The Qur’an tells us many wonderful things about Jesus. In fact, the Qur’an clearly commands Muslims to love and believe in Jesus as a mighty Messenger of God. As a result, believers in the Qur’an do love Jesus, honour him and believe in him and his true message. In fact, no Muslim can be a Muslim unless he or she believes in the Prophethood of Jesus, on whom be peace.
The Qur’an says that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he spoke while he was still only a baby, that he healed the blind and the leper by God’s leave and that he raised the dead by God’s leave. However, Jesus is not God and does not claim to be God. What then, asks the Christian, is the significance of these miracles?
So Why Do Muslims Say That Jesus Is Not God?
Muslims and Christians both acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah. However, the understanding of the Messiah in Islam is different from how Christians ascribe Godhood to the title. Muslims acknowledge that he is created with a Word (command) from God, and a spirit preceding from Him. He is honoured in this world and in the hereafter, and he is one of those brought nearest to God. So why do Muslims differ from Christians and say that Jesus is not God?
Here are the 5 major points on why Muslims say that Jesus is not God:
The Virgin Birth
First, the virgin birth. God demonstrates His power to create in every way. God created everyone we know from a man and a woman. But how about Adam, on whom be peace? God created him from neither a man nor a woman. And Eve from only a man, without a woman. And finally, to complete the picture, God created Jesus from a woman, without a man.
Nothing By His Own Authority
Secondly, Jesus himself admits that his knowledge is limited and that he could not do anything by his own authority. But what about the miracles he performed, asks the Christian? These miracles were to show that Jesus was not acting on his own behalf, but that he was backed by God Almighty. The Qur’an specifies that these miracles were performed by God’s leave. This may be compared to Acts 2:22, where it says that the miracles were done by God to show that He approved of Jesus.
Also, note that Jesus himself is recorded in the Gospel of John to have said: “I can do nothing of my own authority” (Jn. 5:30). The miracles, therefore, were done not by his own authority, but by God’s authority.
Taught Worship To The One True God
What did Jesus teach? The Qur’an tells us that Jesus came to teach the same basic message which was taught by previous prophets from God – that we must shun every false god and worship only the One True God. Jesus taught that he is the servant and messenger of the One True God, the God of Abraham.
These Quranic teachings can be compared with the Bible (Mk. 10:18; Mt. 26:39; Jn. 14:28, 17:3, and 20:17) where Jesus taught that the One he worshipped is the Only True God. See also Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, and 4:27 where we find that his disciples knew him as a “Servant of God”.
Spoke What He Heard From God
In the Bible, particularly in the Gospel of John, there are passages where Jesus states that his teachings are not his own, but those of the Father who sent him (John 7:16). This mirrors the Islamic view of Jesus as a messenger delivering God’s teachings to humanity.
In the Bible, Jesus is also quoted as saying, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14:28), which aligns with the Islamic belief that, while Jesus was a revered prophet, he was not divine himself. Even the miracles performed by Jesus, which are recorded in both the Bible and the Qur’an, are attributed to God’s authority and permission, further supporting the view of Jesus as a conduit of divine will, rather than a divine being himself.
His Enemies Failed To Kill Him
The Qur’an also tells us that some of the Israelites rejected Jesus, and conspired to kill him, but God rescued Jesus and raised him to Himself. God will cause Jesus to descend again, at which time Jesus will confirm his true teachings and everyone will believe in him as he is and as the Quran teaches about him.
Jesus was a man who spoke the truth which he heard from God. This can be compared with the Gospel of John, where Jesus says to the Israelites: “You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God” (Jn. 8:40).
The Bottom Line
Muslims’ belief in Jesus’ non-divinity hinges on several elements found both in the Qur’an and the Bible. The miraculous virgin birth of Jesus, while a testament to divine intervention, is seen by Muslims as an illustration of God’s unmatched power to create rather than a signal of Jesus’ divine nature. This perspective encompasses the belief that God can and has created life in different ways, underscoring His omniscience and omnipotence.
Jesus’ miracles, as well as his own admission of limited knowledge, are viewed as acts performed with God’s permission rather than by his own authority. This aligns Jesus with the Islamic concept of prophethood, where prophets are divinely chosen humans entrusted to guide people by God’s will and not divine entities themselves.
The teachings of Jesus, according to both the Qur’an and the Bible, centre around the worship of the One True God, a theme consistent with the messages delivered by previous prophets. This consistency solidifies Jesus’ position as a prophet in Islam, while not elevating him to divine status.
The divine intervention to save Jesus from death at the hands of his enemies is interpreted as an act of divine protection. The subsequent raising of Jesus serves to further highlight God’s power and His ability to protect His chosen messengers, which does not inherently indicate Jesus’ divinity.
In essence, the perception of Jesus in Islam as a man who faithfully communicated the truth from God further underscores his role as a messenger, a human conduit for the divine word, as opposed to being a divine entity. This is in line with the Islamic view of prophethood, which recognizes the prophets, including Jesus, as exceptional humans chosen for divine revelation but not divine beings themselves.
Thus, while Muslims and Christians both revere Jesus, the interpretation of his nature and his role in their respective faiths is markedly different. Despite these differences, Jesus remains a significant figure in both religions, offering a potential ground for interfaith understanding and dialogue.
