Jesus And Virgin Mary In The Qur’an

The Qur’an is a source of knowledge about the Prophet Jesus and his mother Virgin Mary, peace be upon them, which is not generally known to those who follow the Christian faith. The Qur’an not only leads us to a better understanding of who he was, but also it increases our respect and love for him. The Qur’an was revealed 600 years after Jesus’ birth. It provides a great perspective,

“Say: We believe in God and what is revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and what was entrusted to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have surrendered.” (Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:84)

All the Prophets were well aware that they were sent by God Almighty, for the same purpose and with the same message:

“And when We exacted a covenant from the Prophets, and from you (Muhammad), and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary. We took from them a solemn covenant; that He may ask the loyal of their loyalty. And He has prepared a painful doom for the unfaithful.” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:7-8)

 “…messengers We have mentioned to you before and messengers We have not mentioned to you…” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:164)

“He has ordained for you that religion which He commanded to Noah, and that which We inspired in you (Muhammad), and that which We commanded to Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion and do not be divided in it!” (Surah Ash-Shurah, 42:13)

Thus, the picture of Jesus in the Qur’an is that of a messenger who, like all the other messengers, was sent to the people of his time in fulfillment of God’s comprehensive and universal plan:

“And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming what was before him, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and light, confirming that which was before it in the Torah – a guidance and a warning to those who are careful.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:46)

Jesus had knowledge of the past and the future:

“Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel! See, I am the messenger of God to you, confirming what was before me in the Torah, and bringing good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad (the Praised One)…” (Surah As-Saff, 61:6)

“With those who bow (in worship). This is of the news of things hidden. We reveal it to you (Muhammad). You were not present with them when they cast their lots, to decide which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor were you present with them when they disputed it. And when the angels said: O Mary! God gives you good news of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, exalted in the world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God). He will speak to mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has touched me? He said: It is so. God creates what He will. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only: Be! And it is.

And He will teach him the Book and the wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. And He will make him a messenger to the Children of Israel, saying: I come to you with a sign from your Lord. See! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by God’s will. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by God’s will. And I announce to you what you eat and what you store up in your houses. Here truly is a sign for you, if you are believers. And I confirm what was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of what was forbidden to you. I come to you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path.

But when Jesus became conscious of their disbelief, he cried: Who will be my helpers in the cause of God? The disciples said: We will be God’s helpers. We believe in God, and bear you witness that we have submitted. Our Lord! We believe in what You have revealed and we follow him whom You have sent. Enroll us among those who bear witness.” (Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:44-53)

An account of the birth of Jesus in the Chapter of the Qur’an titled “Maryam” (Mary):

“And make mention of Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her people to a chamber looking East, and secluded herself from Jesus’ disciples are mentioned in the Qur’an as follows: “O you who believe! Be God’s helpers, even as Jesus, son of Mary, said to the disciples: Who are my helpers for God? They said: We are God’s helpers. And a party of the Children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved….” (Surah As-Saff, 61:14)

Qur’anic description of “The Last Supper.”

“And when I inspired the disciples: Believe in Me and My messenger, they said: We believe. Bear witness that we have submitted. When the disciples said: O Jesus, son of Mary! Is your Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven? He said: Observe your duty to God, if you are true believers. (They) said: We wish to eat from it, that we may satisfy our hearts and know that you have spoken the truth to us, and that we may be witnesses to this. Jesus, son of Mary, said: O God, our Lord, send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for us, for the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from You. Give us sustenance, for You are the Best of Sustainers. God said: See! I send it down. And whoever disbelieves in you afterwards, him I shall surely punish with a punishment with which I have not punished any of (My) creation.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:111-115)

Jesus, a servant of God:

“And when the son of Mary is quoted as an example, behold! The folk laugh out loud, and say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection but for argument’s sake. No! But they are a contentious people. He is nothing but a servant on whom we bestowed favor, and we made him a pattern for the Children of Israel.” (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:57-59)

“…and we caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow, and gave him the Gospel, and placed compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. But they invented monasticism - which We did not ordain for them - seeking only God’s pleasure, but they did not for those who disbelieve, I shall chastise them with a heavy chastisement in the world and the hereafter; and they will have no helpers. And as for those who believe and do good works, He will pay them their wages in full. God loves not the wrong-doers. This We recite to you is a revelation and a wise reminder. The likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then He said to him: Be! And he was.” (Surah Al-‘Imran, 3:55-59)

“And they say: The Beneficent has taken unto Himself a son. Certainly you utter a disastrous thing, whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split open and the mountains fall in ruins, that you ascribe to the Beneficent a son! When it is not fitting for the Beneficent that He should take a son. There is no one in the heavens and the earth but that he comes to the Beneficent as a servant.” (Surah Maryam, 19:88-93)

“And they say: God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! No! But whatever is in the heavens and earth is His. All are subservient to Him, the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He says to it only: Be! And it Is.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:116-117)

The Qur’an further rejects that Jesus was “divine” or “God incarnate”:

“They indeed have disbelieved who say: God is the Messiah, son of Mary. Say: Who then can do anything against God, if He willed to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on the earth? To God is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He will. And God is able to do all things.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:17)

The scenario on the Day of Judgment regarding Jesus’ teachings is foretold:

“And when God says: O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods besides God? He there is no god save the One God. If they desist not from saying it, a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. Will they not rather turn to God and seek forgiveness of Him? For God is Forgiving, Merciful. The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; messengers had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. But they both used to eat food. See how We make the revelation clear for the people, and see how they are turned away!” (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:73-75)

The Qur’an rejects the doctrine of the crucifixion of Jesus, but affirms his ascension to God:

“And because of their saying: We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, God’s messenger - they did not kill him or crucify him, but so it was made to appear to them; and look! Those who disagree concerning it are in doubt about it; they have no knowledge of it except pursuit of a conjecture; they did not kill him surely; but God took him up to Himself. God was ever Mighty, Wise”. (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:157-158)

The above is a partial listing of verses in the Qur’an about Prophet Jesus, son of Virgin Mary.