Jesus in the Quran

Dear Reader,

Islam is a complete and integral Divine religion and way of life. It has a complete code of ethics for a happy life and peaceful and tranquil life after death.

Islam is pure from all imperfections, defects and blemishing effects. It is a perfect way of life.

Any deviant or abnormal behavior observed on a Muslim should have no bearing on Islam, non-what-so-ever. The reason for such a deviation or bad behavior is due to ill knowledge of the faith itself, or due a weak faith that led to such deviant acts.

Islam, by no mean, should be assessed or evaluated based on the individuals’ behavior and attitudes.

What are the beliefs of a Muslim in relation to Prophet Jesus Does a Muslim actually revere and respect him? Today, the media is responsible for spreading a negative image about Islam, and due to that, Islam would appear to be a religion of hate and intolerance to the average person. In reality, anyone who has met a practicing Muslim will know that they are a very peaceful and tolerant people.

The belief system of Islam clearly indicates that it is a religion of tolerance. A key belief a Muslim adheres to is a belief in all of the Prophets and Messengers sent by God; accounts of each of them are detailed in the Quran and in Prophetic Traditions. Before delving into the details of the life story of Jesus u, I believe it is important that this topic be preceded by a brief introduction to the purpose behind the creation of humankind and the important role spiritual guidance plays in our lives.

In general, spiritual guidance is essential in keeping us balanced in all aspects of our lives. The Quran is the divine scripture of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad who is the last of all Prophets and Messengers. Due to this fact, certain intrinsic qualities are found in Islam. It is an all-encompassing faith, applicable to people of all times and places. It is applicable to all humankinds’ problems. Islam is not simply a religion; rather, it is a complete way of life.

Another intrinsic quality of Islam is that it is a religion of common sense and is very logical. Take into consideration some of the following examples of Islamic beliefs to clarify this point. As Muslims we believe that God is the Creator of all and He has no partner. The Messenger of Islam, Muhammad r mentioned the stages of creation, as narrated by his companion, Imran bin Husain t. He said:

“People came from Yemen and they said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have come to you to learn the Deen[3], so inform us of the first thing created!’ He said: ‘Allah was always there and nothing was with Him. His Throne was above water and all things that would come to pass were recorded and then the heavens and the earth were created.’”

God was always there, unlike His creation, who have a sure beginning. God, the Exalted, says:

“He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the One Who has infinite knowledge, and He is, of all things, Knowing.” (Quran 57:3)

God was the First. Nothing was before Him. He brought all creation into existence. He is unlike any of His creation. There are no similarities between Him and us. God, the Exalted, says:

“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Quran 42:11)

God has clarified to us that it is impossible for anyone to describe Him, and that no one can encompass His greatness. This alone puts us in awe of God, and affirms our belief in His uniqueness and our need to worship Him alone. God, the Exalted, says:

“Allah knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, but they do not encompass it in knowledge.”(Qur’an 20:110)

Everything besides God is a created being, brought into existence by God, Himself. He brought forth these creations into existence from mere nothingness. God, the Exalted, says:

“That is Allah, your God, Creator of all things; there is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?” (Qur’an 40:62)

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