book logo

Christ In Islam
by:  Ahmed Deedat.
Publishing house:  Center for Call & Guidance at Sinaiya, P.O.Box 32628 Jeddah 21438, Tel:(+966-2) 636-3918, Fax:(+966-2) 636-9549.
Revised by our Site via:  Abdulaziz Addwesh.



Previous Table of Contents Next

Chapter 2: Jesus in the Qur'an


Christians Unaware

            The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the Holy Qur'an. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, without saying Eesa, alaihiss-salaam ("Jesus, peace be upon him").

            Every time the Muslim mentions the name of Jesus (peace be upon him) without these words of respect, he would be considered disrespectful, uncouth or barbaric. The Christian does not know that in the Holy Qur'an Jesus is mentioned twenty five times. For example:


Jesus - His Titles

            Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Qur'an, he is also addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning "The son of Mary"; and as the Maseeh (in Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as "Christ". He is also known as Abdullah, "The servant of Allah"; and as Rasul-ullah, the messenger of Allah.

            He is spoken of as "The Word of God", as "The Spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Qur'an honors this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire Qur'an to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception.


"Eesa" Latinised to Jesus

            The Holy Qur'an refers to Jesus as Eesa, and this name is used more times than any other title, because this was his "Christian"[1] name. Actually, his proper name was Eesa (Arabic), or Esau (Hebrew); classical Yeheshua, which the Christian nations of the West latinised as Jesus. Neither the "J" nor the second "s" in the name Jesus is to be found in the original tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages.

            The word is very simply "E S A U" a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in the very first booklet alone of the Bible, in the part called "Genesis". There was at least one "Jesus" sitting on the "bench" at the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the Jewish historian mentions some twenty-five Jesus' in his "Book of Antiquities". The New Testament speaks of "Bar-Jesus" a magician and a sorcerer, a false prophet (Acts 13:6); and also "Jesus-Justus" a Christian missionary, a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These are distinct from Jesus the son of Mary. Transforming "Esau" to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes it unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and the Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, because it came to be a name of ill - repute, the name of one who blasphemed in Jewry; and among the Christians because it came to be the proper name of their God. The Muslim will not hesitate to name his son Eesa because it is an honored name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.


Many References

            At the end of the most popular translation of the Holy Qur'an in English, i.e. by A. Yosuf Ali[2]. There is a very comprehensive index. While browsing through[3], we will discover, on page 1837, the subject, Jesus:
i.e:
Jesus, a righteous prophet, vi. 85;
birth, iii. 45-47; xix. 22-33
apostle to Israel, iii 49-51;
disciples, iii. 52-53; v. 114-118;
taken up, iii. 55-58; iv. 157-159;
like Adam, iii. 59;
not crucified, iv. 157;
no more than apostle, iv. 171; v. 78;
xliii 59. 63-64
not God, v. 19.75
sent with Gospel, v.49;
not son of God, ix. 30;
Message and miracles, v. 113 xix. 30-33;
Prays for Table of viands, v. 117;
Taught no false worship, v. 119-121;
Disciples declare themselves Muslims, v. 114;
Mission limited, n. 1861 to xiii. 38;
Followers have compassion and mercy, lvii. 27;
Disciples as God's helpers, ixi. 14;
As a Sign, xxiii. 50; xliii. 61;
Prophesied Ahmad, lxi 6.

Previous Table of Contents Next

[1] "Christian" or "Christen" have become synonymous with giving a name to a person at birth in South Africa, whether the child is Hindu, Muslim, Christian of Jew.
[2] The "Center" alone has handled over 20,000 volumes of this translation in the past 2-years. We recommend this Book for many reasons. If you own this one, you do not need another.
[3] There is no better way of getting to know the contents of the Qur'an than by familiarizing ones self with the index.