Spirit of Islam, December 2019

Those (the previous prophets) were the people whom God guided. Follow their guidance. (6: 90) T HE above verse of the Quran instructs the Prophet Muhammad to follow the guidance of the prophets that came before him. By extension, all the followers of Prophet Muhammad must also seek guidance from the lives of the other prophets. Each believer must evaluate the situation one faces, and then, whilst examining the lives of other prophets, should determine in which prophet’s story, a similar example can be found. One’s response to this situation should be the same as that of the prophets. A major portion of the Quran is dedicated to the exemplary lives of the prophets. Jesus— one such prophet—is frequently mentioned in the Quran as “The Messiah,” “A Mercy,” “Prophet,” “Messenger,” “Word from God,” “Spirit,” “A Sign,” “One brought near (to God),” “Upright,” “Servant,” “Eminent,” “Blessed,” “A Witness,” and “A Parable.” He is honoured everywhere by Muslims. Mary, the mother of Jesus, described in Quran as “one exalted above all womankind,” has a whole chapter of the Quran (number 19) named after her, which tells of the miraculous birth of Jesus. The story begins with an angel announcing the birth of a holy son to Mary, who, being a chaste woman, was quite distraught at this news. But the angel reassured her that this was the will of God, that it was not a difficult thing for Him and that it was a sign and a blessing to all humankind. The Quran further clarifies that his creation was no different from that of the first human being: “Jesus in the sight of God is like Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be!’ and he was.” (3: 59) When Mary gave birth to Jesus and brought him to her people, they all pointed their fingers at her. But she was told by God to remain silent and to point to the baby. As the people were wondering how they could talk to a child in the cradle, the baby Jesus performed his first miracle by saying these fine words: “I am God’s servant. He has given me the JESUS CHRIST AND ISLAM Shared Teachings Each believer must evaluate the situation one faces, and then, whilst examining the lives of other prophets, should determine in which prophet’s story, a similar example can be found.