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What Muslims believe about Jesus

What Muslims believe about Jesus
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December 22, 2024
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Jesus in Islam

Jesus (peace be upon him) is revered throughout the world, not just by Christians, but also by Muslims. In Islam, Jesus, known as Eesa in Arabic, holds a position of high esteem. He is referred to as Jesus, Son of Mary in the Quran. The Quran provides details about Jesus and his family, including aspects not found in the Bible, while omitting others commonly associated with him in Christian texts.

An honoured prophet

Muslims hold Jesus in high esteem as one of the greatest prophets of Islam. We believe he was born miraculously to Mary (Maryam), without a father, through the will of God. Muslims view Jesus as a humble servant and messenger of God, who conveyed divine guidance to the Children of Israel. He performed many miracles, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, by God’s permission.

Importantly, Muslims reject the notion of Jesus’ divinity as well as the notion that he was the ‘son of God’, affirming instead that he was a human prophet. They also believe that Jesus did not die; rather, he was raised up by God and will return in the future to restore justice and truth. This deep reverence for Jesus is reflected in the Quran, which refers to him as a ‘word’ and ‘spirit’ from God and emphasises his role as a righteous prophet.

Muslims also believe in the second coming of Jesus before the Day of Judgment. He is expected to return as a just ruler, to restore justice and defeat the false messiah, known as the Dajjal.

In contrast to the humanness of Jesus, Muslims believe that God is one. He is unique, bearing no resemblance to man, and has no parent or any children. He is eternal – having no beginning and no end. Rather He is the all-powerful Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the entire universe and mankind, as well as the angels. He is perfect, full of mercy and compassion, as well as supremely just and wise. And He will resurrect and gather all souls on the Day of Judgement and reward or punish everyone based on their beliefs and deeds. Muslims refer to Him as Allah—which is Arabic for God, comprised of ‘al’ (the) and ‘la’ (God). As a point of interest, the Aramaic word for God is ‘Elaha’ and the term “Eloi” was used by Jesus to address God.

The prophets

Muslims believe that Islam is the final message sent by God to mankind, the last in the succession of divine messages that were sent to humanity over time, following the creation of mankind. It is the completion and perfection of the teachings delivered by all the previous prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe that God sent various holy books, before Islam, including the Torah, the Bible and the Psalms. However we believe that these have been changed over time, unlike the Quran, which has been preserved exactly as it was revealed in the 7th century.

All prophets were given the extremely daunting mission of spreading God’s word to hostile people who rejected the divine message, seeing it as a threat to their status quo. However, that status quo, was in fact a time of injustice and corruption in which morality had reached low points and the weak and vulnerable in the community were particularly downtrodden, exploited and oppressed. At these times of extreme corruption and moral degradation, prophets were honourable men, chosen from among the people of their time, to guide their nations back to ethical principles and back to their Lord, Creator and Sustainer – the one to whom they would inevitably be returned when time ends.

Out of all the prophets, five Resolute Messengers (‘Ulul Azm’), were singled out for their tremendous dedication and commitment to delivering the divine message. These include Noah (Nuh), who preached monotheism but faced continual rejection until God sent the flood to clear the earth of misguided people who spread corruption, saving the small group of believers in the Ark. Abraham (Ibrahim), was a model of faith and submission and the father of Isaac and Ishmael from whom would descend numerous prophets, all of whom lived in the middle east – predominantly Palestine (in particular in the cities of Canaan, Bethlehem, Jerusalem), Egypt, Iraq, and Arabia.

Moses (Musa) was tasked with liberating the Children of Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh. He received the Torah and was continually challenged by the rebellious nature of his own people.

Jesus (Eesa) was sent about 500 years after Moses to guide the erring people back to God. It is the nature of his status where the belief of Muslims and Christians diverge.  

Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet of God, who was granted the ability to perform miracles, and whose birth itself was a miracle, and to whom God revealed a holy book.

Muslims believe that Jesus was succeeded by the last prophet – Muhammad, who was sent to deliver the last divine message to all of humanity, 600 years after his birth, who was given the divine revelation, the Quran.

The ‘Son of Mary’

The mention of Jesus in the Quran is frequent, with his name appearing more than 34 times, most often as Jesus, Son of Mary, who herself is highly revered and has an entire chapter of the Quran dedicated to her.

