Jesus in the Quran and Islamic Tradition Presentation

Jesus in the Qur’an and Islamic Tradition Presentation by Vernon K. Robbins [In the menu on the top line, click “Slide Show, ” then “From Beginning. ” This will activate this Power Point in your computer. You must have “Windows Media Audio” on your computer to hear the audio. ] Either left click or push the right arrow on your keyboard to proceed to the instructions on the next slide.

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Jesus in the Qur’an and Islamic Tradition Presentation by Vernon K. Robbins

Basic Information 570 AD: Muhammad’s birth Place: Mecca, Saudi Arabia Learned trading from Uncle Abu Talib 595 AD: Married Khadijah: rich widow Took a month retreat yearly near Mt. Hira 610 AD: First revelation of Qur’an 40 yrs old: month retreat Ramadan 622 AD: Hijrah from Mecca to Yathrib/Medina Islamic State and Constitution 632 AD: Death of Muhammad

Earliest Revelation: 96: 1 -5 In the name of thy Lord who created. Created man from a clot. And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he knew not.

Jews in Muhammad’s Life Jews were present in Mecca, before Muhammad went to Medina. Many Jewish tribes were present at Medina. Some Jewish tribes of Medina opposed Muhammad. In the Constitution of Medina, Jews were included in Muhammad’s community as long as they contributed to the welfare of the community.

Christians in Muhammad’s Life While a young man traveling as a trader, Muhammad had conversations with Christian monks and hermits. Muhammad’s wife Khadijah had a cousin Waraqa, who became a Christian and influenced Muhammad. Christians are mentioned in Qur’an revelations only after Muhammad moved to Medina. In the Constitution of Medina, Christians were included alongside Jews as people who receive protection if they were peaceful with Muhammad’s community.

Jesus in the Qur’an Jesus (Isa): 25 times in the Qur’an Q 2: 87: And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of God’s sovereignty), and We supported him with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus among the Prophets in the Qur’an Q 2: 136: Say (O Muslims): We believe in God and what is revealed unto us and what was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and what Moses and Jesus received, and what the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.

The Ancestors of Jesus in the New Testament Paul’s Letter to the Romans 1: 3 -4 Jesus Christ § § Descended from David according to the flesh Declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead

Family Genealogies in the New Testament n Gospel of Matthew 1 n Gospel of Luke 3

The Ancestors of Jesus in Gospel of Matthew 1: 1 -17 n Abraham (Jesus is Son of Abraham) n to David (Jesus is Son of David) n through Joseph, Son of David (Matt 1: 20) n Mary has no family line in Matthew! n n

The Ancestors of Jesus in Gospel of Luke 3: 23 -38 n Adam, son of God (Jesus is Son of God: Luke 3: 22; 4: 3, 9) n Abraham n David (Jesus is Son of David) Luke 1: 32; 18: 38 -39 n Joseph, father of Jesus, as was supposed Luke 3: 23

Information about Jesus in the Qur’an n The Qur’an has no information from the Gospel of Matthew. n Jesus information in the Qur’an is related to the Gospels of Luke and John only. n Only Luke has Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist, whom the Qur’an knows.

Angel Gabriel and Jesus in the Qur’an n In Luke, the angel Gabriel comes and speaks first to Zechariah in the temple and second to Mary at her home. n From a Muslim perspective, when the angel Gabriel brought God’s words to Zechariah and Mary, these were “Quranic” moments in history.

Gabriel “recites” God’s words to Special People throughout History n Six hundred years later, the same Gabriel brought words of God to Muhammad. n These words are “Qur’an” (“the recitation” [al-Qur’an] of God’s words). n There are 114 chapters of God’s words to Muhammad in the Qur’an, revealed by angels (most often “Gabriel”).

Mary and Her Family in the Qur’an n Chapter 19 in the Qur’an has the title “Mary. ” n It focuses on Mary, the mother of Jesus. n Chapter 3 in the Qur’an has the title “Family of Imran. ” n In Muslim tradition, Imran is the father of Mary. n The name “Imran” is the Arabic of “Amram, ” the name of the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Maryam or Mary) in the Old Testament.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the Qur’an n Mary’s name occurs 34 times in the Qur’an n Mary’s name occurs 19 times in the New Testament (fewer than the Qur’an) n Reason: 21 of the 25 times in the Qur’an Jesus is called Jesus son of Mary n Mary is the only “named” woman in the Qur’an. Seven others are “wife of …” [e. g. , Noah].

