Jesus in Islam
Along with Christians, Jesus (peace be upon him) is cherished and revered by 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. It might be surprising for some, that Muslims believe in all of the prophets sent by God without any distinction. Even more surprising is the fact that Jesus (peace be upon him) has been mentioned in The Holy Qur’an by name more than Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In fact an entire chapter (19) of The Holy Qur’an is named after the mother of Jesus (peace be upon him) Mary, known as Maryam in The Qur’an. The Islamic scripture confirms the virgin birth of prophet Jesus as it states: When the angels said, “O Mary, God gives thee glad tidings of a word from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honored in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God” (3:46). However, Islam does not interpret the immaculate conception of Jesus (peace be upon him) in the sense that he was a divine being. He was like all other prophets who were referred to as sons of God; this term was employed metaphorically and was used for all the chosen ones of God (Matt 5:9, Exodus 4:22).
The Holy Qur’an mentions Jesus’ birth during the season when palm trees grew in abundance and were full of ripe dates. In Bethlehem this is the season of mid to late summer; by any stretch of imagination, his birth month does not fall in December. In regard to birthdays, it is noteworthy that none of the disciples of Jesus (peace be upon him) celebrated his birthday during his lifetime or after he passed away. Similarly, Muslims don’t engage in worldly hullabaloo to celebrate birthdays of prophets. Instead, we commemorate the lives and accomplishments of prophets by reliving their legacies, by carrying out their good deeds, piety and righteousness. This type of celebration knows no bounds or limits.
In short, Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) was a pious and humble servant of God; a Messiah who taught peace, love and harmony to his followers. He prayed to God and engaged in spiritual exercises (Luke 5:16, Matt 4:2). Restoring these values and following in his footsteps would be a great gift for people of all faiths.