The connection between Jesus and his mother is constantly reiterated in the Quran. Unlike all the other prophets, he is referred to in relation to his mother and called ‘Jesus, son of Mary’ 24 times. This disassociates him from ‘the son of God’ as well as points to the miraculous nature of his virgin birth, that fact he was fatherless, and points to his humanness – as he was born, unlike a god, as gods by their very nature are eternal and do not go through the process of gestation, formation and birth as humans do. It also contrasts the other prophets, who like all humans, were also the sons of their fathers, Indeed, the common way to identify someone is through their father’s lineage, from which we derive our surnames.

The Bible and the Quran

As Muslims believe that the Quran is the final word of God, protected from any alteration or corruption, Muslims consider it to an accurate account of the life and status of Jesus and what will happen when he returns.

The Quran, the word of God, was received by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) from Angel Gabriel (Jibril), and conveyed to his companions over the generations, through an unbroken chain of transmission. Therefore, the Quran as we have it today, is exactly the same as it was 1400 years ago. No two copies of the Quran are different.

Professor Muhammad Mustafa Al-Azami, in his study of the Quran and the Bible, highlights the Quran’s remarkable preservation since its revelation in the 7th century CE. He explains how it was passed down both in written form and through memorisation, ensuring it remained unchanged. In contrast, he notes that the Bible went through various changes over time, including multiple versions and translations, such as the Latin Vulgate in the 4th century CE and the King James Bible in 1611 CE, which led to differences and inconsistencies. Al-Azami points out that the Quran has stayed in its original Arabic, preserving its message, (linguistically and theologically) while translations of the Bible introduced the risk of misinterpretation. He also mentions how the Quran was standardised under Caliph Uthman around 650 CE, further securing its text. Overall, Al-Azami emphasises the Quran’s unique status as the final, unaltered word of God, unlike the Bible, which he believes reflects the work of many authors over time.

What the Quran says about its account

The Quran’s tone about its narrative is unequivocal. It states:

This is an account of things beyond your knowledge that We reveal to you [Muhammad]: you were not present among them when they cast lots to see which of them should take charge of Mary, you were not present with them when they argued [about her]. (Quran, 3:44)

In this verse, God is taking the responsibility for the correct and final version. He is educating us and asserts that this is what really happened: The True Story.

Had the Quran been composed by Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) it is not very likely that he would have mentioned Jesus’s parent and grandparents in so much detail. Would he not have mentioned his own parents and glorified them instead? And yet there is no mention of Muhammad’s (peace be on him) own parents, but instead a detailed account of two generations that preceded Jesus, including the story of the birth of his mother, Mary (Maryam). There is a chapter entitled Chapter Ale-Imran ‘The family of Imran’ which is the family of Mary and Jesus (peace be on them).

The pious family of Jesus

These two generations of Mary’s family were righteous and devout worshippers against a backdrop of widespread social depravity and corruption. It is to this family, with their example of commitment to God, and their goodness and piety, that God blessed with the arrival of Jesus, who was destined to be one of the great messengers.

It shows us the importance of the environment on righteous upbringing. Psychologists often debate whether it is nature or nurture which impacts us. Certainly, from this story it is evident that nurture has a significant part to play in the development of a child.

Chosen by God

There is a very strong connection between Adam and Jesus (peace be on them). In addition, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus were specially selected by God to fulfil great missions, hence in the Quran, it states:

God did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ‘Imran above all people (Quran, 3:33)

God selected certain families and out of His knowledge and wisdom, He favoured them, just as He blessed certain months over others (such as Ramadan), certain days over others (Friday), certain times (like the last third of the night) and certain lands over others (such as Makkah, Madinah and the Levant). He favoured some people over others (the prophets), and from them, He selected certain prophets over others and gave them a special status.

God chooses Messengers from angels and from men. Verily, God is All-Hearer, All-Seer (Quran, 22:75)

Those Messengers! We preferred some of them to others; to some of them God spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour) (Quran, 2:253)

And also some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren, We chose them, and We guided them to the Straight Path. (Quran, 6:87)

And God has preferred some of you above others in wealth and properties. (Quran, 16:71)

Special birth

Much controversy surrounds the miraculous birth of Jesus (peace be on him). Well before this birth, Hannah, the wife of Imran, the chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, made a special supplication for a baby, though she was an old lady and barren. She swore an oath that if she conceived a child, she would dedicate him to the service of God. At that time, as unfortunately it is still the case in some pockets today, women were not allowed to serve in the House of God (the synagogues/mosques).

