest testimony on the life of Jesus. The Roman historians agree with the gospels that Jesus was crucified, and modern historians tend to rate the reality of the crucifixion as the single most certainly true aspect of the gospels. | ||
<big>''' | <big>'''God'''</big> | ||
*[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027:32-66,%2028:1-20&version=NIV Matthew 27:32-66, 28:1-20 NIV] | *[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027:32-66,%2028:1-20&version=NIV Matthew 27:32-66, 28:1-20 NIV] | ||
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===Hadith=== | ===Hadith=== | ||
Islam carries over its | Islam carries over its apacolyptic tradition from Christianity. As such the hadith teaches that Jesus will come back to fight for Islam. | ||
{{Quote|{{Abudawud|37|4310}}|Narrated AbuHurayrah: | {{Quote|{{Abudawud|37|4310}}|Narrated AbuHurayrah: | ||