Islam honors all the prophets who were sent to mankind. Muslims
respect all prophets in general, but Jesus in particular, because
he was one of the prophets who foretold the coming of Muhammad.
Muslims, too, await the second coming of Jesus. They consider
him one of the greatest of Allah's prophets to mankind. A Muslim
does not refer to him simply as "Jesus," but normally
adds the phrase "peace be upon him" as a sign of respect.
No other religion in the world respects and dignifies Jesus
as Islam does.
The Qur'an confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur'an
is entitled "Mary"), and Mary is considered to have
been one of the purest women in all creation. The Qur'an describes
Jesus' birth as follows:
"Behold!' the Angel said, God has chosen you, and purified
you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. Mary,
God gives you good news of a word from Him, whose name shall
be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and
in the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He
shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity,
and he shall be of the righteous. She said: "My
Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?'
He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He
decrees a thing, He says to it, 'Be!' and it is." Quran
[Surah 3: verse 42-47]
Muslims believe that Jesus was born immaculately, and through
the same power which had brought Eve to life and Adam into
being without a father or a mother. "Truly,
the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.
He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he
was." Quran [Surah 3: verse
59]
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles.
The Qur'an tells us that he said: "I
have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you
out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe
into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the
blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave."
Quran [ Surah 3: verse 49]
Muhammad and Jesus, as well as the other prophets, were sent
to confirm the belief in one God. This is referred to in the
Qur'an where Jesus is reported as saying that he came:
"To attest the law which was before
me, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you;
I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God
and obey me." Quran [Surah
3: verse 50]
Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Jesus by saying:
“"Whoever believes
there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, that Muhammad
is His messenger, that Jesus is a servant and messenger of
God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from
Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received
by God into Heaven."” [Bukhari]
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