Who is Jesus?

Dear Gospelmap! May peace be on you!

In my opinion your questions are simple and have simple answers.

(1)   Allah spells his spirit not only in Jesus but all the new born humans. It was only that Jesus was born without any male intervention. He also spelled his spirit into Adam (38:72) and all other humans but as it happens in routine we don�t notice it. Adam, Eve and Jesus are only signs for us to believe that Allah has power over all things he can create from nowhere (Adam), without father (Jesus) or even without mother (Eve). It not that Allah spelled his spirit only in Jesus and Adam while Satan is spelling in rest of us. The others have not been specifically mentioned because we consider it as a NATURAL COURSE. See Quran 2:28.

(2)   The word of God means his order (3:47 and 19:35). He says BE and it happens. So he said BE in case of Jesus and he was conceived without male intervention. Regarding others he also says BE and that happens with the male intervention. There is no concept of natural phenomenon in Islam (which is supposed to be out of the reach or control of God). Its all that Allah has ordered it to be like that and it appears as a routine to us. So once a hen lays egg and horse gives birth to a pony, it is considered as a natural phenomenon but if it happens vice versa it becomes a miracle. If God had had willed, this procedure could have been other way round.

(3)   If Jesus being born miraculously is considered as to be the son of god or god then the ADAM and also EVE being born from nowhere or without father should be considered as greater gods than Jesus. As Quran says: �Surely the likeness of Jesus is with Allah as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was.� (3:59). The reasons for Jesus birth are surely known to God alone but in my opinion the miraculous birth of Jesus was to teach Jews that God has power over everything. Because Jews would say that God can�t punish us. This was to send a message that if you remain arrogant God will definitely punish you. (Unfortunately the same false concept has crept in the ranks of Muslims as well that we being born in the Muslim family are holding a visa for heaven, and whatever wrong we do will be got pardoned by God through Muhammad. Christians attribute it to Christ). But Quran says without faith or good deeds no one will enter heaven whether Jew or Muslim or Christian or Hindu etc.

(4)   Every human is born sinless according to Islam so it was not only Jesus who was born sinless. Later one can commit sins or mistakes.    

Coming to your other points, you said: �Jesus said �The Father and I are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him�because that you, being a man, makes thyself God. (John 10:31-33)� That is quoted out of context. So for the context, �I and my father are one� - you have to go to the Gospel of John, Ch. No.10, Verse No. 23, that �Jesus walked into the temple, in Solomon�s porch�. Verse No. 24 says, and the Jews came around him and asked him. �How long does thou make us doubt? - If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly�.

Verse No.25 says, �I told you, but you believe me not - the works that I do in my father�s name, - they bear witness of me. Verse No.26 says that, �you believe not because you are not my sheep, as I   said unto  you�. The Jews, they are asking Jesus Christ  (peace be upon him) that �Why don�t you speak plainly?�. So he tells them that��Yes I am the Messiah - I have told you clearly, but because you are not my sheep, you don�t believe in me.

Verse No.27 continues�Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) continues saying that� �My sheep - they hear my voice, and I know them - and they follow me. Verse No.28, that� �I give them eternal life - no man can pluck them out of my hand, and they shall not perish�. Verse No.29 says �My father who giveth to me, He is greater than all - No man can pluck them out of my father�s hand.

Then Verse No. 30 says, �I and my father are one� � �Any person who has little bit sense can make out,  �I and my father are one� doesn�t mean one - as one person. It means one is purpose. Suppose my father is a doctor and I say, �I and my father are one� - What does it mean? It means one in purpose and not in person.

If you go ahead in the Gospel of John, Ch. No.17, Verse No.21, it says that, Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) said that� �Ye all of them are one - My father in me, and I in thee, we all are one�. �Does it mean that God Almighty, is in Jesus Christ� and Jesus Christ is in all his 12 disciples. So there will be 14 gods - Jesus Christ, God Almighty, and 12 disciples. The same �one� is used there, and here. If you go to the source, the same word is used - If you go to the Greek� the same word is used - So does it mean you have 14 gods?

Gospel of John, Ch.  17, Verse 23, says that, �I am in thee, and you are in me�� he tells the disciples. Does it make all them God? No! It means one in purpose. So next the Jews pick up the stones that Jesus called himself God, and Jesus says in, Verse No. 33, says that��We don�t� stone you for any good works, but because you blaspheme � being a man, you call yourself God � that is why we stone you�. 

So Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) gives the answer in rhetorical terms in the next verse - Verse no. 34, of John Ch. 10, Gospel of John, Ch. 10, which says that��Is it not mentioned in your Scriptures that ye are gods? - and if the person to whom the word� of God came � if he says� �god� - the Scripture is not broken indicating about Psalms, Ch. No. 82, Verse No.6,. So Jesus Christ gave the answer, that the person to whom the �Word� of God came, if you call him �God�, it is not blaspheme but you call me blasphemous.

Because if this phrase of being ONE is to be taken in the literal sense then the sheep and door should also be taken in the literal sense that Jesus was actually speaking to sheep and he actually was a door.

Suppose if you say to your friend, �Oh my God you are still not ready? You will get late� does this mean that you are actually calling him as GOD??

And this is also said by Jesus, Mathew 19:16-20, which says, �And, behold one came and said unto him, Good Master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, �Why callest thou me good? there is none good, but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.�  

Also in Gospel of John, Chapter 14, Verse No. 28, and Gospel of John, Chapter No. 10, Verse No. 29, �My father is greater than I�. And once he was asked that, �which is the first of the commandments� - he said - its mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter No. 12, Verse. No. 29 �Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord�.

At other places same is the case that he is taken out of context and brother Ahmed Joya has answered these questions in detail. Because if he says at one place that, THERE IS ONE GOD, at the other WE ALL ARE ONE and yet another I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE, it is either that JESUS is himself not clear about God or that Christians fail to understand him once he speaks in allegorical terms.

And if he died on the cross so this means that the poor god also died along with him. Because both are one??

As my brother David said that the translation can rarely convey the true meanings. This is mostly true once it comes to Arabic. Like for the word �ABD� there is no parallel in English, Urdu or any other language. Therefore the nearest translation can be servant but it does not define the true meanings. This can mean �MY MEN�, �MY FOLLOWERS�, �MY WORSHIPPERS�, �MY FAITHFULS�, �MY OFF SEEDS�, �ALL THOSE WHO ARE SINCERE TO ME�, �ALL THOSE WHO OBEY ME�, �ALL THOSE WHO CAN LAY THEIR LIFE FOR ME� etc etc. So if �ABD� is translated it can be used in ale above cases this is why Prophet Muhammad specifically told not to use this word except in the sense once God call or address us. Some similar Aramaic word has been wrongly translated by some translator for which almost whole of the Christian world is paying the price. It is absolutely blasphemous to use the word �BEGOTTEN� for Jesus.  The Bible says god has many sons, see for yourself: Luke 3:38, ��.Adam, which was the SON OF GOD�, Genesis 6:2&8 �That the SONS OF GOD saw the saw the daughters of men, and they were fair�� & �And when the SONS OF GOD came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them�.�, Exodus 4:22 ��.thus saith the Lord, Israel is MY SON, even my firstborn.� Similar statements are repeated in Jeremiah 31:9, Psalms 2:7, Romans 8:14.

Shams Zaman    Pakistan.     

Brother AhmedJoyia,

You have beautifully explained the concept of "rehma". I would like to add a bit here in response to query of brother DavidC.

Brother DavidC, I believe that islamic equivalent of word "grace" can be found in chapter 55 of holy Qur'an "Ar-Rahman". In this chapter, the Creator of the Universe miraculously explains to the mankind about his rahma and grace without which our very existence in this universe will be in danger. Everything on our planet and beyond is doing well only by His grace. That means to say that we must take that first step to learn the truth about our common Creator and He will guide us towards that ultimate reality. Why shouldn't He? Our very birth is the example of His utmost grace. Therefore, our life after that can only be enlightened by His grace provided that we acknowledge to seek the blessings, guidance and grace from our true Master with an open mind of course.

Regards and Wasalam

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem,

Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim,

DavidC wrote: I think God slowly tells us directly what is true interpretation. Christians call this grace. No one has yet told me what this concept is in Islam.

Hello David,

Though God's grace and mercy is with all of us at all times when allah chooses to guide a person, he does so thru his heart. This is called inspiration. When allah guides people to the truth He inspires the heart. It is the nur of Allah that kindles in the heart and directs it to pure truth.

In the Quran this inspiration has been mentioned in the context of the prophets and messengers. The Quran also talks about people not understanding the scriptures, and allah says He has put locks on their hearts. - So it should be about a communication between the Lord and His servant, thru their heart.

[Note: From the heart, I mean the spiritual heart, and not the physical heart]

Peace,

Nausheen