Page 71 - World Religions I - Islam

o Jesus (Isa)
 The Qur'an teaches that Jesus was not only a prophet and messenger, but also the Masih
(Messiah).67
 The Qur'an records that Mary (Miriam), the Mother of Jesus, was born to Imran and placed in the
care of her uncle Zechariah (Zakariya) to be raised serving in the temple in Jerusalem.68 Zechariah
was given the promise of the birth of John the Baptist (Yahya). As a sign of this promise, he was made
mute and unable to speak for three nights (Surah 19:7-11).
o Whenever Zechariah would visit her room he found that she always had food miraculously
provided by God.69
o Mary was chosen above the women of all nations.70 One day while in prayer in the
temple, angels revealed to her the tidings of the birth of Jesus the Messiah,71 who would
speak to mankind both in the cradle and in adulthood.72 Muslim tradition holds that
Gabriel was the angel that announced to Mary the birth of Jesus, but one passage in the
Qur'an uses the term "angels" (3:45) while another tells of a single angel (19:17). Neither
provide any names.
o Mary questioned the angel about her baby's conception since she had never been with a
man before. She was assured that this miracle would come about by the pure will of God
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in the same manner as Adam.74
o Mary was in the desert (remote place) when it came time for the birth of Jesus. Birth pains
caused her to seek shelter under a palm tree. A voice from below her (which some interpret
to mean Jesus speaking from the womb) commanded her to shake the tree in order to
cause nourishing dates to fall so that she could eat before giving birth. A spring of water
was also provided below the tree to quench Mary's thirst.75 Mary's betrothed husband,
Joseph, is not mentioned in the Qur'an. Much of the Qur'an's narrative concerning the early life
of Mary and Jesus' birth uncannily coincides with the apocryphal Protoevagelion of James (or
Infancy Gospel of James), which was written around AD 145. Scholars have established that
the Gospel of James is pseudepigraphical (not written by the person it is attributed to) and
have rejected it from Biblical canon.
o On the day of Jesus' birth, Mary was commanded not to speak to anyone. Muslims
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conclude that Mary's silence was to allow Jesus his first miracle: speaking from the cradle.
o The Hadith claims that Jesus and Mary are the only two who did not cry out when they were
born; all other children do because they are touched by the devil in coming into the
world.76 Considering that on average there are 4 children born into the world every
second, that must keep the devil awfully busy.
o Upon returning to her people, Mary was accused of being with a man although she was
unmarried. In response, Mary directed them to the infant Jesus, who spoke prophecy to the
people.77
 The Qur'an insists that Jesus was not begotten (interpreted to mean that God had physical relations),
but was spoken into existence.78
 Jesus was appointed as a messenger to the Children of Israel.79
o He was given signs and miracles from God, including making a clay bird come to life, the
ability to heal the blind and the lepers, and raise the dead.80
o Jesus' disciples all claimed to be Muslims.81
 God revealed to Jesus a new scripture, the Injil, while also declaring the truth of the previous
revelations - the Tawrat (Torah) and the Zabur (Psalms). It's apparent that the Torah/Law wasn't
corrupted during the time of Jesus. Otherwise he wouldn't have been commanded to teach from it
o "It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went
before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a

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