Isa al-Masih

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An old Turkish depiction of the ascension of the Islamic Isa.

In Islam, Isa al-Masih (عيسى المسي usually translated as Jesus Christ), Jesus (Isa; Template:Lang-ar ʿĪsā

) is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[1] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Quran mentions Jesus by name twenty-five times, while it only mentions Muhammad by name four times.[2][3] It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of God rather than of his own power. According to the Quran, Jesus, although appearing to have been crucified, was not killed by crucifixion or by any other means, instead, "God raised him up to himself".[4] A number of ex-Muslim Christians have pointed out that this tradition--that Jesus was not crucified at all--is nowhere to be found in the Qur'an, and that 4:157 only asserts that the Jews did not crucify him, which agrees with the biblical account.[5]

Many Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the Day of Judgment to restore justice and to defeat Masih ad-Dajjal ("the false messiah", also known as the Antichrist).[6][7]

Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. Islam rejects the Trinitarian Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Quran says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.[8] The Quran emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd).

Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Quran and in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the messiah"). Jesus is also, at times, called "Seal of the Israelite Prophets", because, in general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming.[7][9]

Jesus narrative in Islam

Birth

See also: Maryam (sura)

File:MaryLineage.JPG
Jesus's lineage, going back to his great-grandfather.

The Quranic account of Jesus begins with a prologue, which describes the birth of his mother, Mary, and her service in the Jerusalem temple, while under the care of the prophet and priest Zechariah, who was to be the father of John the Baptist.[10] The Quran then goes on to describe the conception of Jesus. Mary whom the Quran states was chosen by God over the women of all the worlds, conceives Jesus while still a virgin.

Annunciation

Mary had withdrawn into the Temple, where she was visited by the angel Gabriel (Arabic: Jibrail) who brought the glad tidings of a holy son.[11] The Quran states that God sent the message through the angel Gabriel to Mary, that God had honoured her among the women of all nations. The angel also told Mary that she would give birth to a holy son, named Isa (Jesus), who would be a great prophet, to whom God would give the Gospel. The angel further told Mary that Jesus would speak in infancy and maturity and be a companion to the most righteous. When this news was given to Mary, she asked the angel how she could conceive and have a child when no man had touched her.[12] The angel replied: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!".[13] The Quran, therefore, states that Jesus was created from the act of God's will. The Quran compares this miraculous creation of Jesus with the creation of Adam, where God created Adam by his act of will (kun-fa-yakun, meaning "Be and it is").[14] According to the Quran, the same answer was given to the question of Zechariah, when he asked how his wife, Elizabeth, could conceive a baby, as she was very old.[15] . This is a tawheedic issue where anybody who submits to the will of Allah believes in the greatness of Allah ( thus Allaahu akbar ) and Allah can do as He pleases .

Birth of Jesus

File:Maryam.jpg
Virgin Mary nurtured by a palm tree, as described in the Quran.

The Quran narrates the virgin birth of Jesus numerous times. The Quran states that, Mary, while traveling in the desert of Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem) was overcome by the pains of childbirth. During her agony and helplessness, under her feet God provided a stream of water from which she could drink. Furthermore, near a palm tree, Mary was told to shake the trunk of the palm tree, so that ripe dates would fall down and she could eat and be nourished. Mary cried in pain and held onto the palm tree, at which point a voice came from "beneath her", understood by some to refer to Jesus, who was yet in her womb, which said "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under you; And shake the trunk of the palm tree, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you. And eat and drink and calm thy mind". That day, Mary gave birth to her son Jesus in the middle of the desert.

Forty days later she carried baby Jesus back to her people. The Quran goes on to describe that Mary vowed not to speak to anyone that day, as God was to make Jesus, who Muslims believe spoke in the cradle, perform his first miracle. The Quran goes on to narrate that Mary then brought Jesus to the temple, where she was immediately ridiculed by all the temple elders. But Zachariah believed in the virgin birth and supported her. The elders accused Mary of being a loose woman and having touched another man while unmarried. In response, Mary pointed to her son, telling them to talk to him. They were angered at this and thought she was mocking them, by asking them to speak with an infant. It was then that God made the infant Jesus speak from the cradle and he spoke of his prophecy for the first time. He said, which are verses 19:30-33 in the chapter of Mary in the Quran:

Quran, sura 19 Maryam, ayat 30-33[7][16]
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 Charity as long as I live;
"(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;
"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

. When the Jews knew about this , they arrogantly rejected the miraculous virgin birth and accused Mariam of fornication and abomination . This is understood, as the social situation at that time could not accept any birth without a father . The following facts refute the Jews accusations (a) Adam was born without father and mother (b)Eve was created out of Adam's rib (c) Isa(Jesus)spoke from the cradle - a miracle given by Allah - to refute the Jews' accusations of his mother's fornication . Had they believed in the greatness and power of Allah , they would definitely have see and believed in the evidences put forward

Mission

See also: Logos (Christianity)

File:Yarden 034PAN2.JPG
The Jordan river, where some Muslim accounts narrate that Jesus met with Yahya ibn Zakariyya (otherwise known as John the Baptist).[17]

According to Islamic texts, Jesus was divinely chosen to preach the message of monotheism and submission to the will of God to the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl).

