Jesus  — known in Arabic as ‘Isa ibn Maryam [Jesus, son of Mary] (peace be upon him)— is one of the most revered and beloved prophets in Islam. His name appears more than 20 times in the Qur’an, and his story is one of honour, truth, and miracles. Muslims believe he was born to the Virgin Mary (Maryam), without a father, by the command of God — a miraculous birth that astonished even Mary herself.

Mary is described in the Qur’an as the most honoured woman of all time, and a chapter of the Qur’an is named after her (Surah Maryam – Chapter 19 of the Qur’an).

Many dont know that Jesus spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew and Arabic that was spoken in the area that is called Palestine today (the West Bank). In his own language, the word for God was “Elah” — the same as the Arabic word “Allah”, used by Muslims today.

It is also important to note that the name Jesus was not in use during his lifetime. In the English translation of the Bible in 1611 A.D., as commissioned by King James, his name was standardised as Jesus. This form of the name came through a linguistic chain: the Aramaic “Yeshua” was transliterated into Greek as “Iēsous”, then into Latin as “Iesus”, and finally adapted into English as “Jesus” in the 1611 King James Bible. In the Qur’an, he is referred to as ‘Isa, and in his own time he would have been known by a name closer to Yeshua.

But Jesus was not divine. He was not the son of God, nor was he part of a trinity. Islam teaches pure monotheism: God is One, without partner, child, or equal.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” — Mark 12:29

The word used here in the original Hebrew is echad, a Semitic term closely related to the Arabic ahad used in the Qur’an (112:1) to describe God’s absolute, unique oneness.

 

Not Divine, But Devoted to God

Jesus was a servant and messenger of God, just like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and later, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon them all). He was the Messiah, sent to the Children of Israel with guidance, miracles, and the Gospel (Injil), calling people to worship the One true God. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead — all by God’s permission — and foretold the coming of the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

In the language and culture of the time, the term “son of God” was an honorific title used for righteous and God-fearing people — it was never meant to imply literal divinity. Many prophets and even whole communities are referred to as “sons of God” in the Bible. Jesus himself made this clear when he said to his disciples:

“…I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” — John 20:17

This shows that his relationship with God was not unique in essence — his “Father” was also the disciples’ “Father,” meaning God was the Lord and Creator of all.

Jesus lived a life of humility. He fasted. He prayed to God. These are not signs of divinity, but of true prophethood. In Islam, his miracles do not prove he was God – they prove he was sent by God.

The Bible itself records Jesus worshipping God, fasting, and praying humbly:

• Worshipping God — “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” — Luke 4:8

• Praying in solitude — “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” — Matthew 14:23

• Praying with his face to the ground — “He fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father… not as I will, but as You will.’” — Matthew 26:39

• Fasting for 40 days — “He fasted for forty days and forty nights…” — Luke 4:2

 

The Crucifixion — What Muslims Believe

The Qur’an states that Jesus was not crucified, but that it was made to appear so:

“…They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them…” — Qur’an 4:157

The disciples did not witness the crucifixion except from a distance, since they fled fearing persecution. The accounts differ between the gospels, and whether Jesus was indeed crucified or not was the earliest disagreement between his disciples.

Muslims believe God raised Jesus to Himself, and that he will return before the end of time to restore justice and defeat the false messiah (Antichrist).

 

What Happened After Jesus?

From the Islamic perspective, after Jesus was raised by God, his closest followers — including Peter, James (the brother of Jesus), and the other disciples — continued to teach strict monotheism and live according to the Law of Moses, just as Jesus had done.

The Rise of Paul

Not long after, a man named Saul of Tarsus — later known as Paul the Apostle — emerged as a leading figure in spreading the faith to non-Jewish audiences. Paul never met Jesus during his lifetime. His claim to apostleship rested primarily on personal visions and revelations he said he received after Jesus’ departure — most famously in an experience on the road to Damascus.