The Qur’an also knows the Infancy Gospel of James (200 AD Christian Gospel) n Extends Luke before the birth of John the Baptist back to the birth of Mary to Anna. n As a child, Mary is kept in a holy bedroom like a small place of worship. n Mary is placed in the Jerusalem Temple at age three (like Samuel) to be kept holy.

Infancy Gospel of James cont. n In Infancy James, Zechariah the father of John the Baptist is High Priest of the Temple when Mary is there. n Mary is taken out of the Temple at age 12 so she will not pollute it with her blood flow. n Mary is assigned to Joseph who already has sons (James, Joses, Jude).

The Qur’an never refers to Joseph, husband of Mary n The Qur’an never refers to New Testament Joseph (only Old Testament Joseph: Q 12). n Therefore, in the Qur’an Jesus is never “son of Joseph. ” n Jesus is only “son of Mary” in the Qur’an.

God said, “Be, ” to Create both Adam and Jesus n 3: 59: Lo! the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. n He created him out of dust, then God said to him: “Be!” and he is.

The Angels gave God’s word to Mary, and it was Jesus! n 3: 45: And remember when the angels said: “O Mary! Lo! God gives you glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, n illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. ”

In the Qur’an God’s word in Mary is Jesus n Notice the relation of the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, ” n and the Gospel of Luke, where Mary says to the angel, “Let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1: 38).

Who is Mary in the Qur’an? n Q 66: 12: And Mary daughter of Imran (Amram), whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed into her something of Our Spirit. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the obedient.

Who is Mary in the Qur’an? n Q 19: 28: O [Mary], sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man nor was your mother a harlot. n Mary is “holy, ” of the family of Moses, Aaron the priest, and Maryam their sister.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, in Gospel of Luke n Mary is a relative of Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife (Luke 1: 36) n Elizabeth is “a daughter of Aaron” (Luke 1: 5) n Moses appointed his brother Aaron and his sons as priests (Exodus 28: 1)

The Name Mary, Mother of Jesus n Moses and Aaron have a sister named Miriam n Miriam, Mariam, and Maryam are the same name in Hebrew and Greek n Mary’s name (Maryam) is a family name of Moses and Aaron n Amram is the father of Moses, Aaron, and Maryam in the Old Testament (Num 26: 59)

Mary, Mother of Jesus, in Gospel of Luke n Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, n is of the family of priest Abijah (Luke 1: 5), grandson of Aaron n Mary’s relatives have a priestly ancestry through Aaron n Mary has “priestly blood-line” from Aaron n Mary is “holy”

Gospels of Luke and John Blend together in the Qur’an n In the Qur’an, Jesus as “the Word” in the Gospel of John n and Jesus as “the word of glad tidings” in the Gospel of Luke, which Gabriel brings to Mary, blend together. n Gabriel brought the word “Be” from God to Mary, and Jesus was in the womb of Mary to be born in the world.

Jesus in the Quran n In the Qur’an, Jesus is “the Word” from God that came to Mary, mother of Jesus. n The word of God to Mary was “Gospel” (“Injil” in Arabic = “Evangel”). n In the Qur’an, Jesus alone of all Prophet/Messengers heals and raises the dead.

Jesus Heals and Raises Dead in the Quran (cf. Luke) Al-Imran 3: 49 I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, with God’s permission. Luke 7: 22 (Matt 11: 4) Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

Jesus “Plays Creation” as a 5 year old Boy Al-Imran 3: 49 Infancy Gospel of Thomas 2 And will make him a messenger unto the Children of Israel, (saying): Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, with God’s permission. Again, he took of the clay which came of that pool and made from it twelve sparrows… Joseph his father said to him: “Why have you done this which is not right to do on the Sabbath? ” But Jesus opened his hands and commanded the sparrows, saying, “Go forth into the sky and fly. You shall not meet death at any man’s hands. ” And they flew and began to call out and praise Almighty God.

Compare Gospel of John with Infancy Thomas and the Qur’an n In John, “the Word” (Jesus) causes “all things to come into being through him, ” n and “what came into being through him was life” (John 1: 3 -4). n In Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Qur’an, Jesus as a five year old boy causes birds to come into being and have life.

In the Qur’an Jesus Speaks from the Cradle Al-Imran 3: 46 Arabic Infancy Gospel 1 He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood. Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother: “I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos [John 1], whom thou hast brought forth, as the Angel Gabriel announced to thee [Luke 1]; and my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world. ”

Jesus Speaks from the Cradle n We should expect, should we not, that “the Word” would be able to speak as soon as he was born? n Once again, “the Word” from the Gospel of John blends with “the word Gabriel brought to Mary” in the Gospel of Luke.

