CAMan77555: The Claim that Jesus was no more than a Prophet
is just an attempt to conceal the uniqueness of Jesus in the Qur'an, many
Muslims cite the following verse:
Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle;
many were the apostles that passed away before him. Surat-ul Maida (5):75
RKC: Muslims don’t conceal anything from
the Qur’an. Although Muslims may use to the above ayat to show Jesus(p) was not
God, there is much more to be found in the Qur’an.
Surah 5:72-76
72. They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary."
But said Christ: "O Children of
73. They do blaspheme who
say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah.
If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty
will befall the blasphemers among them.
74. Why turn they not to Allah, and seek
His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
75. Christ 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 Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways
they are deluded away from the truth!
76. Say: "Will ye worship, besides Allah, something which hath no power
either to harm or benefit you? But Allah,- He it is that heareth and knoweth
all things."
CAMan77555: It is true that in his human nature, Jesus was man of flesh just
like all the other prophets. However, we cannot ignore the teaching of the
Scriptures that reveal to us that in this human flesh dwelt the Word of God of
divine nature. (John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us").
RKC: The same author “John” quotes Jesus(p) as saying he has a God (John 20:17) and the Only True God is the Father (John 17:3).
CAMan77555: Though we could never begin to explain
this mystery of the divine and human nature of Jesus…
RKC: Why is it such a “mystery” when the NT says God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)?
CAMan77555:…, the Scriptures confirm its truth.
Even the Qur'an points to both the human and divine nature of Jesus. For
example, we read the following:…..
RKC: The Qur’an doesn’t point to Jesus(p) being God. Read
the passages I list above & below. They will show what Jesus’(p) nature is.
CAMan77555:
…..”0 People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Commit no excesses in
your religion; nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary
was (no more than) an apostle of God, and His Word, and a Spirit proceeding
from Him. Surat-un Nisaa (4):171”
RKC: You may want to read the surrounding
ayats.
Surah
4:170-173
170. O Mankind! The Messenger hath come to you in
truth from Allah: believe in him: It is best for you. But if ye reject Faith,
to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on earth: And Allah is All-knowing,
All-wise.
171. O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of
Allah aught but the truth. Christ
Jesus the 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
Allah: 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.
172. Christ disdaineth nor to serve and worship Allah, nor do the
angels, those nearest (to Allah): those who disdain His worship and are
arrogant,-He will gather them all together unto Himself to (answer).
173. But
to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, He will give their (due)
rewards,- and more, out of His bounty: But those who are disdainful and
arrogant, He will punish with a grievous penalty; Nor will they find, besides
Allah, any to protect or help them.
CAMan77555: Though the Qur'an is
justified in refuting the claim by some heretical Christians of that day that
Jesus was the third of three gods along with his mother Mary, it must be
carefully noted that the Qur'an has preserved the uniqueness and divine splendor
of Jesus by referring to him as "His (God's) Word" and "Spirit
proceeding from Him (God)." The New Testament of the Bible likewise
calls Jesus "Word of God" (Revelation 19:13). This term should not be
considered lightly. Most Muslims will readily admit that the Word of God was
never created, and can never die; it is eternal from everlasting to
everlasting. Such can only be of the divine nature! As for the phrase "Spirit
proceeding from Him", the Arabic for this is "ruh-un min hu"
and is found elsewhere in the Qur'an.
RKC: Please see below for Yusuf Ali’s
footnotes for Surah 4:171.
“Christ’s attributes are mentioned: (1) that he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man; (2) but a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah, and therefore entitled to honour; (3) a Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah’s word “Be” (kun), and he was; 3:59; (4) a spirit proceeding from Allah, but not Allah: his life and his mission were more limited than in the case of some other Messengers, though we must pay equal honour to him as a Prophet of Allah. The doctrines of Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs. The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put in a great deal of Alexandrian and Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained here.”
CAMan77555: “He (God) has written Faith int their
hearts, and strengthened them with a Spirit from Himself.
Surat-ul Mujadila (58):22”
In "The Holy Qur'an / Translation with Commentary" by Yusuf
Ali, there is a footnote No. 5365 which describes this "Spirit from
Himself" as "the divine Spirit which we can no more define
adequately than we can define in human language the nature and attributes of
God."
