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WeBelieve in

Jesus

By: Soliman H. Al-But'he

@The Int'l Publishing House for Islamic books, 1998 .

King Fahd National Library Cataloging In Pub­

lication Data

AI-But'he, Soliman

We Believe in Jesus. - Riyadh.

32 P., 12X17 Cm.

ISBN: 996o-672-00-X

1- Christ in Qur'an

2-lslam and Christianity.

I - Title

229,5 dc

Legal Deposit No. 0372119

ISBN: 9960-672-00-X

0372119

@Copyright

All rights reserved, except for reprinting this booklet forDa'wah purpose only on the condition Ll}at no changes,addition or omission is introduced.

Table of Contents

~03~03

Foreword 1

Virgin Mary 3

Miraculous Birth of Jesus 5

Jesus, Son of Mary 9

The Mission of Jesus 13

Jesus Was Raised up to Heaven 18

Conclusion 21

The Criteria for Truth 24

References ' 27

We Believe in Jesus

Foreword

1

We present this information so that on the dayof Resurrection, God will not accuse us ofhiding the Truth. In such pursuit, we do notseek the pleasure, praise or approval of anyperson, but only the pleasure of God. TheNoble Qur'an (in the verse which is translatedas follows) states:

"Say (0 Muslims): We believe in Allahand that which has been sent down to usand that which has been sent down toAbraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and thetribes, and that which has been given toMoses andJesus, and that which has beengiven to (all) prophets from their Lord.We make no distinction between any ofthr:m, and to Him (Allah) we submit."[Qur'an 2:136].

1 Foreword

As Muslims, we believe in One Creator, in allHis prophets, including Jesus (peace be uponhim) whom we consider as one of the mightiestprophets of Allah. We also accept that he wasthe Messiah as well as the Word of Allah, andthat he was born miraculously without anymale intervention. Weare also certain that hegave life to the dead by Allah's permission, andthat he healed those born blind and the lepersby Allah's permission.' The Noble Qur'an,among other revealed books, highlights theimportant aspects of Jesus' (peace be upon him)mother, his birth, his mission and his ascent toHeaven.

We Believe in [esus 3

Virgin Mary

The story of Jesus (peace be upon him) in theNoble Qur'an starts with the conception of hismother, Mary, when the wife of Imran, Mary'smother, vowed to dedicate her child to theworship of Allah in the Temple. This ismentioned in the verses (which are translated asfollows):

CWhen the wife of Imran said: co myLord! I dedicate to you what is in mywomb for your service. So accept this ofme. Indeed you are the All-Hearing (and)All-Knowing'. When she was delivered ofher, she said: CI have delivered a femalechild - and Allah knew best what shebrought forth - and the male is not as thefemale. And I have named her Mary, andI seek refuge with You for her and heroffspring from Satan, the outcast.' So herLord accepted her with kind acceptance,and made her grow in a good manner,

4 Virgin Mary

and entrusted her to the care ofZakariya.Whenever Zakariya entered upon her inthe sanctuary, he found her with food. Hesaid: '0 Mary! From where comes to youthis (food)?' She said: 'it is from Allah.Indeed Allah provides sustenance towhom He wills, without measure'."[Qur'an 3: 35-37].

The Noble Qur'an has stated that the AlmightyAllah chose Mary, purified and raised her above

all other women of the world. This ismentioned in the following verses (which are

translated as follows):

''And when the angels said: '0 Mary!Indeed Allah has chosen you and purifiedyou and chosen you above the women ofthe worlds. 0 Mary! Be obedient to yourLord, prostrate yourself and bow withthose who bow (in prayer)'."[Qur'an 3:42-43].