The Gospel of John and the Quran n In addition to Jesus as “the Messenger Word of the Gospel” in the Qur’an, various verses in Qur’an have a relation to the Gospel of John. n John 17 (Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer) has an important relation to the final verses of Chapter 5 in the Quran.

Quran 5: 116 And when God said: “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside God? ” John 10: 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God. ”

Quran 5: 116 Jesus said: “Be glorified!” John 17: 1, 4 Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you. … I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ”

Quran 5: 116 “It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then you know it. ” John 17: 7 -8 “They know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words you gave to me I have given to them. ”

Quran 5: 116 John 17: 25 -26 “You know what is in my mind, and I do not know what is in your Mind. Lo! you, only you, are the Knower of Things Hidden. ” “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. ”

Quran 5: 117 “I spoke to them only that which you commanded to me, John 17: 8, 3 “The words you gave to me I have given to them. ‘Worship God, my And this is eternal life, Lord and your Lord. ’” that they may know you, the only true God. ”

Quran 5: 117 “I was a witness of them while I dwelt among them. ” John 17: 12 “While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. ”

Quran 5: 117 John 17: 11, 15 “And when you took me “And now I am no longer in you were the Watcher the world, but they are in the over them. ” world, and I am coming to you. ” “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one… I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ”

Quran 5: 117 “You are Witness over all things. ” John 5: 37; 8: 18 “The Father who sent me has himself witnessed on my behalf. ” “I witness on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me witnesses on my behalf. ”

Quran 5: 118 John 15: 6 -7 “If you punish them, lo! they are your slaves, and if you forgive them (lo! they are your slaves). Lo! you, only you, are the Mighty, the Wise. ” “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ” (NO AUDIO)

Quran 5: 119 John 17: 17 God said: “This is a “Sanctify them through day in which their your truth: your word is truthfulness truth. ” profits the truthful. ”

Quran 5: 119 “Theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they are secure for ever. ” John 15: 5; 4: 14 “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ” “The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life. ”

Quran 5: 119 “God taking pleasure in them and they in Him. That is the great triumph. ” John 17: 13 “But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. ”

Acts of John 95 And when he was hung upon the cross on Friday, at the sixth hour of the day there came a darkness over the whole earth. And my Lord stood in the middle of the cave and gave light to it and said, "John, for the people below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds and given vinegar and gall to drink. But to you I am speaking, and listen to what I speak… I suffered none of the things they will say of me…

Quran 4: 157 -158 And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them; … But God took him up to Himself. God was ever Mighty, Wise. Acts of John 95 … I am not the man who is upon that cross. I whom now you do not see but only hear my voice… Therefore ignore the many and despise those who are outside of the mystery; for you must know that I am wholly with the Father, and the Father with me. I have suffered none of those things which they will say of me. . . I will that it be called a mystery… What I am is known to me alone, and no one else. ”

Jesus Stories in Islamic Tradition n The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature. Edited and translated by Tarif Khalidi (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001). n Contains 303 stories and sayings focused on Jesus.

Khalidi 38 (p. 74): Whenever the Hour was mentioned, Jesus used to cry out in anguish like a woman. John 16: 21: “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. ”

Khalidi 39 (p. 39): Jesus met John and said to him, “Admonish me. ” John said, “Avoid feeling anger. ” Jesus said, “This I cannot do. ” John said, “Do not own any wealth. ” Jesus said, “As for this – it is possible. ” Luke 12: 49 only: [Jesus said, ] “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Luke 9: 58 (Matt 8: 20): And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. ”

Both The Qur’an and The Muslim Jesus contain additional stories and sayings focused on Jesus, which are not in this Power Point presentation. But these have been shown so that you may understand the nature of Jesus in the Qur’an and Islamic tradition, and that through this understanding you may lead a better life in this world.

That’s all! Many thanks for your close attention! (NO AUDIO)

Khalidi 4 (p. 53): Jesus said, “If it is a day of fasting for one of you, let him anoint his head and beard and wipe his lips so that people will not know he is fasting. If he gives with the right hand, let him hide this from his left hand. If he prays, let him pull down the door curtain, for God apportions praise as He apportions livelihood. ” Matt 6: 2 -3 only: 2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ” (NO AUDIO)