From the above it should be obvious that this same
phrase "Spirit from Him (God)" which the Qur'an uses to
describe Jesus in Surat-un Nisaa (4):171 is speaking of one who is more than
just an ordinary prophet!
RKC: Please see below for Surah 58:22 in
its entirety and footnotes from Yusuf Ali.
Surah 58
22. Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving
those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers
or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has written
Faith in their hearts, and
strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to
Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be
well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly
it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Felicity.
Footnotes
Cf. 2:87 and 253, where it is said that Allah strengthened
the Prophet Jesus with the Holy Spirit. Here we learn that all good and righteous men are
strengthened by Allah with the Holy Spirit. If anything, the phrase used here
is stronger, “a spirit from Himself”. Whenever anyone offers his heart
in faith and purity to Allah, Allah accepts it, engraves that Faith on the
seeker’s heart, and further fortifies him with the divine spirit, which we can
no more define adequately than we can define in human language the nature and
attributes of Allah.
CAMan77555: There are several other teachings from
Al-Qur'an that point to the uniqueness of Jesus that should not be overlooked.
They are listed as follows:
1) Miraculously born of a virgin
She (Mary) said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched
me, and I am not unchaste?"
He (Gabriel) said: "So (it will be); 'Thy Lord saith, That is easy for
RKC: Please see below for ayat 21 in its
entirety. This is “unique”, but does not indicate Jesus(p) is God. It shows God
is the true creator of life.
Surah 19
20. She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing
that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?"
21. He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as
a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':It is a matter (so) decreed."
CAMan77555: It is often asserted by Muslims that
Adam likewise had no natural father and therefore Jesus should not be singled
out as unique in this regard. It is true that Adam also had no earthly father
-- but that is to be expected! How could he have had natural parents if he
himself was the first man! However, it was completely different with Jesus.
There must have been hundreds of thousands of men and women through whom Jesus
could have been born, just like every other prophet after Adam. Yet this was a Sign
to mankind. God wanted the world to know that Jesus did not come from the
natural seed of man here below; instead he came from the divine nature of God
above
RKC: I don’t know any Muslims who would
say Jesus is not “unique”. Just the method of coming to be is similar to
Adam’s.
Surah 3
59. The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that
of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he
was.
CAMan77555: 2) Lived a holy life
He (Gabriel) said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to
announce) to thee the gift of a holy son."
Surat-u Maryam (19):19
Jesus was truly a holy son. Having come from God and not from the seed of man,
his life was untouched at birth by the influence of Satan. Truly, Jesus lived a
pure life without fault. Many Muslims will contend that Jesus is not unique in
this regard because all the prophets were completely faultless. However, if we
carefully search the Qur'an, we find that such is not the case. It is evident
that even the great prophets prayed for God's forgiveness. Unlike Jesus, they
too, like all other men, were born from the seed of Adam. Notice the following
examples:
Adam (and Eve): They said: "Our Lord, we have wronged our own
souls. If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy mercy, we shall
certainly be lost." Surat-ul Araf (7):23
Abraham: And who (God) I hope will forgive me my faults on the Day of
judgment. Surat-ush Shu-araa (26):82
Moses: He prayed: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul! Do
Thou then forgive me!" Surat-ul Qasas (28):16
David: And David gathered that We had tried him; he asked forgiveness of
His Lord.
Solomon: He said, "O my Lord! Forgive me... "
Jonah: And he had done acts worthy of blame. Had it not been that he (repented
and) glorified God, he would certainly have remained inside the fish...
Muhammad: Verily We have granted thee (Muhammad) a manifest victory;
that God may forgive thee thy faults of the past and those to follow. Surat-ul
Fath (48):1-2
Know therefore that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for thy fault,
and for the men and women who believe. Surat-u Muhammad (47):19
If one were to very carefully search the whole Qur'an he would not find any
such verse regarding Jesus asking forgiveness from God. The reason should now
be clear; he was holy; he was faultless and perfectly pure. He was from above
and not of this world.
