The Quran Highlights of Jesus’ Life Essay

Introduction

Muslims believe in the existence of Jesus, and the Quran has an extensive account of his life. The Quran highlights Jesus’ life as that of a normal human being, who was occasionally used by God to reveal his power to the people. Islamic believers majorly focus on Prophet Muhammad more than any other prophet, but the Quran has a comprehensive coverage of Jesus as one of the most powerful prophets. He is a part of the reason that the Muslims believe that God exists, and his power exceeds any man’s imagination. Jesus is given the name Isa in the Quran, and he is also referred to as Al-Masih, meaning the Messiah. This paper looks into the beliefs shared by the Muslims about Jesus, with a close focus on the Quran’s account of Jesus.

Jesus as a messenger

Jesus’ life is clearly highlighted in the Holy Quran. Muslims refer to Jesus as a messenger of God. They have ultimate respect for Jesus, and they believe that he was sent to earth as a messenger just like other prophets. In Quran 5:75, Jesus is said to have been granted the power to perform miracles by God. Mary is said to have observed truthfulness throughout her life. The Quran has an entire chapter highlighting Mary’s life before and after the birth of Jesus. The doctrine of Jesus is quite important to the Muslims because it forms the basis of their belief in the existence of God. According to the Islamic beliefs, Jesus did not bring a new law to the Muslims, but he created a new path called tariqah, which is based on the love of God.

Virgin conception

One of the unique things about the existence of Jesus as revealed in the Quran is his virgin mother. The Arabic language refers to Mary as Maryam, and the Quran indicates that she was a virgin during the conception and birth of Jesus (Naeem and Khan 1). The Quran acknowledges that Jesus was born miraculously. In the Quran 19: 16-21, the story of Mary and Angel Gabriel is highlighted. In the story, Angel Gabriel revealed himself to Maryam and gave her the message from God that she would give birth to Jesus, despite her virgin status, and the prophecy came to pass. Quran 3:47 highlights Mary’s questioning God about giving birth to Jesus, yet she had never been touched by a man. The existence of Jesus in the Quran is compared to the creation of Adam, which indicated that God has power over natural things (“The Qur’an” 3:59).

Jesus and the miracles he did

The Quran has a record of the miracles that were done by Jesus in various stages of his life. Islamic beliefs indicate that all the miracles performed by Jesus were done through the power of God. The Quran influences the belief that Jesus was only a human being who was used by God to pass a message to the people. The Quran reveals that Jesus was an important part of the Muslim’s history because of his teachings sand the purpose of his life.

The Quran indicates that Jesus could deliver the people from their unique helpless situations by performing miracles. For instance, the Quran states that Jesus had the power to heal the lepers and to restore sight in the blind. The Quran also speaks of Jesus breathing life into birds made of clay. He also had the power to bring people back from the dead (“The Qur’an” 3:49). Islam beliefs indicate that Jesus was sent to earth to fulfill a mission in spreading the gospel and manifesting God’s power through miracles.

Jesus was a Muslim

The Quran indicates that Jesus was a prophet sent to spread God’s teachings to the Jews. The Quran claims that Jesus always followed God’s will, a characteristic associated with Muslims (“The Qur’an” 3:84). The Quran gives Jesus the title of the Messiah, and he is believed to have been the last prophet sent to earth by God to redeem the Israelites from their evil ways. The Quran also claims that Jesus never married or had children, and he will return to earth before judgment day.

Since Prophet Muhammad is believed to have been the last prophet, Jesus will return to earth, but not as a prophet. Muslims believe that Jesus was sent with the main mission of spreading the Gospel to compel the people to love their neighbors. They also believe that on his return to earth, one of the missions that Jesus will accomplish is to die a Muslim. Jesus preached peace and urged the people to lead a righteous life, and this value fit into the Islamic culture.

Jesus’ death and resurrection

The Quran states that Jesus was never killed and crucified. It claims that the people thought they had killed Jesus, but it never came to pass (“The Qur’an” 4:157). The Quran indicates that the enemies of Jesus had planned to kill him, but God saved him by raising him up to heaven. It further claims that after Jesus was raised to heaven, another man who looked like Jesus appeared on earth. The enemies arrested this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus (“The Qur’an” 4:157). Jesus is among the few people in the Quran that were saved from natural death by God. This information reveals the importance of Jesus to the Islamic belief that God can save his people from death.

Conclusion

The Quran has a comprehensive account of Jesus’ life from the time of his conception to the time when he was raised to heaven by God. The Quran reveals that Jesus was just a prophet sent by God as a human manifestation of the power of God. His miracles are seen as God’s power through his prophet. The Quran indicates that Jesus had no control over his ability to perform miracles. The Muslims believe that the power to perform miracles was granted to Jesus by God whenever he wanted to prove his existence to the people.

Muslims believe that the prophet was raised up to heaven by the power of God. The enemies crucified and killed a different man who resembled Jesus after his ascent to heaven. The Quran indicates that Jesus was just a prophet, born of a virgin mother, and raised to manifest the power of God. According to the Holy Scripture, Jesus is not the son of God; rather, he is just one of the prophets sent to earth to manifest God’s power. His main mission was to spread the gospel and teach about the importance of love in the society. Muslims believe that Jesus was saved from death, but he will die a Muslim after his return to earth.

Works Cited

McClure, John. Islamic Jesus. Atlanta: APGO America, 2011. Print.

Naeem, Muhammad, and Mumtaz Khan. “PROPHET JESUS CHRIST IN THE BIBLE AND THE HOLY QURAN.” VFAST Transactions on Islamic Research 1.1 (2013): 1-9. Print.

The Qur’an: (Oxford’s World Classics). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.