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Dr. Zwemer provides here a comprehensive
helpful list of the verses in the Quran which refer to Jesus Christ. He also includes an
introduction to the Traditions without which a full portrait of Christ in Islam cannot
be fully appreciated.
The Quran
Account
of His
Life,
Death
and Translation
In attempting to give an account of the
life of Jesus Christ in the very words of the Quran, there are three difficulties that meet us at the outset.
1) The piecemeal character of the Quran has no chronological order, nor
logical sequence. Its verses were revealed at different times and in different places and thrown together in
confusion, laws and legends, fact and fancies, prayers and imprecations. Very few Bible characters are mentioned
in the earliest group of Surahs, and although there are distinctively Christian features in some early
revelations, Jesus Himself is not mentioned.
2) A more serious difficulty is contradictory statements about Jesus
Christ. In some passages he is a mere man and a prophet while others give him such titles as are given to no other
human being. Especially in relation to His death, the statements are contradictory and cannot be reconciled
without violence to the text.
3) There is a difficulty relating to chronological order.
Here we seek only to collect all the passages on which the common
opinion in regard to Jesus Christ, among Muslims rests. We group them as far as is possible in the order of the
Gospel history:
The texts below are the total contents of the Quran as far as they
relate to Jesus Christ, and have formed the basis for the traditional account of His life, among Muslims.
CHRIST 'S
ANNUNCIATION
Surah 3:37-43
And
when the angels said, “O Mary, Verily, God has chosen thee and has purified thee, and
has chosen thee above the women of the world. O Mary! Be devout unto thy Lord, and adore and bow down with those
who bow. That is (one) of the declarations of the unseen world which we reveal to thee, though thou wert not by
them when they drew their lots which of them should take care of Mary, nor were ye by them when they did dispute.”
When the angel said, “O Mary! Verily, God gives thee the glad tidings of a Word from Him; his name shall the
Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, regarded in this world and the next and of those whose place is nigh to God. And
he shall speak to people in his cradle, and when grown up, and shall be among the righteous.” She said, “Lord! How
can I have a son when man hath not yet touched me?” He said, “Thus God creates what He pleaseth. When He decrees a
matter He only says ‘Be,’ and it is; and He will teach him the Book, and wisdom, and the law, and the gospel and
he shall be a prophet to the children of Israel.”
Surah
19:16-21
And mention in the Book, Mary; when she
retired from her family into an eastern place; and she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; and we sent unto
her our spirit; and he took for her the semblance of a well made man. Said she,” Verily, I take refuge in the
Merciful One from thee, if thou art pious.” Said he, “I am only a messenger of the Lord to bestow on thee a pure
boy.” Said she, “How can I have a boy when no man has touched me, and when I am no harlot?” He said, “Thus says
thy Lord, It is easy for Me! And we will make him a sign unto man, and a mercy from us; for it is a decided
matter.”
HIS
BIRTH
Surah
19:22-34
So she conceived him, and
she retired with him into a remote place. And the labour pains came upon her at the trunk of a palm tree, and she
said, “O that I had died before this, and been forgotten out of mind!” and he called to
her from beneath her, “Grieve not, for the Lord has placed a stream beneath thy feet; and shake towards thee the
trunk of the palm tree, and it will drop upon thee fresh dates fit to gather; so eat and drink and cheer thine
eye; and if thou shouldest see any mortal say,’ Verily, I have vowed to the Merciful One a fast, and I will not
speak today with a human being.”
Then she brought it to her people, carrying it; said they, “O Mary!
Thou hast done an extraordinary thing! O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a bad man, nor was thy mother a
harlot!”
And she pointed to him, and they said, “How are we to speak with one
who is in the cradle a child?” He said, “ Verily, I am a servant of God; He has brought me the Book, and He has
made me a prophet , and He has made me blessed wherever I be; and He has required of me prayer and almsgiving as
long as I live, and piety towards my mother, and has not made me a miserable tyrant; and peace upon me the day I
was born and the day I die and the day I shall be raised up alive.”
