«…whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus,the son of Mary; distinguished in this world and the Hereafter.» (Surah Aali ‘Imraan, 3:45
If
the largest and most successful American and European public relations
companies convened, cooperating closely, dedicating themselves and
utilizing all their human, technical, and material resources to outline a
profile of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and offer the most
attractive picture of him to mankind, what would the world community say
about such an undertaking? How would it describe this endeavor?
Undoubtedly, it would describe it as a refined, unbiased effort, and as
devotion to the revered Messiah. Many other positive and fitting
adjectives could be used for it. 
If this should be an imaginary proposal, then there is an actual accomplishment that surpasses it by innumerable
degrees in relation to the magnitude of its presentation, depth of its content, sincerity of its style, intimacy
of its description and length of its duration.
That
religious, historical, humanitarian, and ethical reality is that
Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) presented his
brother, the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, to the world community in a
most superb image.
That profile and presentation was not a political campaign subject to the drawbacks and inadequacies that
characterize such efforts. In presenting his noble brother, the Prophet of Islam followed a method that is
not subject to shortcomings and failings. That method is through the Qur’anic text, which contains
no falsehood and has been unaltered with time, and teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him),
who did not speak of his own accord. The duration of this presentation is not limited to a week, month or
years
time; rather it extends from the time of its revelation to Prophet
Muhammad in the sixth century until the Day of Resurrection. The
presentation of the Messiah is not through an obsolete text, or an
outdated document preserved in a library or a museum. It is through the
living Qur’an, which is recited in prayers, taught at schools and
universities, and heard on radio and television day and night.
It
is the right of every intelligent reader and researcher to ask
intelligently, objectively and seriously about any statement that could
be seen as a mere claim, «What is the evidence and proof supporting it?»
The answer is as follows:
First, there is presentation and introduction of the Messiah in the Qur’an:
Presentation
of the miracle of his birth: «Then she brought him to her people,
carrying him. They said, O Mary, you have certainly done a thing
unprecedented. O sister [i.e., descendant] of Aaron, your father was not
a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste. So she pointed to him.
They said, How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child? [Jesus]
said, Indeed, I am the servant of God. He has given me the Scripture
and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has
enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I remain alive and [made
me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And
peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.» (Surah Maryam, 19:27-33)
Presentation of his beautiful character:
«[And
mention] when the angels said, «O Mary, indeed God gives you good
tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the
son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among
those brought near [to God].» (Surah Aali ‘Imraan, 3:45)
Presentation of the miraculous nature of his prophethood and mission: «God
will say, O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon
your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit [i.e., the angel
Gabriel] and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity. And
[remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the
Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a
bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird
with My permission; and you healed the blind [from birth] and the leper
with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My
permission.» (Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:110)
Presentation of the fact that Gospel revealed to him: «And
We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary,
confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the
Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which
preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous.»
(Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:46)
Presentation of his approach and message, which ordered the worship of God alone: «I said not to them except what You commanded me – to worship God, my Lord and your Lord.» (Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:117) This approach also taught people wisdom and pointed out to them the standard for settling differences: «And
when Jesus brought clear proofs, he said, I have come to you with
wisdom [i.e., prophethood] and to make clear to you some of that over
which you differ.» (Surah az-Zukhruf, 43:63)
And
there is proof of it from the Prophet,s sunnah (his sayings and
teachings). Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«While
I was asleep, I was circumambulating the Ka‘bah and there came a brown
man with straight hair, between two men against whom he leaned, with
water dripping from his head. I said, Who is that? I was told, He is the
son of Mary.»
Prophet
Muhammad also described his brother, Jesus, son of Mary, as «of medium
height and ruddy as if he has just come out of a bath,» which implies
purity, brightness, and radiance.
Prophet
Muhammad also said, «I am nearest to the son of Mary in this world and
the Hereafter. There is no other prophet between him and me. Prophets
are brothers from their father,s side, having various mothers; and our
religion is one.»
He
also said, «Whoever testifies that there is no deity other than God,
alone with no partner, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, that
Jesus is God,s servant and messenger and His word which He bestowed upon
Mary and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise is true and Hell is true –
God shall admit him into Paradise according to his deeds.» An-Nawawi, a
well known Islamic scholar, commented on this narration, saying, «This
is a statement of great significance; it is among the most comprehensive
ones about belief.»
Second, there
is presentation in the Qur,an of the disciples and followers of the
Messiah in an image of utmost grace, perfection and spiritual
refinement, for the presentation of the Messiah included the
presentation of his noble and righteous disciples:
«But
when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, Who are
my supporters for [the cause of] God? The disciples said, We are
supporters for God. We have believed in God and testify that we are
Muslims [submitting to Him]. Our Lord, we have believed in what You
revealed and have followed the messenger [i.e., Jesus], so register us
among the witnesses [to truth].» (Surah Aali ‘Imraan, 3:52-53)
«O
you who have believed, be supporters of God, as when Jesus, the son of
Mary, said to the disciples, Who are my supporters for God? The
disciples said, We are supporters of God.» (Surah as-Saff, 61:14) In
this verse Muslims are invited to follow the example of the disciples
in supporting the prophets and upholding the way of truth.
