Jesus in Islam
Who is Jesus in Islam?
The short answer
About 30 seconds to read
Muslims believe Jesus, peace be upon him, is one of the greatest prophets of God. The Qur’an calls him the Messiah, affirms that he was born to the Virgin Mary without a father, and describes miracles he performed by God’s permission. Loving and honouring him is part of Muslim faith.
Muslims do not believe Jesus is God or the Son of God, and the Qur’an says he was not crucified. So Muslims and Christians share a deep respect for Jesus but understand who he is very differently. This page explains both.
Mary, honoured in the Qur’an
The story of Jesus in the Qur’an begins with his mother. Mary, known in Arabic as Maryam, is held up as a model of faith, and a whole surah of the Qur’an carries her name.
Source:Qur’an 19:16–36
And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.
Surah Maryam tells how God sent a messenger to Mary, whom Muslims understand to be the angel Gabriel, with news that she would have a son. She asked how that could be when no man had touched her, and was told that it is easy for God. When the time came, she gave birth alone beneath a palm tree, where God comforted her with water and ripe dates.
Source:Qur’an 19:16–36
Jesus in the Qur’an
- The Messiah and a word from God. The Qur’an gives Jesus the title Messiah and describes him as a word from God. Muslims understand this to mean that God created Jesus by His word of command, “Be!”, not that Jesus is divine.
- A miraculous birth. Jesus had no human father. The Qur’an compares his creation to that of Adam, whom God created from dust.
- Miracles by God’s permission. The Qur’an says Jesus spoke as a baby in the cradle, healed people born blind and people with leprosy, and raised the dead, each time “by Allah’s leave”.
- A prophet with a scripture. God gave Jesus the Gospel, which the Qur’an describes as containing “guidance and a light”.
Sources:Qur’an 3:45–47Qur’an 3:59Qur’an 3:49Qur’an 5:110Qur’an 5:46
In Surah Maryam, the newborn Jesus speaks to defend his mother and describes his own mission:
He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet, And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive, And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest. Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!
Context: Pickthall’s “slave of Allah” translates ‘abd Allah, which also means “servant of God”. The Qur’an uses the same word for the Prophet Muhammad, for example in 17:1.
The Prophet Muhammad spoke of Jesus with special closeness. He said that he was the nearest of all people to the son of Mary, and that the prophets are brothers.
Source:Sahih al-Bukhari 3442
Many Muslims also believe, based on hadith, that Jesus will return before the end of time.
Source:Sahih al-Bukhari 3448
Where Muslims and Christians differ
Respect for Jesus is real common ground. It would be misleading, though, to suggest that Muslims and Christians agree about him. The differences are central to both faiths, and both deserve to be stated plainly.
Who is Jesus?
Muslim understanding
A human being, a prophet and messenger of God, and the Messiah. He is not divine and not the son of God. The Qur’an says he and his mother “both used to eat (earthly) food”, like other human beings.
Christian understanding
The Son of God, fully divine and fully human, and the second person of the Trinity. John’s Gospel says: “The Word became flesh, and lived among us.” This belief is set out in the Nicene Creed, which Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and major Protestant churches accept.
Sources:John 1:1John 1:14Britannica, “Nicene Creed”Britannica, “Trinity”
The cross
Muslim understanding
The Qur’an says “they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them”, and that God raised Jesus up to Himself. Most Muslim commentators have understood this to mean that Jesus did not die on the cross, though they have explained the details in different ways.
Sources:Qur’an 4:157–158Lawson, 2009
Christian understanding
The death and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of Christian faith: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, … he was buried, … he was raised on the third day.”
Source:1 Corinthians 15:3–4
Forgiveness and salvation
Muslim understanding
Each person answers to God for their own deeds. Forgiveness comes directly from God to anyone who turns back to Him in repentance.
Sources:Qur’an 2:286Qur’an 39:53
Christian understanding
Christians believe reconciliation with God comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Churches differ on how faith, grace, sacraments and good works relate to one another.
Source:1 Corinthians 15:3–4
What does the Qur’an say Jesus taught?
The Qur’an describes God asking Jesus whether he told people to worship him and his mother. Jesus denies it and says:
I spake unto them only that which Thou commandedst me, (saying): Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. …
Context: Muslims believe the message of Jesus, like that of every prophet, was to worship the one God. Christians read the Gospels differently and do not accept this account.
Walking in the footsteps of Jesus
Muslims often notice that parts of their daily devotion echo what the Gospels describe of Jesus. These connections are meaningful. They show shared practices, not identical rituals or identical beliefs.
Prayer with the face to the ground
He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”
Context: Jesus prays in Gethsemane on the night before his arrest. Mark’s Gospel says he “fell on the ground”; Luke’s says he “knelt down”.