Surah
23:52
And we made the son of
Mary and his mother a sign; and we lodged them both in a high place, furnished with
security and a spring.
HIS
MIRACLES
Surah
3:
43-45
And He will teach him the Book, and
wisdom, and the law, and the gospel, and he shall be a prophet to the people of Israel (saying) that I have come
to you with a sign from God, namely, that I will create for you out of clay as though it were the form of a bird,
and I will blow thereon, and it shall become a bird, By God’s permission; and I will heal the blind from birth,
and lepers; and I will bring the dead to life by God’s permission; and I will tell you what you eat and what you
store in your houses. Verily, in that is a sign for you if ye be believers. And I will confirm what is before you
of the law, and will surely make lawful for you some of that which was prohibited from you. I have come to you
with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and keep your duty to Allah and obey me. Lo God is my Lord, and your Lord,
so worship Him: this is the right path.
And when Jesus perceived their unbelief, He said, “Who are my helpers
for God?” Said the apostles, “We are God’s helpers.” We believe in God, so bear witness that we are resigned.
Lord, we have believed in what thou hast revealed, and we have followed the apostle, so write us down with those
which bear witness.”
Surah
5:
112-115
When the apostles said, “O Jesus, son of
Mary! Is thy Lord able to send down to us a table from heaven?” He said “ Fear God, if ye be believers”; and they
said, “We desire to eat there from that our hearts may be at rest, and that we may be thereby amongst the
witnesses.”
Said Jesus, the son of Mary, “O God, our Lord! Send down to us a table
from heaven to be to us a festival - to the first of us and to the last, and a sign from thee, - and grant us
provision, for thou art the best of providers.”
God said, “ Verily, I am about to send it down to you; but whoso
disbelieves among you after that, verily I will torment him with the torment which I have not tormented anyone
with in all the worlds .”
(The reference is undoubtedly to the
institution of the Lord’s Supper. C/F 1Corinthians 11:27 and 29-34)
These verses are the only reference in the Quran to the miracles of
Jesus Christ. How meagre compared with any of the Gospels! And yet later tradition has built on these verses or
added to them a whole mass of legendary wonders, many of them puerile in the extreme.
HIS
MISSION
AND
MESSAGE
Surah
57:
26-27.
And we sent Noah and
Abraham; and placed in their seed prophecy and the Book; and some of them are guided,
though many of them are workers of abomination!
Then we followed up their footsteps with our apostles; and we followed
them up with Jesus the son of Mary; and we gave him the gospel; and we placed in the hearts of those that followed
him kindness and compassion. But monkery, (monasticism)
they invented it; we only prescribed to them the craving after the goodwill of God, and they
observed it not with due observance. But we gave to those who believe amongst them their hire; though many amongst
them were workers of abomination!
Surah
2:
254
These apostles have we preferred one of them above another. Of them is
one of whom God spake; and we have raised some of them degrees; and we have given Jesus the son of Mary manifest
signs, and strengthened him by the Holy Spirit. And, did God please, those who came after them would not have
fought one with another after there came to them manifest signs. But they did disagree, and of them are some who
believe, and of them some who misbelieve, but, did God please, they would not have fought, for God does what He
will.
Surah
5:50-51
And we followed up the
footsteps of these (prophets) with Jesus the
son of Mary, confirming that which was before him and the law, and we brought him the
gospel, wherein is guidance and light, verifying what was before it of the law, and a guidance and an admonition
unto those who fear.
Then let the people of the gospel judge by that which is revealed
therein, for whoso will not judge by what God has revealed, these be the evildoers.
Surah
2:81.
We gave Moses the Book and we followed him
up with other apostles, and we gave Jesus, the son of Mary manifest signs and aided him with the Holy Spirit. Do
ye then, every time an apostle comes to you with what your souls love not, proudly scorn him, and charge a part
with lying and slay a part?
Surah
6:85
And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias,
all righteous ones.
Surah
61:6
And when Jesus the son of Mary said, “O children of Israel! Verily, I
am the apostle of God to you, verifying the law that was before me, and giving you glad tidings of an apostle who
shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.”