We Believe in Jesus

Miraculous Birth ofJesus (peace be upon him)

5

Concerning the birth of Jesus (peace be uponhim), Allah says thru chapter Mary in theNoble Qur'an (which is translated as follows):

"And mention in the Book (the story of)Mary, when she withdrew from herfamily to a place toward the east. Andshe placed a screen (to seclude herself)from them. Then We sent to her OurSpirit (Gabriel), and he appeared beforeher as a well-proportioned man. She said:cIndeed I seek refuge from you in (Allah)the Most Gracious. (So leave me) ifyoufear Allah'. He said: CI am only amessenger from your Lord, to announce toyou the gift ofa righteous son.' She said:CHow shall I have a son while no manhas touched me, neither have I been

6 Miraculous Birth a/Jesus

unchastef He said: 'So (it will be). YourLord said: It is easy for Me, and We shallmake of him a miracle for mankind anda Mercy from Us, and it is a thingordained'. So she conceived him, and shewithdrew with him to a remote place.And the pains ofchildbirth drove her tothe trunk of a palm tree. She said: 'Ah!Would that I had died before this andhad become a thing forgotten and out ofsight! Then he (the baby) cried to herfrom below her, saying: 'Grieve not! YourLord has placed a rivulet beneath you.And shake the trunk of the palm treetoward you, it will drop on you fresh ripe­dates. So eat and drink and be consoled.And if you meet any human, say: I havevowed a fast to (Allah) the MostGracious, so I shall not speak this day toany human'. Then she brought him (thebaby) to her people, carrying him. Theysaid: '0 Mary! Indeed you have come

We Believe in Jesus

with an amazing (unprecedented) thing.o sister ofAaron1! Your father was not a

man of evil nor was your mother anunchaste woman'. Then she pointed tohim. They said: CHow can we talk to onewho is a child in the cradler He (thechild) said: CI am indeed a slave ofAllah.He has given me the Book and made mea prophet. And He has made me blessedwheresoever I may be, and has enjoinedupon me Prayer and Charity as long as Ilive. And (He has made me) dutiful to mymother, and not arrogant (and) unblessed.And peace be upon me the day I wasborn, and the day I shall die, and the dayI shall be raised to lifer Such was Jesus,son of Mary: (this is) a statement oftruthabout which they dispute. It befits not(the Majesty of ) Allah that He shouldbeget a son. Glory be to Him! When he

-------- -------

IA pious man in the time of Mary.

7

8 Miraculous Birth ofJesus

decrees a thing, He says to it only: Be!and it is. And aesus said): cVerily Allahis my Lord and your Lord. So worshipHim (Alone). This is the RightPath'.'[Qur'an 19: 16-36]

We Believe in Jesus

Jesus (peace be upon him),Son of Mary

9

The Church maintains that Jesus (peace beupon him) is the "Only-Begotten Son" of Allahand that Allah Himself, consists of three parts:the Son, the Father and the "Holy Ghost"-- allat the same time! The Catholics furtheremphasize the divinity of Mary as the "Motherof God". Islam rejects all these concepts intotality. Allah says in the Noble Qur'an (thruthe verses which are translated as follows):

"They surely disbelieve who say that Allah isthe Messiah, son ofMary. But the Messiah said:'0 Children ofIsrael! Worship Allah, my Lordand your Lord. Verily, whoever ascribespartners to Allah, for him Allah has forbiddenParadise. And his abode is the Fire. So for evil­doers (polytheists) there will be no helpers'.They surely disbelieve who say that Allah is

10 jesus Son 0/Mary

one of three (in a Trinity), for there is no godexcept One God (Allah). And if they do notdesist from what they say, surely a painfultorment will befall on those of them whodisbelieve. Will they not rather repent to Allahand seek forgiveness ofHim? For Allah is Oft­Forgiving (and) Most Merciful. The Messiah,son of Mary was no more than a messenger (ofAllah); many were the messengers that passedaway before him. And his mother was arighteous woman. They both used to eat (their)food. See how We make the Signs (therevelations) clear for them, and again see howthey are deluded away (from the truth}!"[Qur'an 5: 72-75J.

The Muslims rather contend that themiraculous birth of Jesus (peace be upon him)without a father does not make him a God or a"begotten" son of Allah. Allah states in theNoble Qur'an (which are translated as follows):

We Believe in Jesus 11

c'And they say: cAllah has begouen a son. ~ BeHe glorified! Nay~ to Him belongs all that is inthe heavens and the earth. All are subservientto Him. The Originator ofthe heavens and theearth! When He decrees a thing~ He says to itonly: Be! and it is. £Qur~an 2: 116-117].