Received Scripture

Muslims believe that God revealed to Jesus a new scripture, the Injīl (gospel), while also declaring the truth of the previous revelations – the Tawrat (Torah) and the Zabur (Psalms). The Quran speaks favorably of the Injīl, which it describes as a scripture that fills the hearts of its followers with meekness and piety. The Quran says that the original biblical message has been distorted or corrupted (tahrif) over time, from what was originally revealed to the messengers. In chapter 3, verse 3, and chapter 5, verses 46-47, of the Quran, the revelation of the Injil is mentioned:

Quran, sura 3 (Al-i-Imran) ayah 3[18]
It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).
Quran sura 5, (Al-Ma'ida), ayah 46-47[19]
And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.
Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.

Disciples

The Quran states that Jesus was aided by a group of disciples who believed in His message. While not naming the disciples, the Quran does give a few instances of Jesus preaching the message to them. The Quran mentions in chapter 3, verses 52-53, that the disciples submitted in the faith of Islam:

Quran sura 3, (Al-i-Imran), ayah 52-53[20]
When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: "Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?" Said the disciples: "We are Allah's helpers: We believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims.
"Our Lord! we believe in what Thou hast revealed, and we follow the Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness."

The longest narrative involving Jesus's disciples are when they request a laden table to be sent from Heaven, for further proof that Jesus is preaching the true message. This story features in chapter 5, verses 112-115:

Quran sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida), ayah 112-115[21]
Behold! the disciples, said: "O Jesus the son of Mary! can thy Lord send down to us a table set (with viands) from heaven?" Said Jesus: "Fear Allah, if ye have faith."
They said: "We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou hast indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle."
Said Jesus the son of Mary: "O Allah our Lord! Send us from heaven a table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival and a sign from thee; and provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)."
Allah said: "I will send it down unto you: But if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples."

Ascension

Main Article: Islamic view of Jesus' death

Islamic texts categorically deny the idea of crucifixion or death attributed to Jesus by the Bible.[7][22] The Quran states that people (i.e., the Jews and Romans) sought to kill Jesus, but they did not crucify nor kill him, although "this was made to appear to them." Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised up by God unto the heavens. This "raising" is often understood to mean through bodily ascension, although, according to the Quran, God raised him "unto himself" rather than "the heavens" after rescuing him from an accursed death on the cross, which suggests a raising of status as a true prophet and Messiah by the protection of the omnipresent God, when many were in doubt of his truthfulness. Similar to the raising of the prophet Idris (Enoch) in the 19th chapter of the Quran,

"And remember Idris in the Book; he was indeed very truthful, a Prophet. And We raised him to a lofty station".

– Quran surah 19 (Maryam):57

-

"And they said we have killed the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God. They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him. On the contrary, God raised him unto himself. God is almighty and wise.

– Quran surah 4 (An-Nisa النساء) ayah 157-158[23]


Discussing the interpretation of those scholars who deny the crucifixion, the Encyclopaedia of Islam writes:

{{{2}}}
The denial, furthermore, is in perfect agreement with the logic of the Quran. The Biblical stories reproduced in it (e.g., Job, Moses, Joseph etc.) and the episodes relating to the history of the beginning of Islam demonstrate that it is "God's practice" (sunnat Allah) to make faith triumph finally over the forces of evil and adversity. "So truly with hardship comes ease", (XCIV, 5, 6). For Jesus to die on the cross would have meant the triumph of his executioners; but the Quran asserts that they undoubtedly failed: "Assuredly God will defend those who believe"; (XXII, 49). He confounds the plots of the enemies of Christ (III, 54).

Substitution interpretation

Template:Death of Jesus While most western scholars,[24] Jews,[25][26] and Christians believe Jesus died, most Muslims believe he ascends to Heaven without being put on the cross and God transformed another person to appear exactly like Jesus who was crucified instead of Jesus. Jesus ascended bodily to Heaven, there to remain until his Second coming in the End days.

