One day Jesus asked his disciples a pointed question, "Who do people say I am?" (Mark 8:27). The question of who Jesus is intensely discussed and debated till today by muslims worldwide. Was Jesus only a prophet among the other prophets as muslims claim? . I invite my Muslim friends to check every references provided in this article from both the Quran and the Holy Bible and seek God’s guidance to grant a deeper revelations by Praveen Raju.
One day Jesus asked his disciples a pointed question, "Who do people say I am?" (Mark 8:27). The question of who Jesus is intensely discussed and debated till today by muslims worldwide. Was Jesus only a prophet among the other prophets as muslims claim? What does the Quran reveal about Jesus? Lets first turn to the pages of Quran to discover what Allah revealed about Isa al masih or Jesus the messiah as claimed by Mohammed and make out weather Jesus sounds only a prophet or more than a prophet. I will be using some Arabic titles ascribed to Jesus in the Quran and furnish its meaning supporting it with the scriptures. I invite my Muslim friends to check every references provided in this article from both the Quran and the Holy Bible and seek God’s guidance to grant a deeper revelations. (Following is taken from my book “The Unveiling of Isa al Masih” from the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible) As per The Noble Quran, Jesus Christ is:
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Kalimatuhu : God's Word (Ali Imran 3:45 )
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Ruhunminhu:Spirit proceeding from Him (Al Nesa 4:171 )
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Al-Masih :The Messiah (Al -Nesa 4.157, 171 )
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Rahma :Mercy from God to mankind (Maryam 19:21)
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Zakiyyan : Gift of a holy or sinless son (Maryam 19:19)
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Salam :Peace on him (Maryam 19:33 )
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Mina al-Saliheen : Upright or righteous shall he be
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Nabiyy : Prophet (Al-Ankaboot 29:30 )
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Ibn Maryam : son of Mary , Jesus son of Mary (Ali-Imran 3:45)
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Min al-muqareeab : Those who are close to God ( Ali Imran 3:45 )
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Wadjih: worthy of esteem in this world and the next (Ali Imran 3:45)
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Mubarak : Blessed ,a source of benefit for others ( Maryam 19:31. )
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Qawl al-haqq : Sure word ( Maryam 19:34.)
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Abd Allah : Servant of God (Maryam 19.30)
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Aya : A sign unto mankind (Maryam 19:21 ;3:50 ;43:61)
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Shahid : A witness on Judgement day ( Al-Nesa 4:159)
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Mathal : A Parable or example (Al-Zukhruf 43:57)
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IIm : Knowledge of the hour (Al-Zukhruf 43:61)
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Hikmah : Bearer of wisdom ( Al-Zukhruf 43:63)
No other prophets (among the One lakh twenty six thousand) in all the Quran is described so profoundly as Jesus Christ. All the other prophets including Mohammed may have one or the few titles mentioned above but only Jesus Christ is bestowed with All the superlative titles and claims. Not only that, the Quran tells of Jesus Christ performing the supernatural miracles which only God could do and he is the only one who is going to return back for the day of Judgment. As per Quran, only Jesus was born in a strange and mysterious way (virgin birth), where God intervened in the natural and biological process already set in motion to bring forth Jesus Christ into this world. Further, we notice there are two glorious titles or nature of Jesus that must be highlighted as mentioned in the Quran, which has also puzzled many scholars of Islam. This is because only Jesus is assigned with such a nature : Jesus is called as Kalimatuhu or The word of God (Ali Imran 3:45 ) and Ruhuminhu or The spirit of Allah (Al Nesa 4:171 ) Though the Quran describes Jesus as a prophet, it seems to move further, to describe him in such a way , as to picturise him more than a prophet. Therefore it must not surprise my muslim friends to raise objections if the bible has already called him (before Quran) more than a prophet to be the Son of God. The puzling questions to many could be: “ How can Jesus be portrayed both as a prophet and more than a prophet?” The Holy Bible rescues us from the logical fallout from this two edged question. As per the Bible, God in his soverignity plans to step into this world by adding upon himself the human likeness with a mission to provide salvation for all mankind. Now, if God comes into this world in human form, then, it is reasonable to think and believe that he would posses both the nature in one person viz; the Divine and Human. This theological term is called as “hypostatic union”: The union of both the human and divine nature in one person. That is why we find, Jesus in his human nature displays or expresses human attributes like praying, sleeping, weeping ,eating etc while in his divine nature he claims and demonstrates divine attributes like forgiving sins , accepting worship, claims of granting eternal life in heaven and paradise , raising people from dead , calls himself as Son of God, claims to be first and last, beginning and the end, messiah ,savior of world etc . Lets list some of the claims made by Jesus about himself as recorded by his disciples. Jesus claimed himself to be
