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Isa (عيسى `Īsā), often seen as Isa, son of Mary (`Īsā ibn Miryam) is the Arabic name for Jesus, who is one of the Prophets of Islam. According to the Qur'an, he was one of God's most beloved prophets sent specifically to guide the Children of Israel (Beni Israel). Christian Arabs refer to Jesus as Yasu' al-Masih or Isa al-Masih (يسوع المسيح Yasū`a al-Masīħ).

In the Qur'an, stories about the life and teachings of Jesus are common. The Qur'an tells of his miraculous birth, his teachings, the miracles he performed by God's permission, and his life as a respected prophet of God. The Qur'an also states repeatedly that Jesus was only a human prophet sent by God and not part of God Himself.

Muslims believe that Isa was sent down as a prophet and to be the Messiah. The Qur'anic verse below explicitly calls him by this title. The verse says that Allah (God) sent word to Mary about it, and it also calls him the Word of God. However, Muslims strongly disagree with the mainstream Christian belief that Jesus was divine himself as part of the trinity (Son of God), regarding it as a blasphemous denial of tawhid (monotheism). Therefore, he is not considered the Son of God. (See below for relevant Qur'anic verses.)

Behold! the angels said: "O Mary, Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him; his name will be the Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.
(al-Qur'an 3:45)

Muslims see Jesus' ministry as a continuation of a single divine message and faith system revealed over time by God to mankind. They regard not only Jesus, but earlier prophets such as Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Moses and David to have been Muslims, and see Isa as the great precursor to the final prophet, Muhammad. Jesus received a Gospel from God, called (in Arabic) the "Injeel," corresponding to the New Testament. However, Muslims hold that the New Testament present today has been changed and corrupted and does not accurately represent the original. Some Muslims accept the Gospel of Barnabas as the most accurate testament of Jesus.

Summary of Muslim beliefs regarding Isa

• Jesus (Isa in the Qur'an) was one of God's highest ranked and most beloved prophets. He was sent specifically to guide the Children of Israel.
• He was neither God nor the son of God, but rather a human prophet, one of many prophets sent over history to guide mankind. Jesus' message to mankind was originally the same as all of the other prophets, from Adam to Muhammad, but has been distorted by those who claim to be its adherents.
• Jesus was born miraculously without a human biological father by the will of God. His mother, Mary ("Maryam" in Arabic), is among the most saintly, pious, chaste, and virtuous women ever.
• Jesus was able to perform miracles, but only by the will of God. Besides his miraculous birth, his first miracle was when, although only a few days old, Jesus spoke and defended his mother against accusations of adultery. The Qur'an mentions, among other miracles, that he raised the dead, restored sight to the blind, and cured leprosy.
• Jesus renounced all worldly possessions and lived a life of strict nonviolence, abstaining from eating animal flesh and from drinking alcohol.
• Jesus received a Gospel from God, called (in Arabic) the "Injeel", and corresponding to the New Testament. However, Muslims hold that the New Testament Christians have today has been changed and does not accurately represent the original. Some Muslims accept the Gospel of Barnabas as the most accurate testament of Jesus. The authenticity and date of this text is disputed in Islamic, Christian and secular academic circles.
• Jesus was neither killed nor crucified; but God made it appear so to his enemies. Some Muslim scholars (notably Ahmad Deedat) maintain that Jesus was indeed put up on the cross, but did not die on it, but was revived and then ascended bodily to heaven, while others say that it was actually Judas who was mistakenly crucified by the Romans.
• Jesus is alive in heaven and will return to the world in the flesh following Imam Mahdi to defeat the dajjal ("the deceiver", anti-Christ in Islamic belief), once the world has become filled with injustice.

 

Isa's birth

Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus through Mary. When the angels announced to Mary about Allah’s promise that she will have a son, she was surprised, since she was a virgin. "How can this be?" she thought, but she was reminded that it is easy for Allah to create whatever he wills.

Behold! the angels said, 'Oh Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter, and in (the company of) those nearest to God. He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity.

She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me?

He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. (Qur’an 3:47).

 

Isa as a prophet

Isa is seen as the one of the prophets of Islam and not as God or part of the Trinity. Relevant verses from the Qur'an include:

• "He [Jesus] said: 'I am indeed a servant of God. He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; He has made me blessed wheresoever I be; and He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has 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)!' 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) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is" (19:30-35).

• "When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: 'Now I have come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which you dispute. Therefore, fear God and obey me. God, He is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him -- this is a Straight Way.' But sects from among themselves fell into disagreement. So woe to the wrongdoers, from the penalty of a Grievous Day!" (43:63-65)

• "And behold! God will say [i.e. on the Day of Judgment]: 'Oh Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I lived among them. When You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things'" (5:116-117).