Second coming

See also: Second Coming of Christ

Muslims believe that Isa (Jesus) will return at a time close to the end of the world. The Qur'an states:

Quran sura 43 (az-Zukhruf), ayah 57-67[27]
"And when the son of Mary is quoted as an example, behold! the folk laugh out,
And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk.
He is nothing but a slave on whom We bestowed favour, and We made him a pattern for the Children of Israel.
And had We willed We could have set among you angels to be viceroys in the earth.
And lo! verily there is knowledge of the Hour. So doubt ye not concerning it, but follow Me. This is the right path.
And let not Satan turn you aside. Lo! he is an open enemy for you.
When Jesus came with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), he said: I have come unto you with wisdom, and to make plain some of that concerning which ye differ. So keep your duty to Allah, and obey me.
Lo! Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. This is a right path.
But the factions among them differed. Then woe unto those who do wrong from the doom of a painful day.
Await they aught save the Hour, that it shall come upon them suddenly, when they know not?
Friends on that day will be foes one to another, save those who kept their duty (to Allah)."

According to Islamic tradition which describes this graphically, Jesus' descent will be in the midst of wars fought by the Mahdi (lit. "the rightly guided one"), known in Islamic eschatology as the redeemer of Islam, against the Antichrist (al-Masīh ad-Dajjāl, "False messiah") and his followers.[28] Jesus will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus, dressed in yellow robes – his head anointed. He will then join the Mahdi in his war against the Antichrist. Jesus, considered as a Muslim, will abide by the Islamic teachings. Eventually, Jesus will slay the Antichrist, and then everyone from the People of the Book (ahl al-kitāb, referring to Jews and Christians) will believe in him. Thus, there will be one community, that of Islam.[29]

Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 43: Kitab-ul-`Ilm (Book of Knowledge), Hâdith Number 656:

Collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari
Narrated Abu Hurairah: Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts)", Sahih al-Bukhari[30]

After the death of the Mahdi, Jesus will assume leadership. This is a time associated in Islamic narrative with universal peace and justice. Islamic texts also allude to the appearance of Ya'juj and Ma'juj (known also as Gog and Magog), ancient tribes which will disperse and cause disturbance on earth. God, in response to Jesus' prayers, will kill them by sending a type of worm in the napes of their necks.[28] Jesus' rule is said to be around forty years, after which he will die. Muslims will then perform the funeral prayer for him and then bury him in the city of Medina in a grave left vacant beside Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and Umar (companions of Muhammad and the first and second Sunni caliphs (Rashidun) respectively).[7]

Some Muslims also hold to the apocryphal prophecies regarding the coming of the Paraclete (Praiseworthy One), such as that in the Epistle of the Apostles, as referring to Muhammad.

In Islamic thought

File:Virgin Mary and Jesus (old Persian miniature).jpg
Mary and Jesus in old Persian Shi'a miniature.

Jesus is described by various means in the Quran. The most common reference to Jesus occurs in the form of "Ibn Maryam" (son of Mary), sometimes preceded with another title. Jesus is also recognised as a prophet (nabī) and messenger (rasūl) of God. The terms wadjih ("worthy of esteem in this world and the next"), mubārak ("blessed", or "a source of benefit for others"), `abd-Allāh (servant of God) are all used in the Quran in reference to Jesus.[7]

Another title frequently mentioned is al-Masīḥ, which translates to "the Messiah". This does not correspond to the Christian concept of Messiah, as Islam regards all prophets, including Jesus, to be mortal and without any share in divinity. Muslim exegetes explain the use of the word masīh in the Quran as referring to Jesus' status as the one anointed by means of blessings and honors; or as the one who helped cure the sick, by anointing the eyes of the blind, for example.[7] Quranic verses also employ the term "kalimat Allah" (meaning the "word of God") as a descriptor of Jesus, which is interpreted as a reference to the creating word of God, uttered at the moment of Jesus' conception;[31] or as recognition of Jesus' status as a messenger of God, speaking on God's behalf.[7]

Theology

Islamic texts regard Jesus as a human being and a righteous messenger of God. Islam rejects the idea of him being God or the begotten Son of God. According to Islamic scriptures, the belief that Jesus is God or Son of God is shirk, or the association of partners with God, and thereby a rejection of God's divine oneness (tawhid) and the sole unpardonable sin.[32] All other sins may be forgiven through true repentance: shirk speaks of associating partners with God after having received the Divine Guidance, as it is said in the Quran and Hadith that when one submits to God (i.e. embraces Islam), their "accounts" (of sins and righteous deeds used to determine the standing of a person on the Last Day) are numbered from that moment. A verse from the Quran reads:

Quran sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida), ayah17[33][34]
In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things."