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God (John 14:9 ; 10:31-33 ; 5:18)
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Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)
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Before Abraham I AM ( John 8:58)
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Giver of eternal life (John 10:28)
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Giver of the holy spirit of God ( John 20:22 ; 14:15)
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Giver of peace ( John 14:27)
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Knower of all things ( John 21:17)
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Omnipresent ( Matthew 28:20)
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Before all things ( John 17 : 5, 24)
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Forgiver of sins (Mark 2:3-12 ; Luke 7:48 ,49 )
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Sacrifice for sins (Matthew 26:28 ; Mark 10:45)
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Came down from heaven ( John 3:13)
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Resurrection and life (John 11:25)
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Way ,truth and Life (John 14:6)
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Dead and Alive forever (Revelation 1:17-18)
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One and Only Son of God (John 3:16)
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First and Last ( Revelation 1:17)
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Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)
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Light of the world (John 8:12)
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Savior of the world (John 4:42)
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Good shepherd (John 10:11)
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Authority of heaven and earth (Matthew 28: 18,20)
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Son of Man of Daniel 7:12-13 (Matthew 26:64 & Mark 14:62.)
A prophet cannot clai
m such divine titles as mentioned above unless he is really what he claims to be or else he could be declared as insane or a deceiver. Let me close with Jesus pointed and personal question, which could be posed to us even today: "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:29). Make your decision now.
Contact the author at: glow_isa@hotmail.com
{moscomment}
An excellent write-up! Keep up the good work.
I am in agreement with everything, only wishing you God’s blessings as you continue to minister to the majority group.
Very well written. It would be helpful if this material is published in a Tract form. Apart from compelling to make a decision as far as the seekers go, the write up would also bring the non seeker to start in the right direction as far as salvation is concerned.
Prayers and regards,
JESUS is Lord and saviour of man kind .He alone is our strength against evil He is life and ressuraction.luke 10:19
THANKS FOR TEACHING US PASTOR
Someone has taken this article and its on debate on other sites with muslims.those who wish to see or participate can visit the link provided below.thankyou
http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/islam/TRPLPRTIAU9N4DBD3
also at:
http://www.islamicboard.com/refutations/52127-who-jesus-prophet-more.html
:zzz :zzz
Very well written! Simple, straight to the point and most importantly true.
1. Jesus PBUH is “a word from Allah” and anot “the word of Allah”. Quran mentions in Sura Al-e-Imran-3:45, “Behold! The angels said : O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus. The son of Mary held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those Nearest to Allah. Jesus PBUH is referred in the Quran as “A” word from Allah and not as “The ” word of Allah. “A word” of Allah means a message of Allah. If a person is referred to as “a word” from Allah, it means that he is a messenger of Allah.
2. The title of a Prophet does not mean that it exclusively belongs to that prophet. Different titles are given to different prophets. Whenever a title is given to a Prophet, it does not necessarily mean that the other prophets do not have the same characteristic or quality. For example, Prophet Abraham PBUH is referred to in the Quran as Khaleelullah, a friend of Allah. This does not indicate that all the other prophets were not the friends of Allah. Prophet Moses PBUH is referred to in the Quran as Kaleemullah indicating that God spoke to him, this does not mean that God did not speak to others. Similarly Jesus PBUH is referred to in the Quran as Kalimatullah “a word from Allah”, it does not mean that other prophets were not “the word” of Allah.