• "Jesus, 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 God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (5:75).

 

Isa not the Son of God

O People of the Book, commit no excesses in your religion; nor say of Allah anything but the truth. The Messiah Jesus 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 "Trinity": desist! It will be better for you: for Allah is One: 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.
(al-Qur'an 4:171)

Muslims do not believe Isa is Allah (God), nor was he the son of Allah; in this view they differ from Christians. Muslim theologians point out that even the Christian Bible refers to earlier (non-divine) figures such as David as "son of God."(Psalm 2:7). Jesus was born miraculously without a human biological father by the will of God.

While Muslims do not believe Isa to be the son of God, they do believe that Maryam was a virgin before, during, and after his birth.

 

Isa neither crucified nor killed

That they said (in boast) "We killed the Messiah Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah"; - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear 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.
No, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
(al-Qur'an 4:157-158)

The passage above indicates that Isa was not killed or crucified, but instead was raised into Heaven and remains there awaiting the time appointed by Allah (God) to descend back to earth and live out his natural life. A minority interpretation of the verse holds similarly that Jesus was not executed by his enemies, but only appeared to be so, and that he was subsequently "raised" (i.e., in status and honor) by Allah (God). In this minority interpretation, no ascent to Heaven by Isa is ascribed to the Qur'an.

 

Isa to return

Most Muslims believe Isa will descend back to earth after ad-Dajjal appears. Muslims believe Jesus is alive in heaven and will return to the world in the flesh after Imam Mahdi to defeat the ad-Dajjal (the False Messiah or anti-Christ in Islamic belief), once the world has become filled with injustice.

A hadith in Abu Dawud (Book 37, Number 4310) says:

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Prophet (Muhammad) said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus. He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, bronze skin, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.

After he slays al-Masīh al-Dajjāl (literally "the Deceiving Messiah," loosely the Antichrist; often referred to simply as "Dajjāl") at the Gate of Ludd in Palestine, Muslims believe he will marry, die and be buried in the Masjid al Nabawi. During his life, he would have revealed that Islam is the true word of Allah.

A hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Vol. 4. Hadith No. 658) says:

How will you be when the son of Mary descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Qur'an and not by the law of the Gospel.

 

Isa's physical appearance

Certain hadith give a picture of Isa's physical appearance:

"While I was sleeping, I saw myself (in a dream), performing Tawaf (circumambulation of the House of God in Makkah). I saw a reddish-white man with lank hair, with water dripping from his head, I asked, "Who is this?" They replied, "The Son of Maryam (Mary)..." (Bukhari, Muslim)

"I saw near the Ka’bah (House of God), a person who was whitish-red and lank- haired, resting his hands upon two men, as water dripped from his head. I asked, "Who is this?" The people replied, "He is I`sa u, Ibn Maryam ," or they may have replied, "He is Masih, Ibn Maryam ." (Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Hanbal)

 

Isa's miracles

Isa is believed to have performed many miracles. However, Muslims believe these were performed only by the will of God. These include:

1. Speaking while he was only a baby
2. Healing those born blind
3. Healing the lepers
4. Reviving the dead
5. Breathing life into a bird made of clay

• Speaking during infancy (Qur'an 19:29-33):

"They said:

How can we talk to one who is a child, in the cradle?

He (The baby) said:

I am a slave of Allah [i.e. created by God and belong to Him], He has given me the Scriptures and made me a Prophet; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and enjoined on me Salat (prayer), and Zakat (giving alms to the poor) as long as I live. And dutiful to my mother (i.e. made me kind and good to my mother) and made me not arrogant, unblest. And peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I shall be raised alive (i.e. on The Day of Judgment and Resurrection)! " (Quran 19:29-33)

• Making live birds out of clay, curing blindness and leprosy, and raising the dead (Qur'an 3:49):

And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): 'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe... (Qur'an 3:49)

 

Etymology

The name Jesus is derived from the Latin Iesus, which in turn comes from the Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs). The Greek is a Hellenized form of the Aramaic name Yeshua (ישוע), a short form of Hebrew Yehoshua (יהושע). Isa is also a given name for Arab Muslim men, equivalent to Jesus (a name given in many Christian cultures for male children). Yehoshua (יהושע) is the name by which Moses called his successor as leader of the Israelites, known in English as Joshua; it means 'the Lord is salvation', or literally 'Yahweh saves'. The Arabic name Isa is related to the biblical Esau. In fact, Arabic-speaking Christians refer to Jesus as Yasu`a, which is the same name as Joshua.