The Qur’aanic revelation not
only affirms Jesus’ prophethood, but it also clearly denies Jesus’ divinity. In Chapter al-Maa’idah, (5): 75, God points
out that Jesus ate food, which is a human act, obviously not befitting to God.
مَا الْمَسِيحُ
ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ
صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلاَنِ الطَّعَامَ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ
اْلآيَاتِ تُمَّ انْظُرْ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ
“The Messiah, Son of Mary, was no more than a messenger and many messengers passed away before him. His mother was exceedingly truthful, and they both ate food. See how I have made the signs clear for them, yet see how they are deluded.”
There
are numerous accounts in the New Testament which also deny Jesus’ divinity.
For example, in Matthew 19:17, Jesus
responded to one who addressed him as “O good master”, saying: “Why callest
thou me good? There is none good but one,
that is God.” If he rejected being
called “good”,[66] and stated that only God is truly good, he clearly implies
that he is not God.
In John 14:28, Jesus was saying: “The
Father is greater than I.” By stating that the “Father” is greater than himself,
Jesus distinguishes himself from God. Also
in John 20:17, Jesus told Mary Magdalene to tell his followers: “I ascend unto
my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God.” Jesus’ reference to God as “my Father and
your Father” further emphasizes the distinction between himself and God. Furthermore,
by referring to God as “his God”, he left no room for anyone to intelligently
claim that he was God.
Even in some of the writings of
Paul, which the Church has taken to be sacred, Jesus is referred to as a “man”,
distinct and different from God. In 1st Timothy, 2:5, Paul writes: “For there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
There are also verses in the
Qur‘aan which confirm Prophet Muhammad’s humanity, in order to prevent his
followers from elevating him to a divine or semi-divine status, as was done to
Prophet Jesus. For example, in Chapter
al-Kahf (18):110, Allaah instructs the Prophet Muhammad (e) to inform all who
hear his message:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا
أَنَاْ بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَا إلَـهُكُمْ إِلهٌ وَاحِدٌ
“Say: ‘Indeed, I am only a man like
you to whom it has been revealed that your God is only one God.’ ”
In
Chapter al-A‘raaf (7):187, Allaah also directed Prophet Muhammad (e) to
acknowledge that the time of the Judgement is known only to God.
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ
السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبَّي لاَ
يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ
“They ask you about the Final Hour: 'When
will its apointed time be?’ Say: ‘Knowledge of it is with my Lord. None can reveal its time besides Him.’ ”
In
the Gospel according to Mark 13:31-32, Jesus is also reported to have denied
having knowledge of when the final hour of this world would be, saying: “Heaven
and the earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away, but of that day
or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in the heaven nor the Son but the
Father.” One of the attributes of God is omniscience, knowledge of all things. Therefore, his denial of knowledge of the Day
of Judgement is also a denial of divinity, for one who does not know the time
of the final hour cannot possibly be God.[67]
An
Immaculate Conception
The Qur‘aan confirms the Biblical
story of Jesus’ virgin birth. However, in the Qur‘aanic account of Jesus’ birth,
Mary was an unmarried maiden whose life was dedicated to the worship of God by
her mother. While she was worshipping in
a place of religious seclusion, angels
came and informed her of her impending pregnancy.
إِذْ قَالَتِ
الْملآئِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْهُ اسْمُهُ
الْمَسِيْحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيا وَ اْلآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ
الْمُقَرَّبينَ
“When the angels said: ‘O Mary, indeed
Allaah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name will be the
Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary. He will
be honored in this world and the next and will be of those close to Allaah.’ ”
Qur’aan, (3):45
قالَتْ رَبِّ
أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكِ اللهُ
يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
“She said: ‘O my Lord, how can I have
a son when no man has touched me?’ He said: ‘Even so—Allaah creates what He
wishes. When He decrees something, He only has to say to it: “Be!” and it is.’ ” Qur’aan, (3):47
However,
the Qur’aan clarifies that Jesus’ virgin birth did not change the state of his
humanity. His creation was like the
creation of Aadam, who had neither father nor mother.
إِنَّ مَثَلَ
عِيسَى عِنْدَ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ
فَيَكُونُ
“Surely, the example of Jesus, in
Allaah’s sight, is like that of Aadam. He
created him from dust and said: ‘Be!’ and he was.” Qur’aan, (3):59