THE LIFE OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE
QUR'AN
Harun Yahya
According to the historical records of Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam, Jesus lived approximately 2,000 years ago. He was
a chosen messenger of God and is held in honor both in the
world and the Hereafter. The Gospel of Mathew states that
he was born either during the reign of Herod l or in a period
of the regime change (4 BCE). According to the Gospel of Luke,
he was born during the reign of Emperor Augustus (27 BCE-14
CE) when a census was being conducted in Judea (6 CE). Such
information cannot be verified. However, experts analyzing
various sources believe that Jesus was born around 7-6 BCE.
The true religion brought by Jesus, God's chosen Messenger
who was rewarded with Paradise and special gifts, exists today.
However, it does so in name only, for it has been tampered
with and falsified. Likewise, the revelation given to Jesus
by God exists only in name and certainly not in its original,
for the Christian scriptures have been tampered with and altered.
As we cannot acquire any true knowledge about Jesus from this
source, we turn to the only source that can provide true information:
the Qur'an, which God promised to protect until the Last Day.
The Qur'an reveals much about Jesus' birth, life, examples
of his encounters with other people, the situation of those
living around him, and many other subjects. It also provides
many examples of his efforts to invite the Jewish people to
faith. The Qur'an relates the following words of Jesus:
"I come confirming the Torah I find already
there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously
forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign from your Lord.
So fear God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord so worship
Him. That is a straight path." (Qur'an, 3:50-51)
Only a few Jews answered his call and became his followers.
The Qur'an reveals the existence of these devout believers
as follows:
When Jesus sensed unbelief on their part, he
asked: "Who will be my helpers for [the cause of] God?" The
disciples said: "We are God's helpers. We believe in God.
Bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord, we believe in
what You have sent down and have followed the Messenger, so
write us down among the witnesses." (Qur'an, 3:52-53)
According to the New Testament, Jesus traveled to all corners
of Palestine with his 12 disciples to call people to faith.
On this journey, God allowed him to perform many miracles.
He healed the sick and disabled, cured people suffering from
leprosy, brought sight to those who had been blind from birth,
and raised the dead. The Qur'an reveals these miracles in
the verses below:
"I have brought you a Sign from your Lord.
I will create the shape of a bird out of clay for you and
then breathe into it, and it will be a bird by God's permission.
I will heal the blind and the leper and bring the dead to
life, by God's permission. I will tell you what you eat and
what you store up in your homes. There is a Sign for you in
that if you believe." (Qur'an, 3:49)
Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary,
remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced
you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people
in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught
you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel; and
when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My permission,
and then breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission;
and healed the blind and the leper by My permission; when
you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I held
back the Children of Israel from you, when you brought them
the Clear Signs and those who did not believe said: 'This
is nothing but downright magic.'" (Qur'an, 5:110)
Jesus performed great miracles, and many people were impressed
by them. However, he always stated that these miracles happened
only by the will of God and, according to the Bible, he always
told the people he healed: "Your faith has saved you." In
response, the people praised the Lord when they saw his miracles:
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then
he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds
came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled,
the mute, and many others, and laid them at his feet. And
he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the
mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking,
and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
(Matthew 15:29-31)
Despite the increasing obstacles and, in particular among
the people who suffered from oppression and cruelty, the number
of believers began to rise. At the time, Jesus and his disciples
had wandered through all of the towns and cities in the land.
Meanwhile, the priests and scribes (teachers of the law) began
to scheme and plot against Jesus, who had been telling them
of the wrongs inherent in the traditions that they had promoted
for years, reminding them of the deviations in the order they
had established and calling them to believe only in God and
to live only for him. (Luke 22:1-2, John 11:47-53)
Like all other Prophets, Jesus called his people to believe
in God, to submit wholeheartedly to Him, to live for His good
pleasure, to refrain from sin and evil, and to do good. He
reminded them of life's impermanence and of death's proximity,
and told them that they would have to answer for all of their
deeds in the Hereafter. He called them to worship God alone
and to fear and mind only Him. The Bible also contains much
advice and educational material (mashal) in this respect.
According to the New Testament, Jesus advised those who were
"short on faith," brought them the good news of God's imminent
dominion, and asked them to seek God's forgiveness. This dominion
is the rule which the Jews expected to be established when
the Messiah arrived, a rule that would bring them renewed
faith and deliverance.
Jesus remained true to the Mosaic law (the commandments of
the Torah) and reprimanded the Jews for straying from them
or their hypocritical practice. According to the New Testament,
he told them: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me,
for he wrote about me" (John 5:46). Jesus called people to
return to the Torah. The Gospel of Matthew records his order
to abide by the Mosaic law ("the holy law"):
I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom
of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be
called great in the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:19)
The Qur'an says the following about Jesus:
[Jesus said,] "I come confirming the Torah
I find already there, and to make lawful for you some of what
was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign
from your Lord. So fear God and obey me." (Qur'an, 3:50)
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