In every Muslim prayer, worshippers prostrate, placing their foreheads on the ground before God. The Qur’an says: “prostrate thyself, and draw near (unto Allah).” Prostration also appears in the Hebrew Bible, where Abraham, and Moses and Aaron, fall on their faces before God. Some Christians still pray this way, for example Eastern Orthodox Christians during Great Lent.
Sources:Qur’an 96:19Mark 14:35Luke 22:41Genesis 17:3Numbers 20:6St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church
Fasting
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil);
Context: The Qur’an presents fasting as a practice shared with earlier communities of faith.
The fasts differ in form and purpose. Matthew describes a single fast of forty days and nights in the wilderness, before Jesus began his public ministry. Ramadan is a month of fasting every year, from dawn until nightfall, broken each evening, with the sick and travellers allowed to make up the days later. Many Christians keep Lent, forty days before Easter linked to Jesus’ fast, but practice varies widely: Eastern churches keep stricter fasts, and many evangelical churches do not formally observe Lent.
Giving and praying without show
Jesus taught his followers not to give charity or pray in order to be seen by others, but in secret, before God. The Qur’an likewise says that giving to the poor in secret is better, and it warns against spending wealth “only to be seen of men”.
Sources for this page
Quotations are marked and linked. Summaries are in our own words. How we choose and cite sources.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Maryam (19)
Verses 19:16–36
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Ali ‘Imran (3)
Verse 3:42
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Ali ‘Imran (3)
Verses 3:45–47
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Ali ‘Imran (3)
Verse 3:59
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Ali ‘Imran (3)
Verse 3:49
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah (5)
Verse 5:110
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah (5)
Verse 5:46
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Maryam (19)
Verses 19:30–33
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Hadith
Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3442
Sunnah.com reference: bukhari:3442
Summarized in our own words. Arabic text and a full English translation are available at the link.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah. The report also says there was no prophet between Muhammad and Jesus.
Hadith
Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3448
Sunnah.com reference: bukhari:3448
Summarized in our own words. Arabic text and a full English translation are available at the link.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah. Describes the son of Mary descending before the end of time as a just judge.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah An-Nisa (4)
Verse 4:171
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah (5)
Verse 5:75
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Maryam (19)
Verse 19:35
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Bible
The Bible, John
John 1:1
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Bible
The Bible, John
John 1:14
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Reference
“Nicene Creed”, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches.
Reference
“Trinity”, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah An-Nisa (4)
Verses 4:157–158
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Reference
Todd Lawson, The Crucifixion and the Qur’an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought (Oneworld, 2009)
Surveys how Muslim commentators have read Qur’an 4:157 over the centuries. Most deny that Jesus was crucified, but interpretations vary. Link is to a review by the Centre for Muslim–Christian Studies, Oxford.
Bible
The Bible, 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:286
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Az-Zumar (39)
Verse 39:53
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah (5)
Verses 5:116–117
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Bible
The Bible, Matthew
Matthew 26:39
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-‘Alaq (96)
Verse 96:19
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Bible
The Bible, Mark
Mark 14:35
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Bible
The Bible, Luke
Luke 22:41
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Bible
The Bible, Genesis
Genesis 17:3
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Bible
The Bible, Numbers
Numbers 20:6
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Reference
“When do Orthodox Christians make prostrations?”, St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church
An Orthodox parish’s explanation of full prostrations during Great Lent and at other times.
Bible
The Bible, Matthew
Matthew 4:1–2
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:183
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:184
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:187
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Reference
“Lent”, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Describes Lent as a 40-day season before Easter, stricter fasting in Eastern churches, relaxed Roman Catholic rules, and uneven observance among Protestant churches.
Bible
The Bible, Matthew
Matthew 6:1–6
Quoted from the World English Bible (public domain).
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:271
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Qur’an
Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2)
Verse 2:264
Quoted from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain. Parenthetical words are Pickthall’s. Modern translations can be compared on Quran.com.
Further reading
- Todd Lawson, The Crucifixion and the Qur’an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought (Oneworld, 2009)
Surveys how Muslim commentators have read Qur’an 4:157 over the centuries. Most deny that Jesus was crucified, but interpretations vary. Link is to a review by the Centre for Muslim–Christian Studies, Oxford.
- “A Common Word Between Us and You”, open letter from Muslim scholars to Christian leaders (2007)
Signed by 138 Muslim scholars and addressed to Christian leaders, the letter proposes love of God and love of neighbour as common ground. Many Christian leaders responded publicly.
- “Nicene Creed”, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches.