Jesus – God, or just a prophet?

Muslims do believe in “God”.
So do Christians.

Muslims believe in “Jesus”.
So do Christians.

But - who do they say Jesus is?
The Son of God?  Or just a prophet?

In the opening for this series (God: Christianity and Islam) I said that there was a huge difference in the beliefs of these two religions.

One incredibly important one is exactly who each of them says Jesus really is.
So let's look at that topic now.

Following are some excerpts from the Qu’ran:

[3:45] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD gives you good news: a Word from Him whose name is `The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary.

[4:171] O people of the scripture, do not transgress the limits of your religion, and do not say about GOD except the truth. and His word that He had sent to Mary, and a revelation from Him. Therefore, you shall believe in GOD and His messengers. GOD is only one god. Be He glorified; To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. GOD suffices as Lord and Master.

[5:72] The Messiah himself said, "O Children of Israel, you shall worship GOD; my Lord and your Lord." Anyone who sets up any idol beside GOD, GOD has forbidden Paradise for him, and his destiny is Hell. The wicked have no helpers.

[5:73] There is no god except the one god. Unless they refrain from saying this, those who disbelieve among them will incur a painful retribution.

[5:74] Would they not repent to GOD, and ask His forgiveness? GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

[5:76] Say, "Would you worship beside GOD powerless idols who can neither harm you, nor benefit you? GOD is Hearer, Omniscient."

[5:77] Say, "O people of the scripture, do not transgress the limits of your religion beyond the truth, and do not follow the opinions of people who have gone astray, and have misled multitudes of people; they are far astray from the right path."

[5:78] Condemned are those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel, by the tongue of David and Jesus, the son of Mary. This is because they disobeyed and transgressed.

[5:79] They did not enjoin one another from committing evil. Miserable indeed is what they did.

[5:80] You would see many of them allying themselves with those who disbelieve. Miserable indeed is what their hands have sent forth on behalf of their souls. GOD is angry with them and, consequently, they will abide forever in retribution.

[5:81] Had they believed in GOD, and the prophet, and in what was revealed to him herein, they would not have befriended them. But many of them are evil.

[5:85] GOD has rewarded them for saying this; He will admit them into gardens with flowing streams. They abide therein forever. Such is the reward for the righteous.

[5:86] As for those who disbelieve and reject our revelations, they are the dwellers of Hell.

The Muslim Jesus

All of this sounds very good. There’s nothing in here that, as Christians, we would disagree with. All is well. But – is it really? I left out some things. Some very important things. All of the parts where Islam and Christianity disagree as to who Jesus really is. Below is the full text of the quotes from the Qu’ran – with the parts I left out highlighted in purple / bold / italics – words that present a very different picture from the Jesus that we know and love, and count on for our hope of salvation and everlasting life.

And so – here it is, the unvarnished, uncensored, complete truth of what the Qu’ran actually says in the verses above:

[3:45] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD gives you good news: a Word from Him whose name is `The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary. He will be prominent in this life and in the Hereafter, and one of those closest to Me.'

This can be pointed to – and obviously God is here, Mary is here, Jesus us here. And Jesus, son of Mary, is also called the Messiah. So far so good.

But wait a minute – what about the part that says Jesus will be “one of those closest to Me”? Closest to Me? What about Jesus being  God? What happened to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Well – that concept is mentioned in the Qu’ran as well:

[4:171] O people of the scripture, do not transgress the limits of your religion, and do not say about GOD except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was a messenger of GOD, and His word that He had sent to Mary, and a revelation from Him. Therefore, you shall believe in GOD and His messengers.