The wife of Imran said, “My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated, so accept from me; You are the Hearer and Knower.” (Quran, 3:35)

Then when she delivered her [child (Mary)], she said: “O my Lord! I have delivered a female child,” – and God knew better what she delivered, – “And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with You (God) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast.” (Quran, 3:36)

Hannah was perplexed how she could fulfil her oath when her baby was not a boy. Then God gave her the exception.

Her Lord graciously accepted the offer and made Mary grow up, pure, and beautiful. Zachariah (Zakariya) took custody of her. Whenever he went to visit her in her place of worship, he would find with her some food. He would ask her:

“Where did this food come from?” She would reply, “God has sent it.” God gives sustenance to whomever He wants without keeping an account. (Quran, 3:37)

Mary was educated, recited the Holy scriptures, and prayed under the supervision of Zachariah, her maternal aunt’s husband and prophet. We have no authentic narrations that suggest she disliked her life of worship. To the contrary, she loved it and dedicated her life and soul to it, to the extent that God sent her special gifts similar to miracles, which are called karamat in Arabic.

The pregnancy

In that environment, the angels began talking to her and one day the Angel Gabriel visited Mary, as mentioned in Chapter Maryam and Chapter Ale-Imran, to give her the news that she would carry the special baby. Mary was terrified.

فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنْكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَقِيًّا

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا

قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا

And mention in the Scripture Mary, when she withdrew from her family to an eastern location.

She secluded herself from them, and We sent to her Our Spirit, and he appeared to her as an immaculate human.

She said, “I take protection from you in the Compassionate, should you be righteous.”

He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure boy.”

She said, “How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I was never unchaste?” (Quran, 19:16-20)

In these verses, we see that Mary retreated to an isolated place for some months, where the angel blew a soul into her womb. He did not inseminate her, or touch her. Her pregnancy was the duration of any normal pregnancy, she did not become pregnant and deliver overnight.

Following this, Jesus (peace be on him) was born without a father. God addresses those who make the assumption that this miraculous birth makes him a god, by saying that Adam’s birth without a mother or father would make him a god by the same logic, yet no one believes that he is a god.

We are told that Mary was told to shake a palm tree after the birth and that she complied, and then fresh, juicy, nutritious dates (rutub) fell from the tree. (From the word rutub rather than tamar which also means date we can tell they were fresh and soft).

And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates. (Quran, 19:24)

This could indicate that it was a summer month as it requires the heat of the sun to ripen dates, or this could be another miracle that the tree bore fruit out of season.

From the mouth of babes – saved from scandal

Mary was in a quandry, as a girl born in a righteous family, she had disappeared for some months during her pregnancy, and now had to return to her community and face the accusations that she had been unchaste. It would be a great scandal that the daughter of the chief rabbi, whose uncle was a prophet, was an unmarried mother.

It has never been mentioned in any Biblical traditions that Jesus spoke in his childhood. However, the Quran mentions that God commanded Mary to carry her baby back to her community and remain silent, and enabled baby Jesus to defend her reputation. The very first words he uttered were:

قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

He said, “I am the servant of God. He gave me the Scripture, and He made me a prophet. (Quran, 19:30)

With this testimony from Jesus, he saved his mother’s reputation and her life – as she would have been stoned to death for fornication. Had Mary tried to defend herself, no one would have believed her. However, who could deny the truth when it came from the mouth of a newborn. This was another miracle. After this, Jesus did not preach the word of God until he was an adult.

Socially and politically it was a challenging and complex environment. Full of oppression, tyrannical rulers, persecution and greed. Divisive conflicts and political scheming were widespread. Whenever a society lost its way, God would send a prophet to re-establish the truth and justice and give voice back to wisdom and common sense and bring back care and compassion in the world. We saw this with Musa, who came to combat the oppression of Pharoah’s rule. And with Abraham and Nimrod, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Quraysh.

What was his language?