3. Jesus PBUH referred as ruhullah-a spirit of Allah: Jesus Pbuh is never referred as spirit of Allah, but as a spirit from Allah in Sura Nisa-4:171: “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Jesus Christ, the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, And His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not TRINITY: deisit: it will be better for you: for Allah is One God:glory be to Him:(Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth; And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.
4. Spirity of Allah is breathed in every human being: A spirit from Allah does not indicate that Jesus PBUH is God. The Quran mentions in several places that Allah breathed into the human beings “His Spirity” in Sura Hijr-15:29-“When i have fashioned him in due proportion and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto Him.” And in Sura Sajda-32:9: “But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirity. And He gave you the faculties of hearing, and sight and feeling and understanding: little thanks do ye give!”
Thanks younus for responding.I am not trying to establish Jesus deity from the Quran but pointing to some very unique features (in Quran) that implies that Jesus is not just a prophet but forces us to think that he is more than that.
Jesus deity is established only in the holy Bible where it completly unveils his divine nature.The Quran, later, only seems to highlight bits and pieces of his unique life though not in a complete agreement with the Bible.
What forces me to think that Jesus is more than a prophet while reading some of Jesus life in Quran? lets take a look:
1.Kalimat-minhu/God’s word:
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the Son of Mary was a messenger of Allah, and His Word (Kalimatuhu…(Sura 4:171)
The word “kalimatuhu” is God’s personal word which exists from eternity and is uncreated. Being eternal would also imply that Jesus is both distinct from God,eternally inseperable from God and thus God by nature.
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God”(John 1:1)
THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO IS CALLED AS GOD’S WORD(KALIMAT-MINHU) WHO ETERNALLY EXIST AS A PERSON WITH GOD IN BOTH THE QURAN AND THE BIBLE AND THAT IS JESUS CHRIST. 🙂
to be cont….
Younus, we look to the second part of your comment of Jesus being called “Ruhun-Minhu” or God’s spirit.The title “Spirit of God” however, carries with it divine implications. In Surah 4.171, ruhun minhu, appears in exactly the same form in Surah 58.22 where we read that God strengthens true believers with “a spirit from him” uncreated and eternal in essence. this is the very title that the Qur’an gives to Jesus in Surah 4.171.If we apply them together,we come to the only conclusion that Jesus is the “divine spirit proceeding from him.
Secondly,the Quran states that Jesus came forth through VIRGIN maryam when God HIMSELF breathe unto her of HIS SPIRIT without human intervention.why should God intervene in this unique way only for Jesus (not for anyone else) when the creation was already complete and the natural order was already in process?
She said, ‘How shall I have a son and no man has touched me, neither have I been unchaste” (Suras Maryam 19:20; Al ‘Imran 3:47).
“And (remember) her who guarded her chastity; We breathed into her of our Spirit, and We made her and her son a Sign for all peoples.” (Sura 21:91)
“And Mary daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of our Spirit; and she testified to the truths of the words of her Lord and of His revelations, and was one of the devout (servants).(Sura. 66:12)
It was impossible for a virgin to conceive a son without being touched by a man.we all agree to this fact that Jesus christ came forth NOT through physical contact but through the spirit of God which(who) is eternal,uncreated and inseperable yet distinct.
Jesus said “the spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6)
Therefore it make sense that Jesus is the only one in the bible and the Quran who is the uncreated,eternal,inseperable and distinct spirit of God (Ruhun-minhu).This two titles God’s word and God’s spirit carries divine status and uniqueness( the “God-factor”) and applied to only Jesus christ in the Bible and the Quran.Whereas, the other titles carried by all the other prophets are typical and common in status and can be applied ordinary human beings.
May the lord bless you.
The article is really awesome.Please send more information more briefly so that we might show the truth to our muslim friends. 🙂
Lord Jesus said to philip that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. we all know who the Father is in this context but the Almighty GOD. Lord Jesus said I and MY Father are one.
He was crucified for claiming to be the Son of God and He did not deny the claims. Jews who call themselves the children og God would not kill another jew for such a claim. therefore it is important that we understand that calling oneself the Son of God meant what in the Jewish context. He was claiming equality with God.
so we come to only this conclusion that either He was a pretender, a liar, a hypocrite or He was speaking the truth. that would mean He is God. 🙂