What Does the Quran Say about Jesus?

We believe that the Quran is the exact word of Almighty Allah revealed to mankind and that it is His last revelation. Allah did reveal messages to former prophets.

These were for a particular people and for a particular time. The revelation made to Jesus was for the Jews, but the Quran is the final revelation to the whole of mankind and for all time.

Where the Quran agrees with previous scriptures, it confirms them. Where it differs from previous scriptures, it cancels what they say.

Other than that, we have no way of knowing whether what they say is true or not.

The Quran is quite clear that he was not God, nor the Son of God

In order to refute the false idea that the Christians had developed over the centuries, the Quran is at pains to insist that Jesus is not God: Christ the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the messengers who passed away before him. (Quran 5:75)

Speaking about the Christians, the Quran says: And (they take as their Lord, Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but one God: there is no God but He. Praise and glory to Him. (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him). (Quran 9:31)

This is repeated again and again, that Allah does not have partners, and that He does not have a son, so that it is made perfectly clear that such a belief is wrong, since Jesus was only a messenger.

The Birth of Jesus

In telling the story of the birth of Jesus, the Quran is in many places similar to that which is found in Saint Luke’s Gospel, but it also differs in many ways.

Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary, although there is no mention of shepherds or wise men visiting him at his birth.

The Quran tells us that Mary gave birth to her son under the shade of a palm tree and that when people asked who this child was, Jesus spoke these words from the cradle: He [infant Jesus] said: “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me Revelation and made me a Prophet: And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer and zakah [obligatory alms] as long as I live.” (Quran 19:30-31)

Muslims believe that our Christian friends are mistaken in attributing to Jesus things which does not become him.

The early Christians were highly influenced by the writings of Paul, who taught that Jesus was the answer to everything the Jewish people had been looking for and that he was, in fact, equal to God, God’s Son, but this was never what Jesus taught.

An Anointed Prophet

The word that Christians use to talk about Jesus is “Christ”, which means “Anointed One” in Greek. 

The Quran, too, uses this word, since Jesus was specially anointed as a prophet of Islam. (The Jewish word for Messiah also means “Anointed One”).

In other words, out of an exaggerated respect for Jesus, the early Christians were led to go that step further and to see him as something other than human.

The Quran corrects this: He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. (Quran 43:59)

Jesus: Muhammad’s Announcer

Finally, and in total contradiction of any suggestion that Jesus was God, Jesus says in the Quran that he was called to announce the coming of a messenger who would come after him.

The name he uses of this messenger is “Ahmad.”

“Ahmad” means “Praised One.” It is also the same name as Muhammad.

If Jesus was the final revelation, equal to Allah Himself, he would not need to announce the coming of a further Messenger, would he?

The Quran relates it like this: And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad. (Quran 61:6)