Jesus (peace be on him) was born in Bethlehem, which makes him Palestinian, not Israeli as Israel was not on the map. It is not agreed upon what language he spoke, but we know that it was not Hebrew. It was more likely Aramaic. Some people have said he spoke Arabic, but this is not the case.

Continuation of the divine message and the Injeel

The message God sent Jesus was a continuation of the previous divine message, the Old Testament/Torah. This is why the Bible contains two portions, the Old and New Testament, as Jesus brought a divine scripture with him, hence he is a messenger, rather than a prophet, but he did not bring a new law (shariah), rather a relaxation of some of the old laws. Jesus came to bring ease to his nation from some of their religious practices.

The Quran is the continuation of those message and the completion of them.

وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

And verifying what lies before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear God, and obey me. (Quran, 3:50)

There are no copies of the original Injeel after Jesus (peace be on him) was lifted to heaven. There four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which comprise the modern day New Testament are versions which were not eye witness accounts and were four out of about 70 versions written at least 66-110 years after Jesus had been lifted from earth. They contain discrepancies in their accounts as well as contradictions. So there is no infallible, original copy of the message Jesus (peace on him) brought.

Limited followers

In his lifetime, Jesus (peace be on him) had very few followers. All prophets and messengers had only a small number of followers in the beginning. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) according to some historians, only had 100 followers after 13 years of continuous preaching in Makkah, which means he only had about 10 new followers each year in Makkah. Prophethood clearly requires patience and resilience.

Miracles

At the time of Jesus, they were making great progress in the advancement of medical cures, but they had certain incurable diseases, such as leprosy which was highly contagious, so God enabled Jesus to cure it. Among his miracles on a couple of occasions he brought the dead back to life.

Similarly at the time of Moses magic or illusions were a dominant feature, so he upstaged all their tricks through real miracles. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) the composition of great literary works was at its peak, but God sent the Quran which surpassed all human literary endeavour.

In the Quran, every time it is mentioned that Jesus cured anyone or performed any miracle, he confirmed that it was ‘by the permission of God’. When you read the Quran none of the prophets mentioned this when performing a miracle, but though they could only perform miracle by the permission of God, it is the fact that people attributed divinity to Jesus that each of his miracles comes with the addition that it was not in his power to do this without divine help. Though his birth was miraculous, he was still a human.

The nature of Jesus and the spirit (ruh) of God

One of the confusions about the status of Jesus (peace be on him) arises from the spirit in him:

وَالَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ رُوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا وَابْنَهَا آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ

 And she who guarded her virginity. We breathed into her from Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds. (Quran, 17:91)

God blew His spirit into Adam too, and all the children of Adam have this ruh (soul). It does not make us divine, and similarly Jesus (peace be on him) was as human as any of the other prophets, or as us, except that he was granted certain miracles by the will of God.

Abu Abdul Rahmaan Abdullah ibn Masood narrated that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Verily, each of you is brought together in his mother’s abdomen for forty days in the form of a drop of fluid. Then it is a clinging object for a similar [period]. Thereafter, it is a lump looking like it has been chewed for a similar [period]. The angel is then sent to him and he breathes into him the spirit. He is also commanded to issue four decrees: to record his sustenance, his life span, his deeds and [whether he will be] unhappy [by entering Hell] or happy [by entering Paradise]. I swear by God, other than whom there is no God, certainly one of you will perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is between him and Paradise except an arm’s length, and then what has been recorded will overtake him and he shall perform the deeds of the people of Hell and enter it. And, certainly, one of you will definitely perform the acts of the people of Hell until there is not between him and Hell except an arm’s length and then what has been recorded for him will overtake him and he shall perform the deeds of the people of Paradise and enter it.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

In Chapter Al Isra, God says it is a mystery and only He knows the nature of the soul. We cannot figure it out, because it is from knowledge of the Unseen.

And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit is of the Command of my Lord; and in no way have you been brought of knowledge except a little.” (Quran, 17:85)

God further stated the status of Jesus – he was a messenger:

The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. And they both used to eat (earthly) food. See how We make the revelations clear for them, and see how they are turned away! (Quran, 5:75)

God is stating the obvious. Jesus and his mother were human and so they ate food, which means they felt hungry and thirsty, it also meant they needed to use the toilet. This is the nature of humans not gods. God does not have needs or weaknesses. Otherwise they cannot be God. It means that if they did not eat or drink, they would die. God cannot die. If God died, who would look after the universe.