Similarly, the disciples receive God,s praise in the Qur’an because they followed Christ in all sincerity: «Then
We sent following their footsteps Our messengers and followed [them]
with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel. And We placed in
the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy...» (Surah al-Hadeed, 57:27)
Something
closely connected to the above and part and parcel of it is the
Qur’an,s defense of the righteous Christians who clung to their faith
and were exposed to great harm but remained steadfast in their religion.
Among
them are the young men of the cave, after whom a chapter of the Qur’an
is named. These were upright Christian young men pursuing a sound
course. The Qur’an praises and commemorates them: «Or have you thought
that the companions of the cave and the inscription were, among Our
signs, a wonder? [Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and
said, Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our
affair right guidance. So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears
within the cave for a number of years. Then We awakened them that We
might show which of the two factions was most precise in calculating
what [extent] they had remained in time. It is We who relate to you, [O
Muhammad], their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed
in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.» (Surah al-Kahf, 18:9-13)
And
among them were are those burned in the trench, also a group of
Christians. The Qur’an commemorates them while condemning and denouncing
their persecutors: «Destroyed [i.e., cursed] were the companions of the
trench [containing] the fire full of fuel, when they were sitting near
it and they, to what they were doing against the
believers, were witnesses. And they resented them not except because
they believed in God, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy, to whom
belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And God, over all
things, is Witness. Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men
and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment
of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire.»
(Surah al-Buruj, 84:4-10)
In
summary, we can say that evidence recurs and each proof supports the
other in confirming that Islam presents Christ (peace be upon him), his
Gospel, his method, his mission and his disciples in a perfect and most
sublime image. It also defends the persecuted Christian believers in a
manner that shows love for them and abhorrence for their tyrannical
oppressors. I am pleased to offer these statements, supported by
evidences, as a gift to the Christians of the world.
If
there is a conclusion or statement to be added, it is this: How can
Islam be condemned when it offers such a splendid portrayal of Christ?
How can light be blamed for being light? Why should the presenting of
Christ as sublime and dignified become a pretext to discredit Prophet
Muhammad and his religion?
We
believe in Christ as a prophet and a messenger of God. We love and
esteem him, and we follow the light he brought. If others do not believe
in our prophet – belief being a matter of free choice – let them at
least respect him. Such respect is not only morally praiseworthy, but
would also demonstrate a sensible attitude, for reasonable people
appreciate and respect those who respect the ones they love and believe
in.
Now
as in the past, the intolerance of Muslims and Christians and exchanges
of insults between them appears absurd. It can only be instigated by
small minded people when viewed in light of the sound, sincere and
honorable relationship between the two great men: Muhammad and Jesus
Christ.
Do
the Christians of the world know that belief in the Messiah, Jesus, the
son of Mary, as a prophet and messenger is one of the basic elements of
belief for every Muslim? It is even a condition for the soundness of
every Muslim,s belief in Prophet Muhammad in the sense that a Muslim,s
belief in Prophet Muhammad is unacceptable and rejected unless it is
combined with belief that Jesus, the son of Mary, was a prophet and
messenger.
Do the Christians of the world know this fact?
Some
of them do, particularly Christians of the Arab world who speak Arabic,
for their knowledge of the language allows them, for example, to
consider this Qur’anic verse:
«Say,
[O believers], We have believed in God and what has been revealed to us
and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob
and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was
given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between
any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.» (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:136)
Some
Christians know this fact, but the majority do not. It is most likely
that, together with other factors, their lack of knowledge of this fact
has caused a great deal of misunderstanding in the way they have
responded to Islam.
However, he who does not know cannot be an authority over people who do know; rather, the opposite should be true.
Moreover,
it is an obligation at all times to state openly that a Muslim,s belief
is unacceptable unless he believes in the prophethood and mission of
Jesus, the son of Mary. It is not permissible to withhold this
acknowledgment just because of some people,s hostility to Prophet
Muhammad. In this context a question might be raised: Why should Muslims
not resort to the same tactics as the people who disparage the status
of Prophet Muhammad and curse and slander him? The same tactics, of
course, means disparaging, cursing, and slandering Jesus, son of Mary.