Allah further says in the Noble Qur'an (whichare translated as follows):

CCSay: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the Eternal,Absolute! He begets not, nor was He begouen.And there is none comparable to Him~'.

£Qur'an 112:1-4].

The birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) was notany more supernatural than the creation of ourfather, Adam. Allah cites this in the NobleQur'an as follows:

12 Jesus Son ofMary

~7ndeed the likeness ofJesus before Allah is thatof Adam. He created him from dust, then saidto him: Be! and he is."[Qur'an 3: 59].

We Believe in Jesus

The Mission ofJesus (peace be upon him)

13

Our Creator sent prophets to show mankindthe right path. Jesus (peace be upon him) wasone of those messengers that Allah had preparedto be sent to the Jews (Children of Israel) whohad deviated from the teachings of ProphetMoses (peace be upon him). Allah taught himthe Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospeland supported him with numerous miracles to

prove that he was a messenger from Allah. Inthe Noble Qur'an Allah says:

«(And remember) when the angels said: '0Mary! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidingsof a Word from Him: his name will be theMessiah, Jesus son ofMary. (He will be) held inhonor in this world and the Hereafter, and willbe one of those near (to Allah). He will speak tothe people in (his) cradle and in (his) manhood,and he is ofthe righteous '. She said: 'My Lord!

14 The Mission ofjesus

How shall I have a son while no man hastouched me'? He said: 'So (it will be). Allahcreates what He will. IfHe decrees a thing, Hesays to it only: Be! and it is. And He will teachhim aesus) the Book and wisdom, and theTorah and the Gospel. And (will make him) amessenger to the Children of Israel, (saying):Indeed I come to you with a sign from yourLord. I fashion for you out ofclay the figure ofa bird, and breathe into it, and it is by Allah'sleave. And I heal the born blind and the leper,and raise the dead, by Allah's leave. And Iinform you of what you eat and what you storeup in your houses. Surely herein is a sign foryou if you are believers. And (I come)confirming that which was before me oftheTorah, and to make lawful some ofthat whichwas forbidden to you; and I come to you with asign from your Lord. So fear Allah and obeyme'." fQur'an 3: 45-50).

It must be realized that while Muslims believethat Jesus (peace be upon him) was given Allah's

We Belif:Ue in Jesus 15

so-called "Good News", we do not recognizethe present "Four Gospels" as the utterances ofJesus (peace be upon him) himself. Even theChurch concedes that four different men wrotethe "Four Gospels", but continues to upholdthat they were divinely iIispired, an assertionfirmly rejected by us. It can be argued that if thefour writers were divinely inspired, then whyare there so many serious discrepancies andomissions in their respective individual accountsof the life of Jesus (peace be upon him)?

Another mission of Jesus (peace be upon him)was to tell the people about the coming of thefinal prophet after him. The Almighty Allahaffirms in the Noble Qur'an:

"And (remember) when Jesus son ofMary said:'0 Children of Israel! Indeed I am themessenger ofAllah (sent) to you, confirming theTorah (which came) before me, and givingglad tidings of a messenger to come after me,

16 The Mission olJesus

whose name is Ahmad!l. But when he came to

them with clear proofs, they say: This is meremagic". [Qur'an 61: 6]

The New Testament speaks of the coming of a"Comforter" after the ministry of Jesus (peacebe upon him) as culled from Ch_apter 14: Verse16: of the Bible's King James Version whichsays: " And I will ask the Father, and He willgive you another Comforter (Counselor,Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener andStandby) that he may remain with you forever."In Vlew of such biblical account, someChristians believe or are made to believe thatthe promised "Comforter" is the "Holy Spirit".But this view is moot and in fact unacceptablebecause the "Holy Spirit" was already presentduring Jesus' (peace be upon him) ministry, andits coming was not a future event. TheMuslims, therefore. believe that the term

