As a theologian, I’ve always been fascinated by the diverse perspectives on Jesus Christ across different faith traditions. Recently, I had the opportunity to engage with a brother from IERA Ghana, who handed me some flyers to read about Islamic perspectives on Jesus. The more I read, the more questions I had, and I couldn’t wait to go back and engage with him further.
The flyers provided a comprehensive overview of the Islamic view of Jesus, highlighting his importance as a prophet in Islam. I was intrigued by the parallels between Christian and Islamic teachings on Jesus’ miraculous birth and his role as a messenger of God. However, I also had some questions and concerns about the differences in our understanding of Jesus’ divinity and crucifixion.
I decided to pay a visit to my new friend from IERA Ghana, eager to understand more about the Islamic perspective on Jesus. As we sat down, I asked him to share with me the Islamic view of Jesus’ birth. He explained that in Islam, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and that his birth was a miracle of God, just as it is in Christianity. He referenced the Quranic account of Jesus’ birth in Surah Maryam, which describes the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary and the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception.
I was struck by the similarities between our faith traditions and asked him to elaborate on the Islamic understanding of Jesus’ role as a prophet. He explained that in Islam, Jesus was sent by God to guide the children of Israel and to call them to worship one God. He emphasized that Jesus’ message was not to introduce a new God, but to remind people of the one true God, who is the same God worshiped by Abraham, Moses, and other prophets in the Bible.
As our conversation progressed, I asked him about the Islamic perspective on the crucifixion of Jesus. He explained that in Islam, Jesus was not crucified, but rather, God took him up to heaven, saving him from the clutches of his enemies. He referenced the Quranic verse that says, “And [for claiming that] they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of God. In fact, they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them” (Quran 4:157).
Our discussion was enlightening, and I appreciated the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Islamic perspective on Jesus