But this is regarded in Islamic law as disbelief. Such an act would cast
the offender out of the religion of Islam. For Muslim believers there
is no difference between insulting or ridiculing Christ and insulting or
ridiculing Muhammad. None would differentiate between them except a
disbeliever in all the prophets and messengers. In fact, he would not be
a true believer in God. The Qur,an says: «Indeed, those who disbelieve
in God and His messengers and wish to discriminate between God and His
messengers and say, We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and
wish to adopt a way in between – those are the disbelievers, truly. And
We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. But they
who believe in God and His messengers and do not discriminate between
any of them – to those He is going to give their rewards. And ever is
God Forgiving and Merciful.» (Surah an-Nisaa’, 4:150-152)
The
essence of the above statements is that religious acceptance of all
prophets without any discrimination between them is the basis of moral
tolerance. The extent to which the mind, heart, and soul of an
individual or a nation is broad enough in capacity to accept the whole
truth is an indication of the extent of one,s tolerance.
But
individuals and nations continue to exchange accusations against one
another, each claiming to be tolerant and accusing others of partiality.
In most cases when doing so, both sides are merely following their own
whims and inclinations due to lack of a sound criterion by which to
judge, one which would put a stop to such arguments and injustices. But
what is the true criterion?
The
best and most precise criterion that can be put on the scales of
justice to measure the honesty of people, the correctness of their
ideology, the soundness of their thought and the superiority of their
moral standards is the extent to which their minds, hearts, and souls
accept the whole truth and revere and love upholders of truth at every
time and place.
Only
by this criterion can a person be described as tolerant and another as
biased. A person who is broad minded enough to accommodate the whole
truth, unaffected by a tendency to be selective, and who acknowledges
bearers of truth, regardless of when or where they might appear, is a
truly tolerant person. And needless to say, one who is unable to do so
will be intolerant. That is why it is one of the aims and tenets of
Islam that Muslims are obliged to accept in their hearts, minds and
souls the whole truth at all times and places. «[God]
has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that
which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon
Abraham and Moses and Jesus – to establish the religion and not be
divided therein.» (Surah ash-Shuraa, 42:13)
Those
five great men, the true leaders of enlightened human thought, who are
addressed and mentioned in this verse, are the messengers of resolute
purpose. They belong to different places and times as regards birth,
residence, circumstances and missions, and they cover the long span of
human history from Noah through Abraham, Moses and Jesus up to the time
of Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
In
spite of the diversity of locations and long intervals of time between
them, the truth they preached and advocated is the same truth as is
vividly expressed in the verse above. Thus, what can be called the «line
of truth» is a permanent one, continuously extending into every time
and place.
Genuine
affiliation is attachment to truth and righteousness and to those who
possess them. (This, however, does not imply disregard of the importance
of lineage or of belonging to a homeland, for in Islam there is no
conflict between these affiliations.) We have not ourselves seen
Prophets Idrees, Noah, Moses, Jesus, his disciples or Elisha, but we
love and revere them all. Why? Because they were good, righteous people
and they had noble souls and high moral standards; and also because the
truth and principles they upheld are worthy of being adhered to, and
make it commendable to be associated with those great men.
The
beloved Jesus is a revered prophet and messenger. Islam, both in its
divine scripture and its prophetic teachings, praises, venerates and
exalts the position of Jesus. Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, presented
Jesus to the human community in a most affectionate, dignified, generous
and exceptional way.
This
is the great rank of the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, as stated in the
Qur,an and in Prophet Muhammad ,s sunnah. In Islam, respect for him is
one of the basic elements of the creed.
We
testify that we believe in the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, as a
prophet and messenger. We also testify that we love him because he is
loved and was chosen by God, because he embodied mercy, peace and love.
He was blessed, dutiful to his mother and a sign for the people of all
times (peace be upon him).
Jesus
preached many values, precepts, concepts, and moral principles. He
persevered in his preaching to make sure these moral values would flow
naturally into man ,s consciousness and become an inalienable part of
his conscience and the life of his society. Some examples of these
values may be cited:
Mercy, which is the first and noblest characteristic of Christ,s personality and of his message, as stated in the Qur,an: «We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.» (Surah Maryam, 19:21) This
characteristic was instinctively very clear in his mind, and therefore
he denied the existence of any vestige of haughtiness or arrogance, the
opposite of mercy, in his own nature: «And [God made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant.» (Surah Maryam, 19:32) He is quoted in the Bible as saying, «Blessed
be the meek and merciful. Come to me all you who are tired and burdened
and you will find comfort, because my yoke is gentle and my burden is
light.»
Peace,
of which Jesus, the Messiah, was without doubt, an advocate. This is
not strange, for there was peace upon him from his birth to his
resurrection, as stated in the Qur’an: «And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.» (Surah Maryam, 19:33)
Correct belief, as he said: «O
Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord. Indeed, he who
associates others with God – God has forbidden him Paradise, and his
refuge is the Fire.» (Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:72).
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