Page 20 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

18 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

Sources about the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) life

Several sources relate the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) life. The pri-
mary source is the Qur'an, which has never been altered since its
revelation and which contains no contradictions. For this reason,
the information related by the other sources, which might have
been altered since their original recording, will be used only inso-
far as they do not contradict the Qur'an. For any other matter not in
conflict with the Qur'an, such as historical or archeological data,
the Bible will be used as a reference along with other documents
from that era. Other sources are the hadiths of our Prophet
Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the
explanations, views, and interpretations of Islamic scholars.
The Bible, another important source, also gives detailed infor-
mation about the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). However, over time it was
tampered with and so lost its authenticity. As a result, it contains
parts that are based on the true religion as well as parts that are
wholly fabricated. For this reason, those parts that contain infor-
mation about his life, teachings, and struggle, and which do not
contradict the Qur'an, must be considered as important historic
documents.
The earliest Gospel accounts are thought to have been written
30 to 40 years after the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), in 63 ce. However,
these no longer exist. The oldest documents available date back to
the third and fourth centuries. Paul's letters, which gave
Christianity its present form, were written before the Gospel (52-63
ce).
Otherwise, such historians as Flavius Josephus (37-100? ce),
Philo (20 bce-50) ce, and Tacitus (56-120 ce) have small chapters on
the subject in their works. Even though they did not write much