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is similarly rejected in Islam. Such notions of the divinity of Jesus, Muslims state, resulted from human interpolations of God's revelation. Islam views Jesus as a human like all other prophets, who preached that salvation came through submission to God's will and worshiping God alone. Thus, Jesus is considered in Islam to have been a Muslim by the definition of the term (i.e., one who submits to God's will), as were all other prophets in Islam.[35]

Precursor to Muhammad

Template:Six Islamic Prophets Muslims believe that Jesus was a precursor to Muhammad, and that he announced the latter's coming. They base this on a verse of the Quran wherein Jesus speaks of a messenger to appear after him named Ahmad.[36] Islam associates Ahmad with Muhammad, both words deriving from the h-m-d triconsonantal root which refers to praiseworthiness. Muslims also assert that evidence of Jesus' pronouncement is present in the New Testament, citing the mention of the Paraclete whose coming is foretold in the Gospel of John.[37] Muslim commentators claim that the original Greek word used was periklutos, meaning famed, illustrious, or praiseworthy – rendered in Arabic as Ahmad; and that this was replaced by Christians with parakletos.[7][38] The tree shown right depicts lineage.

Appearance

Based upon several Hadith narrations of Muhammad, Jesus can be physically described thus (with any differences in Jesus’ physical description being due to Muhammad describing him when seeing him at different occasions, such as in a dream, during his ascension to Heaven, or when describing Jesus during Jesus' second coming):[39]

  • A well-built man of medium/moderate/average height and stature with a broad chest.
  • Straight, lank, slightly curly, long hair that fell between his shoulders.
  • A moderate, fair complexion of red or finest brown.
  • Of all the men, he had the nearest resemblance with 'Urwa ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi.

See also

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Notes

  1. ↑ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, p.158
  2. ↑ "Jesus, Son of Mary" in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
  3. ↑ "Jesus in the Quran", islam101.com, http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/jesus/christ_in_islam2.htm. 
  4. ↑ [Qur'an 4:157]
  5. ↑ Miller, Duane Alexander (June 2009). "Reappropriation: An Accommodationist Hermeneutic of Islamic Christianity". St Francis Magazine 5 (3): 3-36. Retrieved on 16 November 2012. 
  6. ↑ Encyclopedia of the Quran, Jesus
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 "Isa", Encyclopedia of Islam
  8. ↑ Quran, 5th Surah, vs. 116.
  9. ↑ Fasching, deChant (2001) p. 241
  10. ↑ [Qur'an 3:33]
  11. ↑ [Qur'an 3:45]
  12. ↑ [Qur'an 3:43]
  13. ↑ [Qur'an 3:47]
  14. ↑ [Qur'an 3:59]
  15. ↑ [Qur'an 19:8]
  16. ↑ [Qur'an 19:30]
  17. ↑ "Yahya b. Zakariyya", Encyclopedia of Islam.
  18. ↑ [Qur'an 3:3]
  19. ↑ [Qur'an 5:46]
  20. ↑ [Qur'an 3:52]
  21. ↑ [Qur'an 5:112]
  22. ↑ For instance; Matthew chapter 27, Mark chapter 15, Luke chapter 23, and John chapter 19
  23. ↑ [Qur'an 4:157]
  24. ↑ Crossan, John Dominic (1995). Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. HarperOne. p. 145. ISBN 0-06-061662-8. "That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be, since both Josephus and Tacitus...agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact."
  25. ↑ Josephus Antiquities 18.3.3
  26. ↑ Sanhedrin 43a.
  27. ↑ [Qur'an 43:57]
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Sonn (2004) p. 209
  29. ↑ Template:Hadith-usc
  30. ↑ Template:Hadith-usc
  31. ↑ "She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!", [Qur'an 3:47], cf. Encyclopedia of Islam
  32. ↑ See:
    • Esposito (2002) p. 32, 74;
    • Fasching, deChant (2001) p. 241
    • Markham and Ruparell (2001) p. 348
  33. ↑ [Qur'an 5:17]
  34. ↑ cf. Esposito (2002) p. 32
  35. ↑ See:
    • Khalidi (2001) p. 75;
    • Fasching, deChant (2001) p. 241
  36. ↑ "And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "this is evident sorcery!" ", [Qur'an 61:6]
  37. ↑ "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
    Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.", Template:Bibleverse
  38. ↑ Watt (1991) pp. 33–34
  39. ↑ Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc, Template:Hadith-usc

References

Further Reading

Lawson, Todd. The Crucifixion and the Qur'an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1851686363, 2009. http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Crucifixion_and_the_Qur_an.html?id=LBB2NwAACAAJ. 

External links

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