RKC: Muslims believe all prophets were sinless, not faultless or capable of making mistakes. The fact that the Qur’an does not record Jesus as asking for forgiveness does not mean he is God. What about the other dozen plus prophets in the Qur’an? Do they ask for forgiveness?
CAMan77555: 3) Performed mighty miracles
I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord, in that I (Jesus) make for you
out of clay as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it
becomes a bird by God's leave; and I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and
I quicken the dead, by God's leave... Surat-u Ali-Imran (3):49
Not only did Jesus perform great miracles of healing and raise the dead to
life, but unlike any other prophet before or after him, the Qur'an describes
him as shaping a bird, breathing into it, and causing it to become a live
animal!
RKC: Moses and Abraham performed similar
miracles where, through the Father, life was created.
Surah 20:18-20
18.
He said, "It is my rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder for my
flocks; and in it I find other uses."
19. (Allah) said, "Throw it, O Moses!"
20.
He threw it, and behold! It
was a snake, active in motion.
Surah 2:260
260. When Abraham said: "Show me, Lord, how You will raise the dead, " He replied: "Have you no faith?" He said "Yes, but just to reassure my heart." Allah said, "Take four birds, draw them to you, and cut their bodies to pieces. Scatter them over the mountain-tops, then call them back. They will come swiftly to you. Know that Allah is Mighty, Wise."
CAMan77555: 4) Returned to the Presence of God
Behold! God said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to
Myself..." Surat-u Ali-Imran (3):55
Unlike most other prophets who returned to dust, Jesus was not only taken up
into Heaven, but more importantly, was taken up to God Himself! The Scriptures
mention no other prophet who received such honor. Since Jesus was from above,
from God Himself, it is noteworthy that according to the Qur'an, that is
exactly where Jesus returned!
RKC: He will be in the presence of others
who are very close to Allah.
Surah 3
45.
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word
from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in
this world and the Hereafter and
of (the company of) those nearest to Allah;
CAMan77555: 5) Will return to the world
And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming oo the Hour (of Judgment).
Surat-uz Zukhruf (43):61
Though the Qur'an does not explicitly talk of Jesus' return from Heaven, many
Muslim scholars use this verse to support the Muslim tradition that Jesus will return
to the world in the Last Days to defeat the forces of Satan and prepare the way
for universal peace. In his footnote to this verse found in "The Holy
Qur'an / Translation and Commetitary" by Yusuf Ali, we read the
following: "This is understood to refer to the second coming of Jesus
in the Last Days just before the Resurrection..."
RKC: This is what Jesus will say when he testifies
before Allah.
Surah 5:116-120
116.
And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto
men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah'?" He will
say: "Glory to Thee!
never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing,
thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I
know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.
117.
"Never said I to them
aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'worship Allah, my Lord
and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst
them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art
a witness to all things.
118.
"If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive
them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise."
119.
Allah will say: "This is a day on which the truthful will profit from
their truth: theirs are gardens, with rivers flowing beneath,- their eternal
Home: Allah well-pleased with them, and they with Allah: That is the great
salvation, (the fulfilment of all desires).
120.
To Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is
therein, and it is He Who hath power over all things.
CAMan77555: In summary, the above Qur'anic references give us a picture of
Jesus who was miraculously born outside the blood stream of Adam, lived a
sinless perfect life, performed great miracles even of creation, was raised up
to God Himself, and is expected to return to the world to pave the way for
universal peace. No other prophet in any of the Holy Books is described as
this! Regardless what some Muslims may say, the Qur'an speaks loudly for itself
-- this is no ordinary prophet!!!
RKC: I agree with you. Jesus is a very
unique and special Prophet….a Messenger, but not God.
Surah 3:45-54
45.
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word
from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and
the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah;
46.
"He shall speak to
the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company)
of the righteous."
47.
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!
48.
"And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel,
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;
50.
"'(I have come to
you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of
what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your
Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me.
51.
"'It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a
Way that is straight.'"
52.
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.
53.
"Our Lord! we believe in what Thou hast revealed, and we follow the
Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness."
54.
And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best
of planners is Allah.
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