Reflecting on the status and mission of ‘Isa/Jesus (pbuh)
| Khatib : | Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: | 129 |
| Khutbah Date: | 12/24/04 |
[Qur'an 3:45]
Belief in Prophets (May Allah's Peace be upon all of them)
- Islamic article of Faith to believe in all Prophets from Adam through Abraham, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them) [Qur'an 2:184]
- Prophets were the embodiment of Righteousness
And Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elijah;
all of these were of the most Righteous. [Qur'an 6:85] - All Prophets were models of excellence who were commissioned to guide humankind [Qur'an 2:213]
- Mission of Prophets to establish justice for all [Qur'an 57:25]
- Qur'an mentions many (about 25) of the Biblical Prophets by name [Qur'an 4:163]
Status of ‘Isa/Jesus Christ and Maryam/Mary in Islam
The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given.
- Mother of Jesus accorded highest respect [Qur'an 3:33]
- Entire chapter 19 titled Maryam/Mary in the Qur'an
- "Behold!" the angels said: "O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations." [Qur'an 3:42]
- She is considered chaste, virtuous, receiver of God’s spirit, a testimony to the veracity of God’s message and piously obedient [Qur'an 66: 11]
- Jesus /'Isa referred to 9 times in the Qur'an as 'Isa and 16 times as "'Isa ibn Maryam" (Jesus son of Mary)
- Jesus denied by some as a fictional character, accused of being an illegitimate child by some, misconceived as divine by many; considered as a Prophet and Messiah in Islam
- The righteous Messiah - Jesus, holds an exalted place within Islam. Here are some of the honorable epithets mentioned in the Qur'an:
word of Allah / kalimatu-llah, spirit from God / ruhun mina' llah, positive sign/symbol for humanity / aayatun lin-naas, mercy from God / rahmatan minna, of the Righteous / min-as-saalihiin, Messiah / masih, prophet / nabi, Messenger of God / rasul, the son of Mary / ibne Maryam, eminent in this world and the next ... / wajihan fid-dunya wal-aakhirah. - Though the unique birth of Jesus with one parent is no indication of divinity just as Adam's creation was without any parentage. [Qur'an 3:59]; the Quran speaks of Jesus possessing intellect and eloquence in childhood [Qur'an 19:30] and curing the sick, reviving the sight of the blind and reviving the dead with God's permission. [Qur'an 6:110]
- Jesus defends his beloved mother while still a child; and Allah bears testimony to his truthfulness, mission, character, status and his very being. "Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which people dispute." [Qur'an 19:29-34]
Muslim-Christian Relationship
Such is the respect accorded to those of the Christian persuasion that
- Allah says that among all the faith traditions those who are Christians will be closest to Muslims [Qur'an 5:82]
- When the Christian delegation of Najran lead by the Bishop Zayd al-Usquf came to meet with Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, , they asked the Prophet if they could have a place to perform their worship and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) responded, "Conduct your service here in the mosque. It is a place dedicated to God." How far have we ventured from the respectful attitude of our prophets (peace be upon them)
Spiritual Unity
Violent events on the nightly news unfortunately provide ample ammunition for those promoting religious hostility and feeds the misconception that intolerance and hate-filled rhetoric is the norm. That is not the Abrahamic spirit. Muslims and Christians do have differing perspectives on Jesus' life and teachings, but his spiritual legacy, as a righteous and principled guide, his mission as a Prince of Peace offers an alternative opportunity for people of faith to recognize their shared religious heritage. Christians and Muslims would do well to reflect on the verse in the Quran reaffirming Allah's eternal message of spiritual unity: "Say: 'We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and message given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves." [Qur'an 2:136]