Prophet Isa (Jesus) - Peace Be Upon Him: His Mission and Message
قُولُوا ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ(البقرة 136)
Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between one and another of them: and we bow to Allah (in Islam)." (Al-Baqarah 2:136)
إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَامَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ(آل عمران 45)
Behold! The angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth Thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah. (Al ‘Imran 3:45)
We believe in all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. We respect and honor all of them without any discrimination. Islam emphasizes that all Prophets and Messengers of Allah preached the message of Tawhid (monotheism) and all of them invited human beings to worship Allah alone and live righteous life. Prophet Muhammad –peace be upon him- was the last and final Prophet of Allah, and through his message he reaffirmed and revived the authentic teachings of all the previous Prophets and Messengers.
This is the time of Christmas. Our neighbors, associates and co-workers are looking forward to celebrate Christmas tomorrow. Christmas is not an Islamic holiday, so we do not celebrate Christmas, but we do and we should express our good wishes to our neighbors in their holidays. It is important in a pluralistic society that people of different faith live in peace and harmony, allow people of all faiths to practice their faith freely and to wish them well.
Christmas is, however, about Jesus –peace be upon him- and is celebrated in his name. It is unfortunate that in the noise of celebration: Christmas lights, Christmas tree, Santa Clause and varieties of gifts and foods, the true message of Jesus is lost. Not too many people talk of his real message and mission. I would like to focus on the Mission and Message of Sayyidna ‘Isa –may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Jesus -peace be upon him- was a great Messenger of Allah. In the Qur’an he is called ‘Isa. He is also known as al-Masih (the Christ) and Ibn Maryam (Son of Mary). He has many other beautiful names and titles in the Qur’an. His mother Mary or Maryam –peace be upon her- is also highly respected, loved and honored. Mary was a pious virgin who devoted her life in prayer and divine service. Allah’s angel one day visited her and gave her the good news of the birth of a blessed child. This was a miraculous birth as Mary was not a married woman. The Qur’an says that the virgin birth of Jesus was ‘a sign’ (ayah) of Allah. Christians took the virgin birth as ‘incarnation’ (God becoming a human being or the birth of the Son of God); Muslims take it as a special miracle. Some Prophets and Messengers were given special miracles according to the needs and challenges of their times. Since Jesus’ contemporaries used to deny the existence of spirit, they were shown the presence and the power of divine spirit by this unique birth. Jesus also performed many other miracles, such as bringing back to life some dead persons, healing the blind and lepers, speaking about the hidden things. Through all these miracles Allah showed to Jesus’ contemporaries that material was not the only thing. There is something beyond the material that must be recognized. Jesus reminds us about the power of Divine Spirit. The Qur’an emphasizes that Jesus performed all miracles not by his power but by the power of Allah and by the permission granted to him by Allah at a particular time and situation.
The Qur’an emphasizes that Jesus was sent to invite his people to the worship of One God, to do the righteous deeds and be kind and loving to others. He reminded his people to pay attention not only to the letters of the laws but also to the spirit of the laws. His message is summarized in the following beautiful words of Allah:
قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا {30}وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا {31}وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا {32}وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا {33}ذَٰلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ {34}مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ ۖ سُبْحَانَهُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ {35}وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ {مريم 30-36}
He said, ‘I am a servant of Allah. He has granted me the Book, made me a Prophet, made me blessed wherever I may be. He commanded me to pray, to give charity as long as I live and to be kind to my mother. He did not make me domineering or graceless. Peace was on me the day I was born, and will be on me the day I shall die and the day I am raised up to live.’ Such was Jesus son of Mary. This is a statement of the Truth about which they are in doubt. It would not befit Allah to give a child. He is far above that: when He decrees something, He says only ‘Be,’ and it is. Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him: that is a straight path . (Maryam 19:30-36)
Jesus’ original teachings were not preserved in his own words and language; we only have in Greek translation what he most probably said. Some of his sayings and speeches even in the translation are very beautiful and powerful. These teachings are good for all people and for all times. I wish we all pay attention to the following words at this time. In his famous Sermon on the Mount he is reported to have said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)
Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:17-19)
( Khutbah at ISOC – Muharram 18, 1432/ December 24, 2010)
