The Religion of Islam - The Story of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran (part 3 of 3): Jesus II

“Then when Jesus felt their (persistence in) disbelief, he said, ‘Who will champion with me God’s (cause)?’ The disciples said, ‘We are the champions (of the cause) of God. We believe in God, and be a witness that we are Muslims (submitting to Him).[1] Our Lord, we have believed in what You have revealed, and we have followed the messenger, so write us down among the witnesses (to the truth).’ And they (who disbelieved) plotted, and God planned. And God is the best of the planners. When God said, ‘O Jesus, I will take you[2] and raise you up to Me and clear you of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you in the matters you used to disagree in.’” (Quran 3:52-55)

“And for of their saying, ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of God.’ But they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to look like him to them.[3] And those who disagree over him are in doubt (of killing) him, they have no knowledge of it except the following of guesswork, and they did not kill him for certain. But God raised him up to Himself.[4] And God is All-Powerful, All-Wise.” (Quran 4:157-158)

The Followers of Jesus

“Then whoever argues with you about him (Jesus) after the knowledge that has come to you, (then) say, ‘Come and let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we all pray for the curse of God to fall on those who lie.’ Indeed, this is the true story. And there is no deity that deserves to be worshipped except God. And indeed, God is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. But if they turn away (from accepting the truth), then indeed, God is aware of the corrupters. Say, ‘O people of the Scripture: Come to a just statement[5] between us and you, that we worship none but God, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God[6].’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Be witnesses that we are Muslims (submitting to Him).’” (Quran 3:61-64)

“Surely, they have disbelieved those who say that God is the Christ, son of Mary. Say, ‘Who then has the least power against God if He were to destroy the Christ son of Mary, his mother, and everyone on earth?’ And God has supreme authority over the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them. He creates what He wills, and God is Able to do all things.” And the Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of God and His loved ones.’ Say, ‘Why then does He punish you for your sins?’ Rather, you are only human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And God has supreme authority over the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, and to Him is the return (of all).” (Quran 5:17-18)

“Surely, they have disbelieved who say, ‘God is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary.’ But the Messiah said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Indeed, whoever sets up partners (in worship) with God, then God has forbidden him Paradise, and the Fire will be his home. And there is none to help the wrongdoers.’ Surely, disbelievers are those who say, ‘God is the third of three.’[7] But there is no god (that deserves to be worshipped) except One God. And if they do not stop what they are saying, the disbelievers among them will suffer a painful punishment. Will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 5:72-74)

“And the Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of God,’[8] and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the son of God.’ That is the fabrication of their mouths. They are imitating the claims of the disbelievers of before. May God destroy them, how they turn away (from the truth). They have taken their religious scholars and their monks as lords instead of God (by disobeying God and obeying them), and (they also have taken as their Lord) the Messiah, son of Mary. But they were commanded to worship only one God, none has the right to be worshipped except Him. Exalted is He above what they associate (with Him).”[9] (Quran 9:30-31)

“O you who believe, indeed many religious scholars and monks eat away people’s wealth unjustly, and turn (others) away from the way to God. And those who treasure gold and silver, and do not spend it in the Way of God, then give them the news of a painful punishment.” (Quran 9:34)

The Second Coming

“And there is not one of the people of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death.[10] And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.”[11] (Quran 4:159)

“And he (Jesus) is a sign of (the coming of) the Hour, so do not doubt it.[12] And follow Me, this is a straight path (leading to God and His paradise).” (Quran 43:61)

Jesus on the Day of Resurrection

“‘When God will say,’ O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit (Gabriel) and you spoke to people in the cradle and in old age; and when I taught you the Book, wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel; and when you made out of clay the likeness of a bird, by My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My permission, and you healed the blind and the leper by My permission, and when you brought the dead to life by My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from (killing) you when you came to them with clear proofs, but the disbelievers among them said, ‘This is nothing but plain magic.’” (Quran 5:110)

“And God will say (on the Day of Resurrection), ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to people, ‘Worship me and my mother instead of God?’[13]’ He will say, ‘Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right (to say). If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is (hidden) in myself and I do not know what is in Yours. Indeed, You are the Knower of the unseen.’[14] I did not tell them except what You commanded me, ‘Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I was among them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, indeed You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”[15] God will say, ‘This is the Day when the truth will benefit those who were truthful. To them belong gardens with rivers running through it (in Paradise), where they will stay forever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the great success.’ To God belongs the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them, and He is Able to do all.” (Quran 5:116-120)

Footnotes:

[1] The name given for the disciples in the Quran is al-Hawariyyun, which means the purified ones, like the color white. It is also reported that they used to dress in white.

[2] Jesus was raised up in a state of sleep. The word that is used here is wafah, which can mean sleep or death. In Arabic, sleep is called the minor death. See also verses 6:60 and 39:42, where the word wafah refers to sleep and not to death. Since verse 4:157 denies the killing and crucifixion of Jesus, and since each human dies once but Jesus is supposed to come back to earth, the only remaining interpretation of the verse is sleep.

[3] The resemblance of Jesus was put on another, and it is he, not Jesus, who was crucified. According to several commentaries on the Quran, the one who was crucified was one of the disciples, accepting the resemblance of Jesus, and martyring himself to save Jesus in return for paradise.

[4] Jesus was raised in body and soul, and did not die. He still lives up there, and will return towards the end of time to earth. After fulfilling his assigned role on earth, he will eventually die.

[5] This is what all the prophets of God have called to and agreed upon. And so this statement is not exclusive to one group, but is the common grounds for those who want to worship God.

[6] When one obeys another human in disobedience to God, he has taken him as a lord instead of God.

[7] In reference to the Trinity.

[8] Although not all Jews believed it, they failed to condemn it (see verses 5:78-79). When a sin is allowed to persist and spread unopposed, the whole community becomes liable.

[9] The religious scholars are the ones possessing knowledge, and the monks are the ones immersed in ritual and worship. Both are considered religious leaders and examples, and through their influence they can lead people astray.

[10] The pronoun in “his death” can refer to Jesus or to the individual from the people of the Scripture. If it refers to Jesus, it means that all of the people of the Scripture will come to believe in Jesus on his second return to earth and before his death. Jesus then will confirm that he is a prophet from God, not God nor the son of God, and will ask all people to worship God alone and submit to Him in Islam. If the pronoun refers to the individual from the people of the Scripture, then the verse means that each one of them will see just before his death what will convince him that Jesus was a true prophet from God, and not God. But that belief at that time will not benefit him, since it comes not out of free choice, but when he sees the angels of punishment.

[11] See verses 5:116-118.

[12] The second coming of Jesus will be a sign that the Day of Judgment is near.

[13] The worship of others with God is the same as worshipping them instead of God. Both mean that worship is directed and given to someone other than God, yet God is the only One who can be worshipped.

[14] God, as Jesus said, knows that Jesus did not call for his own worship or his mother’s. The aim of the question is to point to those who worship Jesus or Mary that if they were true followers of Jesus, they would stop that practice, because Jesus never called to it. But if they persist, then let them know that Jesus will disown them on the Last Day, and that they have not been following him, but only following their personal preferences.

[15] In other words, You know who is worthy of punishment, so You will punish him. And you know who is worthy of forgiveness, so You will forgive him. For indeed, You are the Mighty who has the power to punish, and You are Wise in dispensing all affairs, so you forgive those who deserve forgiveness.

The Story of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran (part 3 of 3): Jesus II

The Passion of Christ

The Followers of Jesus

The Second Coming

Jesus on the Day of Resurrection