Jesus and Mary had a special connection with God but this does not mean they were above messengerhood, or lordly.

إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

The example of Jesus with God is like Adam: He created him from dust, then He said to him, “Be!” and he was. (Quran, 3:59)

There is no trinity here – no contradictions or need for philosophical explanations how Jesus could be divine and human at the same time, or three could be one. It was simple. God said the word ‘Be’ (kun) and Jesus came into being (fa yakun).

The concept of the Trinity itself was not introduced into Christianity until 300 years after Christ’s ascension to heaven. Prior to this the concept of Father, Son and Holy Spirit did not exist and nor is it mentioned in the New Testament.

The Last Supper

In Chapter al Maidah, named after the last supper, the companions asked for heavenly food to be sent down:

Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘Lord, send down to us a feast from heaven so that we can have a festival- the first and last of us- and a sign from You. Provide for us: You are the best provider.’ (Quran, 5:114)

The crucifixion

Jesus (peace be on him) fought against oppression and promoted justice, but his message did not gain acceptance from the rulers. They saw him as a threat and wanted to get rid of him. Moreover some of the Rabbis did not want to believe in him, as he was a threat to their positions, as they were controlling people’s minds and finances. They ganged up against him with the rulers and decided to kill him. The Quran tells us that he was not crucified, but lifted to the heavens and replaced by someone similar to his appearance. God protected His messenger and did not allow them to kill him.

وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا

And for their saying, “We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God.” In fact, they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them as if they did. Those who differ about him are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, except the following of assumptions. They certainly did not kill him. (Quran, 4:157)

بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

But God raised him up to Himself. God is Mighty and Wise. (Quran, 4:158)

The raising of Jesus

God stated in the Quran that he raised Jesus up to Him. Those who claim that Jesus died and was resurrected came 70 years after he was lifted to heaven. God has clarified what happened.

إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَىٰ إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

 God said, “O Jesus, I am completing your life, and raising you to Me, and clearing you of those who disbelieve. And I will make those who follow you above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge. (Quran, 3:55)

The word mutawaffika (‘completed‘ your life) has different meanings. One common explanation is that it means made you to sleep. Sleep is considered a minor death in Islam.

This does not mean that Jesus (peace be on him) died but that he was raised to heaven. It means he was put to sleep and raised to the heavens. If he did not die, where is he? He is in the fourth heaven.

The return of Jesus

Alamah Kashmiri who is great scholar of hadith (narrations of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), collected the narrations that talk about the descent of Jesus (peace be on him) in a book called At-Tasreeh bi Matawatira fi Nuzuli Masih which debunks the claims of any sects that their leader was Jesus, the Masih.

The simple logic is that Jesus was lifted to heaven when he was in his thirties, and his name is Jesus, his mother is Mary and he has no father and can perform miracles. When he returns he will descend from heaven, he will not be reborn. Therefore anyone who claims they are the Masih has fit to that criteria – if they are born, have two parents, are not called Jesus they cannot claim to be the Messiah. It is also clear from the narrations that Jesus will descend in Damascus, near the Ummayad Mosque by the white minaret (al minar bayda).

While he (Dajjal-the Anti-Christ) will be engaged in all of this, God will send the Messiah, the son of Mary (peace be on him). He will descend by the white minaret in the east side of Damascus, wearing two garments dyed in saffron placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he will lower his head [water] will drip [from it] and when he will raise it, drops like pearls will scatter from it. Every disbeliever who will come in contact with his breath will die and his breath will reach as far as he can see. (Muslim)

The narrations show that Jesus (peace be on him) will return, he will not bring a new shariah and he will live as a Muslim. The final shariah is that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and he will revive the religion.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

By God, the son of Mary will descend as a just ruler. He will abolish the cross, kill the swine, and annul the tribute, but he will leave the she-camel such that no one collects from it. He will cause rancor, hatred, and envy to disappear, and he will call people to give their wealth in charity but no one will need it. (Muslim)

The Day of Judgement will be close

Before the Day of Judgement are minor signs (which have already come), medium signs, and major signs such as the birth of Mahdi, the return of Jesus, the arrival of Masih ad-Dajjal (the false Messiah) and ongoing tribulations (fitan).

