Jesus and Islam

QUESTION: Jesus and Islam - Do they agree on Jesus' deity?

ANSWER:

While Jesus is the lynchpin of Christianity, He holds a different place in Islamic circles. Muslims base their faith on the Qur'an, which they believe to contain the revealed word of God, much as Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God.

Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet along with Moses and Muhammad and that He was born of a virgin mother. The Qur'an relates how the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would have "the gift of a pure son."

"She said: How shall I have a son, when no man has ever touched me, and I am not unchaste? He said: So it will be, your Lord says: 'That is easy for Me; and We wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': It was a matter so decreed" (Qur'an 19:19-21).

Muslims believe Jesus was able to speak while still in the cradle and that he performed many miracles, including giving sight to the blind, curing lepers, and bringing the dead to life. But all these things they believe were done BY God, rather than believing Jesus is God.

Muslims believe in the oneness of God. They do not believe that Jesus was His son, nor do they believe in the Holy Spirit.

And the description in the Quran of Jesus' death directly contradicts Christian claims that He was crucified and raised from the dead.

"And because of their saying, 'We killed Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God' - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Jesus was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely they killed him not (Jesus, son of Mary). But God raised him (Jesus) up unto Himself. And God is ever All-Powerful, All-Wise" (Qur'an 4:157-158).

The Qur'an is silent on the New Testament accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in which Jesus declares Himself to be the son of God.