The book of Acts records Paul describing this vision:

• “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.” — Acts 9:3–5

In another account, Paul recalls:

• “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.” — Acts 22:6–8

And in his third retelling before King Agrippa, he adds further details:

• “I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.’” — Acts 26:13–16

Jesus himself warned about such people:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” — Matthew 7:15

Paul openly acknowledged adapting his message to different audiences:

“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” — 1 Corinthians 9:22

In Galatians 2:11–14, Paul records publicly confronting the apostle Peter over differences in practice, and the book of Acts describes disputes between Paul and the Jerusalem leadership, including James. Over time, this allowed Paul to gain more influence than those who had actually walked with Jesus, further elevating his version of the faith over theirs.

From the Islamic perspective, these conflicts — combined with Paul’s extensive missionary work — allowed his interpretation of the faith to gain dominance, even over the teachings preserved by those who had personally walked with Jesus. His letters, written decades after Jesus, now make up nearly a third of the New Testament, and his theological emphasis on salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection became central to mainstream Christianity. Paul’s influence also shaped how later gospel accounts were compiled and interpreted.

Early Christian Texts

If you focus only on the earliest surviving complete New Testament — the 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus — and set aside Paul’s letters and later doctrinal additions, you will find little to no direct reference to:

• The fully developed doctrine of the Trinity

• The concept of original sin as later formulated in church creeds

• The idea that faith alone, without righteous deeds, secures salvation

• The belief that redemption is solely through Jesus’s crucifixion

What emerges instead is closer to the Islamic view: the oneness of God, the necessity of righteous action, and the importance of following God’s guidance through His prophets. From the Islamic perspective, these core truths were later overlaid with theological interpretations not taught by Jesus himself.

The Councils and Doctrinal Shifts

The Council of Nicaea (325 CE)
Convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine in Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Turkey), this gathering of bishops addressed theological disputes — most notably the teachings of Arius, who argued that Jesus was created by God and not co-eternal with Him. The council rejected Arius’ position and adopted language affirming Jesus as “of the same essence” (homoousios) as God the Father. From the Islamic perspective, this represented a formal step away from Jesus’ original monotheistic message, as preserved in the Qur’an.

The Council of Constantinople (381 CE)
Held under Emperor Theodosius I, this council expanded on the Nicene Creed, declaring the Holy Spirit co-equal with the Father and the Son — thereby solidifying the doctrine of the Trinity as official church teaching. Earlier diversity of belief about Jesus’ nature was now replaced with one imperially enforced doctrine, and dissenting voices were condemned as heresy.

In Islam, the belief in one God without division or partners (tawḥīd) remains central, and doctrines like the Trinity are viewed as later theological developments — not part of the original mission of Jesus, who called people to worship God alone.

 

The Return of Jesus in Islam

Muslims believe that Jesus will return before the end of time to restore justice and truth. When he returns, he will rule by the law of God — the same law of Moses that Jesus told his followers to keep, which Islam has adopted along with other laws from God. Together, these divine laws are known as the Shari’ah.

Jesus will unite all of humanity in worship of the One true God, fulfilling his own words:

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” — John 17:3

 

The Religion of All Prophets

Even Jewish scholars recognise Muslims as Banu Noah — followers of the religion of Noah and Adam. Islam is what we call the religion of all the prophets: one message from the beginning of humanity — worship God alone, live righteously, and prepare for the life to come.

 

Islam’s View of Jesus

• A mighty prophet, not divine

• The Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary by God’s will

• Not crucified, but raised to God

• Will return before the end of time

• Preached the same pure monotheism as all prophets

Restoring the Original Message

Islam honours Jesus as part of the unbroken chain of prophets and rejects later human alterations to his message. In the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Muslims believe we find the preserved truth that Jesus himself preached:

We invite our Christian friends to reflect deeply: if you remove the words of Paul, and go back to the red-letter words of Jesus in the Bible, you will find a man who taught devotion to God alone, who never called himself divine, and who warned against false prophets and innovations in his name.

The Qur’an came to restore that message — not to replace Jesus, but to clarify his true role and identity.

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of God is Islam.” — Qur’an 3:19

 

Discover how Jesus’ true teachings live on in Islam.

 

Read about God – Allah [HERE]

Read about God’s final revelation – Quran [HERE]

Read about God’s final prophet – Muhammad ﷺ [HERE]

 

Last edited:
Saad Dastagir
[email protected]
08/08/2025