The return of Jesus (peace be on him) will be at the time of the Mahdi (the rightly guided one) and these will be major signs of the Day of Judgement.

The birth of al-Mahdi will be preceded by recurring dreams among righteous people and scholars all over the world.  His name will be Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allah al-Mahdi, or Ahmad ibn ‘Abd-Allah al-Mahdi.

He will be descended from Fatima the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), through al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may God be pleased with him).

He will be born in Madinah and will not desire leadership, but will be pushed into it. Together with Jesus (peace be on him) they will restore justice to the world

God will bring out from concealment al-Mahdi from my family and just before the day of Judgment; even if only one day were to remain in the life of the world, and he will spread on this earth justice and equity and will eradicate tyranny and oppression. (Musnad Ahmad)

Some people are claiming that Dajjal is our new technology and Gog Magog are the diseases we have, but I disagree with these interpretations.

Upon his return, he will confirm that he never claimed to be divine, or more than a messenger.

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَٰهَيْنِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ ۚ إِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ ۚ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

And God will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as gods apart from God?’” He will say, “Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to. Had I said it, You would have known it. You know what is within me, and I do not know what is within You. It is you who are the Knower of the hidden. (Quran, 5:116)

مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنْتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

I only told them what You commanded me: ‘Worship God —my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them, as long as I was among them. But when You took me back, You were the Watcher over them—You are Witness over all things. (Quran, 5:117)

إِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

If You punish them, they are Your servants; but if You forgive them: it is you who are the Mighty and Wise.” (Quran, 5:118)

Companionship

Jesus (peace be on him) was surrounded by righteous family and friends. His companion of Jesus was John the Baptist (Yahyah) was his cousin and his disciples. This is so precious. Unlike Moses who apart from his righteous foster mother, had to live with Firaun, his supporters, his ministers. The betrayal of Judas is not mentioned in the Quran.

When Jesus found them denying the truth, he said, “Who will help me in the cause of God?” The disciples replied, “We are the helpers of God. We believe in Him. Jesus, bear witness that we have submitted ourselves to His will.” (Quran, 3:52)

Celibacy

The Prophet Jesus is the only prophet who never married. This puts and an end to any speculation and fiction of the Da Vinci code variety.

Exaggerating the status of Jesus

This is truth about Jesus, his birth, nature, upbringing, return and death.

God states in the Quran

﴿يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُوا ثَلَاثَةٌ ۚ انْتَهُوا خَيْرًا لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ ۘ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلًا

O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about God except the truth. Jesus Christ, son of Mary, is the Messenger of God, and His Word which He conveyed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and do not say, “Trinity.” Refrain, for your own good. God is only One God. Glory be to Him—that He should have a child. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth, and God is a sufficient Protector. (Quran, 4:171)

﴿لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَنْ يَمْلِكُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

They disbelieve those who say, “God is the Christ, the son of Mary.” Say, “Who can prevent God, if He willed, from annihilating the Christ Son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on earth?” To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and everything between them. He creates whatever He wills, and God is Capable of everything. (Quran, 5:17)

﴿لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۖ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍ

They disbelieve those who say, “God is the Messiah, the son of Mary.” But the Messiah himself said, “O Children of Israel, worship God—my Lord and your Lord. Whoever ascribes partners to God, God has forbidden him Paradise, and his dwelling is the Fire. There are no saviours for the wrongdoers.” (Quran, 5:72)

﴿٧٣﴾ لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ ۘ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۚ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهُوا عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

They disbelieve those who say, “God is the third in a Trinity.” But there is no god, except One God. If they do not refrain from what they say, a painful punishment will befall those among them who disbelieve. (Quran, 5:73)

﴿٧٤﴾ أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

Will they not repent to God, and seek His forgiveness? God is Forgiving and Merciful. (Quran, 5:74)

The story of Jesus in Islam is very clear and very simple. He is a human Messenger, who was created from the Word ‘Be’ and was raised to heaven, and will return to rule and establish truth, peace and justice.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim Based on the talk delivered by Shaykh Hatham Tamim to the New Muslim Group 22nd December 2021

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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