Jesus in Islam

In Theology class, my professor asked us what seemed to be a simple question, but in fact it held a lot of meaning to people of all religions. This was my paper:

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The home which I was born into was of Islam, and my lessons from birth to now have had the message of Allah but that does not exclude me from learning about the great love Jesus held in his heart. In today’s world many people think Muslims and Christians have nothing in common, but that is far from the truth. Many of the great values on how one should live co-exist in both the Bible and the Quran. One of the most meaningful relations is the core story of Jesus, who is known as Isa in Arabic. Both Muslims like me and Christians like many of my fellow people of the world understand the miracles and the great teachings he has dealt to people in grave need. The difference between the views of Jesus between the two religions is that in Islam he is a human prophet sent by God, and in Christianity he is a part of God himself. Another point of separation is that in Islam we do not believe Jesus was resurrected; rather we believe he ascended into the heavens.

In the Quran it states “…and surely they slew him not. But Allah (God) raised him unto Himself.” Allah viewed Jesus as a loyal prophet who was a fair judge and just ruler. On a personal level I certainly have great admiration for Jesus and the work he has done for humanity with both spiritual and physical methods. He made the lives of people in hardships a great one. He gave them reasons to move forward and not stand still and do nothing to advance their knowledge. To me, I understand why Allah sent him to earth. His prophecy was needed during this time because of the extensive amounts of injustice. I am also grateful of Jesus because he will return in the future to end all wars so there will be world peace. With the amount of trouble in the world today, many wish his return would be sooner rather than later.

I love Moses, I love Noah, I love Mary, and I certainly love Jesus. The great people of our pasts should be loved by all people disregarding the fact that I am Muslim or that you are Christian. The prophets and the noble people in our sacred history have paved us a path where we can live together, but it is our duty to make the interaction peaceful. The pious mother of Jesus, Mary is a great figure in Islam and is known for her helpful and understanding nature. Her son Jesus helped the sick and taught the illiterate with the help of Allah and the world will forever be thankful.