1The second name of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It

Iiterallv means "'One who praises Allah more than others"

We Believe in Jesus 17

"Comforter" by necessity refers to a prophet.The prophet was Muhammad (peace be uponhim), the unlearned prophet, the sole prophetwho brought with him a complete,comprehensive revelation from Allah, whichhas been preserved as it was revealed to himoriginally, challenging the whole-world to comeup with one chapter like it. Yet the world couldnever meet the challenge, and it will remain to

be so 'till the end of time. It is the Miracle ofMiracles, the Last Testament of faith addressedto the whole world embodying complete lightand guidance as well as the conviction of sin.

18 We Believe in Jesus

Jesus (peace ~e upon him)Was Raised Up To Heaven

Jesus (peace be upon him) was followed by afew disciples who were inspired by Allah to

support him. And not only that, the non­believers plotted to kill Jesus (peace be uponhim), but Allah had a better plan for him andhis followers as the Noble Qur'an tells us (inthe verses which are translated as follows):

"But when Jesus became conscious of theirdisbelief, he said: eWho will be my helpers inthe cause of Allah'? The Disciples said: eWewill be Allah's helpers. We believe in Allah,and bear you witness that we are Muslims.Our Lord! We believe in that which youhave revealed and we follow the messenger.Then write us down among those who bearwitness'. And they (the disbelievers) planned(to kill Jesus), and Allah planned (againstthem): and Allah is the best ofplanners. (And

Jesus Was Raised up to Heaven 19

remember) when Allah said: 0 Jesus! I willtake you and raise you to Myself, and cleanseyou of those who disbelieve; and I will makethose who follow (you) superior to those whodisbelieve until the Day ofResurrection. Thento me you will (all) return, and I will judgebetween you as to that wherein you used todiffer. And as for those who disbelieve I willpunish them with severe torment in this worldand the Hereafter; and they will have nohelpers". fQur'an 3: 52-56].

As the above verses indicate, Jesus was raised upto Heaven, which means that in accordancewith the Noble Qur'an, he was not crucified. Itwas the plan of the enemies of Jesus (peace beupon him) to put him to death on the cross, butAllah saved him and somebody else who lookedlike him was crucified in his place. This plotand the false accusations hurled against Maryare, by Quranic account, considered to be someof the sins by the non-believing Jews. All of this

20 We Believe in jesus

IS made clear in the verses (which are translatedas follows):

"And because of their disbelief and of theirspeaking against Mary a grave calumny; andbecause of their saying: 'we slew the Messiah,Jesus Son of Mary, Allah's messenger'-- Theyslew him not nor crucified him, but it appearedso to them. And those who disagree concerningit are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledgetheu..of save pursuit of a conjecture. For ofasuretY they slew him not; but Allah took himup to Himself Allah is Almighty (and) All­Wise. And there is none of the people of theBook (the Jews and Christians) but will believein him before his death, and on the Day ofResurrection he will be a wimess againstthem". [Qur'an 4: 156-159].

We Believe In Jesus

Conclusion

21

Finally, we testify that there is no god exceptAllah and there is none worthy of worshipexcept Him. We believe he has no partners, andthat Muhammad is His slave and Hismessenger. Weare also certain that Jesus, son ofMary is Allah's slave, His messenger, His word(Be! and he was) which He bestowed on Maryand a spirit created by Him. We accept that allprophets are brothers and that there is nodifference among their religion, which is onereligion, "AI-Islam (or belief in the oneness ofAllah)". We attest that the Paradise is true, theHell-fire is true, and that Allah, on the day ofreckoning, will resurrect mankind from thegraves. As Allah says in The Noble Qur'an(which is translated as follows):

We (Allah) has ordained for you the samereligion as that which He ordained to Noah,and that which We inspired in you(Muhammad), and that which We ordained toAbraham and Moses and Jesus, saying:

22 Conclusion

Establish the religion, and make no divisionstherein. To those who worship other thingsthan Allah, dreadful is that to which you callthem. Allah chooses for Himself whom He will,and guides to Himself him who turns (inrepentance to Him)". [Qur'an 4: 2-13].