Surah
4:157
And there shall not be one of the people of
the Book but shall believe in him before his death; and on the day of judgement he shall be a witness against
them.
Surah
3:44.
“I have come to you with a sign from your
Lord, so fear God and follow me, for God is my Lord, and your lord, so worship Him - this is the right path.”
HIS
DEATH
Surah
19:34
“And peace upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I
shall be raised up alive”
Surah
3:
47-50
But, they (the
Jews) were crafty, and God was crafty, for God is
the best of the crafty ones! When God said, “O Jesus! I will make thee die and take thee up again to me, and will
cleanse thee of those who misbelieve, and will make those who follow thee above those who misbelieve, at the day
of judgement, then to me is your return. I will decide between you concerning that wherein you disagree. And as
for those who misbelieve, I will punish them with grievous punishment in this world and the next, and they shall
have none to help them.” But as for those who believe and do what is right, He will pay them their reward, for God
loves not the unjust.
Surah
4:
155-156
And for their misbelief,
and for their saying about Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, “Verily, we have
killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the apostle of God.”….. But they did not kill him. And they did not
crucify him, but a similitude was made for them. And verily, those who differ about him are in doubt concerning
him; they have no knowledge concerning him, but only follow an opinion. They did not kill him, for sure! Nay God
raised him up unto himself.
HIS
CHARACTER
AS
AN
APOSTLE
AND
PROPHET
(Denial of His Deity)
Surah
4:169.
O
ye people of the Book! Do not exceed in your religion, nor say against God aught save the truth. The Messiah,
Jesus the son of Mary, is but the apostle of God and His Word, which He cast into Mary, and a spirit from Him;
believe then in God and His apostles, and say not “Three.” Have done! It were better for you. God is only one God,
celebrated be His praise that He should beget a Son! His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and
God sufficeth for a guardian.
Surah
5:76-79
They misbelieve who say, “Verily, God is
the Messiah to son Of Mary;” but the Messiah said, “O children of Israel! Worship God, my Lord and your Lord;”
verily, he who associates aught with God, God hath forbidden him Paradise, and his resort is the Fire, and the
unjust shall have none to help him.
They misbelieve who say,
“Verily, God is the third of three;” for there is no God but one, and if they do not desist from what they say,
there shall touch those who misbelieve amongst them a grievous woe.
Will they not turn again towards God and ask pardon of Him? For God is
forgiving and merciful. The Messiah the son of Mary is only a prophet; prophets before him have passed away, and
his mother was a confessor; they both used to eat food. - See how we explain to them the signs, yet see how they
turn aside!
Surah
5:116-117
And when God said, “O
Jesus, son of Mary! Is it thou who didst say to men, take me and my mother for two gods, beside God?” He said, “I
celebrate Thy praise! What ails me that I should say what I have no right to? If I had
said it, Thou wouldest have known it; Thou knowest what is in my soul, but I do not know what is in Thy soul;
verily, Thou are one who knoweth the unseen. I never told them save what Thou didst bid me, - ’ Worship God, my
Lord and your Lord,’ and I was a witness against them as long as I was amongst them; but when Thou didst take me
away to Thyself Thou wert the watcher over them, for Thou art witness over all.”
Surah
19:
35-36
That is Jesus the son of
Mary, - by the word of truth whereon ye do dispute! God could not take to himself a son!
Celebrated be His praise! When he decrees a matter He only says to it, “Be,” and it is; and verily, God is my Lord
and your Lord, so worship Him; this is the right way. And the parties have disagreed amongst themselves.
Surah
3:
51-52
This is what we recite to
thee of the signs and of the wise reminder. Verily, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He
created him from earth, then He said to him, “Be,” and he was.
Surah
9:30
The Jews say Ezra is the
son of God; and the Christians say that the Messiah is the son of God; that is what they
say with their mouths, imitating the sayings of those who misbelieved before. - God fight them how they lie!
Surah
5:19
They misbelieve who say, “ Verily, God is the Messiah the son of Mary;”
say “ Who has any hold on God, if he wished to destroy the Messiah the son of Mary, and his mother , and those who
are on earth altogether ?”
