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Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him). They consider him one of the greatest of God's messengers to mankind. The Quran confirms his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled 'Maryam' (Mary). The Quran describes the birth of Jesus as follows: { (Remember) when the angels said,
"O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him (God),
whose name is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, revered in this world
and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God).
He will speak to the people from his cradle and as a man, and he
is of the righteous." She said, "My Lord, how can I have a child
when no mortal has touched me?" He said, "So (it will be). God creates
what He wills. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only, 'Be!'
and it is." } (Quran, 3:45-47)
Jesus was born miraculously by the command
of God which had brought Adam into being without a father. God has said:
{The case of Jesus with God is like the
case of Adam. He created him from dust, and then He said to him,
"Be!" and he came into being. } (Quran, 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles.
God tells us that Jesus said:
{ "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make
for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes
a bird by God's permission. I heal the blind from birth and the leper.
And I bring the dead to life by God's permission. And I tell you what you
eat and what you store in your houses...... } (Quran, 3:49)
Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the
plan of Jesus' enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him
up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man. Jesus' enemies
took. this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus. God has said:
{ ... They said, "We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of
Mary, the messenger of God." They did not kill him, nor did they crucify
him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that
man)... } (Quran, 4:157)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine
of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but rather to confirm
and renew it.
Muslims also believe that God revealed a holy book to Jesus
called the Injeel, some parts of which may be still available in
the teachings of God to Jesus in the New Testament. But this does not mean
that Muslims believe in the Bible we have today because it is not the original
scriptures that were revealed by God. They underwent alterations, additions,
and omissions. This was also said by the Committee charged with revising
The
Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version). This Committee consisted
of thirty-two scholars who served as members of the Committee. They secured
the review and counsel of an Advisory Board of fifty representatives of
the co-operating denominations. The Committee said in the Preface toThe
Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version), p. iv, "Sometimes it is evident
that the text has suffered in transmission, but none of the versions provides
a satisfactory restoration. Here we can only follow the best judgment of
competent scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original
text." The Committee also said in the Preface, p. vii, "Notes are added
which indicate significant variations, additions, or omissions in the ancient
authorities (Mt 9.34; Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 5 1, etc.)."
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