This is our message, and the Muslim nation willbear witness on the Day of Judgement that itconveyed the message of Truth and left it uponeach and every person to accept or renounce it,follow the truth or remain in darkness. TheAlmighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

"Allah! There is no god except Him, theLiving, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleepovertakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is inthe heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whois he that intercedes. with Him except by Hisleave? He knows that which is in front of themand that which is behind them. But theyencompass nothing of His Knowledge exceptwhat He will. His Kursi (footstool or chair)extends over the heavens and the earth, and He

We Believe in Jesus 23

is never weary of preserving them. He is theMost High (and) the Supreme. There is nocompulsion in Religion. Verily, the Right Pathhas become distinct from the wrong path."lQur'an 2 : 255-256J.

24 We Believe in Jesus

The Criteria for Truth

How do we know that a revelation such as theQur'an, is the true word of God?The authenticity of a divine disclosure is bestdetennined by judging it against the criteria setopposite the truthfulness of a divine divulgencesuch as the following:1. Rational Teachings:Since God bestowed reason and intellect onmankind, it is our Guty to use it to themaximum to discern truth from falsehood. Andso far, the true and undistoned revelation fromGod must be logical and one that could appealto and be rationalized by all fair-minded people.2. Perfection:Considering that God is all-perfect, it followsthat His revelation must also be perfect andaccurate, free from mistakes, omISSIOns,interpolations and multiplicity of versions. In

other words, it must be faultless in the sensethat it is devoid of errors in the fonn ofinconsistencies as well as contradictions.

The Crllerz..l for Truth 25

3. No Myths or Superstitions:True revelation from God is free from myths orsuperstitions that degrade the dignity of God orman.4. Scientific:As God is the source of all knowledge, truerevelation must be scientific and can withstandthe challenge of science at all times.5. Prophecy:God is the Knower of the past, present andfuture. Thus His Prophecies in His revelationwill be fulfilled as prophesied.6. Inimitable by Man:True revelation from God is infallible andcannot be imitated by man. God's truerevelation is a Living Miracle, an open Bookchallenging all mankind to see and prove forthemselves its perfection.

So, give yourself a chance to read the Qur'anfor you have nothing to lose, yet everythingto gain!

26 We Believe In Jesus

For further information please contact:

AL-HARAMAIN FOUNDATIONPO Box 92684, Riyadh 11663

Tel: (966) 1465-2210 Fax: (966) 1 462-3306Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

OrAL-HARAMAIN FOUNDATION, USA

Islamic Educational Center of America1257 Siskiyo'.l Blvd. # 212

Tel: (541) 482-1116 Fax: (541) 482-1117Ashland, OR 97520, USA

E-Mail: haramain@alharamain.orghttp/ /www.alharamain.org

References

References

Interpretation of the Meanings of the NobleQur'an, Printed in 1993Translated by:Dr. Muhanunad Taqi-ud-Din AI-HilalProfessor ofIslamic Faith and TeachingsIslamic University, AI-Madina, AI-MunawwaraKingdom of Saudi Arabia

27

The Holy Bible, N~w International VersionCopyright 1973, 1978, 1984,By: International Bible SocietyUsed permission of Zondervan Publishing HouseGrand Rapids, MI 49530, USA

The Amplified Bible, Expanded EditionCopyright 1987 by the Zondervan CorporationAnd the Lockman Foundation

Alharamain Islamic FoundationHead Office

P.O.Box:69606 Riyadh 11557Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Phone: 966-14652210 Fax:966-14623306E-mail:Kitab@a1haramain.org

Alharamain Educational Center USA1257 Siskiyou Blvd.#.212 Ashland, Oregon, 97520 USA

Phone: 1(541) 482-1116 Fax: 1 (541) 482-1117

Islamic Center Of Springfield1212 S. Grant Avenue

Springfield. Mo 65807 USAPhone: 417- 8631102

Httptfwww·aIharamain.org