Surah
47:
57-64
And when the son of Mary
was set forth as a parable, behold thy people turned away from him and said,” Are our
gods better, or is he?” They did not set it forth to thee save for wrangling. Nay, but they are a contentious
people.
He is but a servant whom we have been gracious to, and we have made him
an example for the children of Israel. And if we please we can make of you angels in the earth to succeed you.
And, verily, he is a sign of the Hour. Doubt not then concerning it, but follow this right way; and let not the
devil turn you away; verily, he is to you an open foe!
And when Jesus came with manifest signs, he said, “I am come to you
with wisdom, and I will explain to you something of that whereon you dispute, then fear God, obey me; verily, God,
He is my Lord and your Lord, serve Him then; this is the right way.”
Surah
3:
72-73
And, verily, amongst them is a sect who twist their tongues concerning
the Book, that ye may reckon it to be from the Book, but it is not from the Book. They say, read “It is from god”
but it is not from God, and they tell a lie against God, the while they know. It is not right for a man that God
should give him a Book and judgement and prophecy, and that then he should say to men,” Be ye servants of mine
rather than of God;” but be ye rather masters of teaching the Book and of what ye learn.
TRADITIONS
Whatever was unintelligible or contradictory in the words of Mohammad’s
revelation could only be interpreted and made clear by means of tradition. This not only applied to the
legislative portions but also the historical material.
Tradition in Islam occupies a different position than that of tradition
in the Christian Church. In Islam it consists of the record of what Mohammad did or enjoined, or that which he
allowed, as well as the authoritative sayings and doings of the companions of the prophet.
There is not a single Muslim sect that looks to the Quran as the only
rule of faith and practice, or as the only reliable source of historical information on the earlier prophets
therefore we must go to Tradition for the fuller portrait of Jesus Christ.
There is no doubt that much of the traditional account of the life of
Jesus Christ came from the lips of Mohammad but it was not recorded in the Quran.
Other portions of it were accredited to him, although they were
inventions or contributions of Christian renegades who became Muslims. Students of Islam are in disagreement
regarding the reliability of tradition in general and the authenticity of many traditions in particular. Dozy
states it is reliable and authentic Goldziher, on the other hand, thinks the greater part was manufactured by
those who came after Mohammad, for private ends in Religion and State. Moulavi Cheragh Ali says, “The name of
Mohammad was abused to support all manner of lies and absurdities, or to satisfy the passion caprice, or arbitrary
will of despots, leaving out of consideration the creation of any standards of test. I am seldom inclined to quote
traditions, having little or no belief in their genuineness, as they generally are unauthenticated, unsupported
and one-sided.
The unbiased conclusions of Muir state:
“That the Collectors of Tradition rendered an important service to
Islam, and even to history, cannot be doubted. The vast flood of tradition, poured forth from every quarter of the
Muslim Empire, and daily gathering volume from innumerable tributaries, was composed of the most heterogeneous
elements; without the labours of the traditionalists it must soon have formed a chaotic sea, in which truth and
error, fact and fable, would have mingled together in undistinguishable confusion. It is a legitimate inference
from the foregoing sketch, that Tradition in the second century, embraced a large element of truth. That even
respectably derived traditions often contained much that was exaggerated and fabulous, is an equally fair
conclusion. It is proved by the testimony of the Collectors themselves that thousands and ten thousands were
current in their times, which possessed not even a shadow of authority……..”
On a more general nature regarding Traditions the Encyclopedia of Islam
page 94 referring to “Abu Huraira” states:
The most voluminous authority quoted is from Abu Huraira, known by this
surname, “The Father of the little Cat” on account of his fondness for cats. He joined the followers of Mohammad
in A.H.629, and lived with him. He was renowned for his infallible memory, and yet Muslims themselves raise
suspicion in regard to his trustworthiness.
Springer calls him “the extreme of pious humbug,” but we must take into
account the fact that most of the sayings which tradition attributes to him were foisted on him probably at a much
later date. |