Islam regards Jesus very highly and considers him to be one of the greatest of God’s prophets to humanity. His mother, Mary, is also venerated as one of the most honorable women in Islam. There is a chapter of the Quran named after Mary, and she is often mentioned in the book’s verses.
Though Jesus and his mother are greatly respected, Muslims don’t believe that Jesus is the son of God. This goes back to the most important concept in Islam: the Oneness of God and because God is a singular entity who does not have any offspring to share in His lordship. Jesus’ virgin birth to Mary is described in the Quran as a miracle from God. According to verses from the third chapter of the Quran, God sent angels to Mary and told her that she had been chosen above all women to bear a righteous son who would be honored in this world and in the Hereafter. When Mary asked, “O my Lord, how shall I have a son when no man has touched me?” the angel replied, “Even so, Allah creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be, and it is” (Quran, 3:47).
These verses show that Islam views Jesus as a man created by God, and not a manifestation of God in a different form. Islamic traditions relate that his birth to a mother with no father was the first of many miracles surrounding him. Throughout his life, Jesus performed many miracles as a sign from God of his prophethood to the people of his time. For example, the Quran relates that Jesus fashioned a figure of a bird out of clay, and when he breathed into it, God made it into a living bird. Muslims also believe that Jesus spoke from the cradle, healed the blind and lepers, and raised the dead with God’s aid.
As a prophet, Jesus spread the same central message of monotheism. The Quran states that he confirmed the doctrine of the Torah and came with additional teachings, many of which were eventually compiled into the Bible. Muslims do not believe that Jesus was killed on the cross but instead believe that it was only made to appear that he died on the crucifix. Generally, Muslims believe that Jesus actually ascended to Heaven, where he is to remain until he returns when the Day of Judgment is near to restore justice on Earth.
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