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Thursday, December 8, 2011

What does the Qur’an says about Jesus: Is He merely another prophet?

The Qur’an teaches that Jesus is Kalimatullah, meaning The Word of God, Ruhullah, meaning The Spirit of God (4:171), Al-Masih, meaning The Messiah (3:45; 4.157; 4.172;  5.17; 5.72; 5.75;  9:31) Wajeeh, meaning worthy of esteem in this world and the next (3:45), Mubarak, meaning blessed (19:31). We read about His virgin birth in Qur’an (3:42-47; 19:16-31), His marvelous works (3:49; 5:110), His death, resurrection and ascension (4:157; 19:33,34; 3:55; 4:158) and we read about His second coming in (43:57-61).

We see that Jesus God’s Word and "a Spirit proceeding from Him (4:171).  If Jesus is The Word and The Spirit of God then there is no need for further discussion or any need for asking any questions because no ordinary man can get this title of "Word of God" and "Spirit of God." God's Word and His Spirit must be eternal as He is. Calling an ordinary man "Word of God" and "Spirit of God is blasphemy.  When we look in the Bible we see that Jesus was called the "Word of God" too. Word of God means very words of God that was spoken by God. God spoke and created heaven and earth. God spoke and mighty things happened.

Joh 1:1  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, ..."
Joh 1:14 " And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ..."

The Qur’an expressly says that Allah sent Jesus born of a virgin as both a sign to men and a mercy from him:

“And mention in the Book Mary when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place, and she took a veil apart from them; then We sent unto her Our Spirit that presented himself to her a man without fault. She said, 'I take refuge in the All-merciful from thee! If thou fearest God ... He said, 'I am but a messenger come from thy Lord, to give thee a boy most pure. She said, 'How shall I have a son whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchaste?' He said, 'Even so thy Lord has said: "Easy is that for Me; and that We may appoint him a sign unto men (ayatan lil-nassi) and a mercy from Us; it is a thing decreed.” (Qur’an 19:16-21 See also Qur’an 21:91)

Quran says that, "Jesus is the sign of God". And the Bible says the same thing. Isaiah the prophet prophesied more than 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ that God will give a sign as we read in Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus has a special position in the Qur'an. Jesus is The Word of God, and a Spirit from Him (4:171), He is The Messiah (3:45; 9:31 etc.), He is a Sign (19:21; 21:91), a Mercy (19:21) and a Witness (5:117). He is a person with extreme dignity both in this world as in the other world (3:45). All commentaries agree with the fact that this implies both holiness and blessings. Only Jesus can do the actions 'create' and 'to give life' (3:49). No prophet in the Qur'an has done such actions. Therefore the position of Jesus is above all other persons and exalts him to a level no human being ever reached. Jesus was born of a virgin (19:20-22). Jesus was faultless (19:19), Jesus was a great healer of the sick (3:49; 5:110), Jesus was taken to heaven by God (4:158) and Jesus will come back again (43:61). Now my question to my Muslim brothers and sisters; what do you think about Jesus? Can you say that he is merely another prophet?

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