A Reflection on the Islamic Portrait of Jesus

Abstract

When the name ‘Jesus’ is mentioned, one’s instant thought turns towards Christianity. Discourses on Jesus are made often with reference to Christendom. No doubt, Christianity has volumes to say about God and man; crucial claims are made about the meanings of life and the significance of death. The distinctive nature isn’t only about these crucial insights, but the process in which they were known. The Christian faith is based on the personhood of Jesus Christ. This is because the Christian understanding of God and man arises from the Christian understanding of the identity of Jesus Christ as a God-man. There have been several attempts by scholars to study the person and importance of Jesus. Nevertheless, a Christian searches the Bible for answers. This article takes a wide angle lens in the sense that its periscope includes the Quranic account of Jesus with the aim of ascertaining Jesus’ identity. Jesus is confirmed by both religion and non-religious historians to have lived historically. Christians adhere strictly to the messianic role and other significant theological events like the cross which upholds the Christian faith, but, Islam presents Jesus as a man (though with high honour and relevance) who lived specially as a prophetic bridge leading to Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, Islam makes it extremely necessary to emphasize and re-emphasize the fact that Jesus Christ, the Messiah did not come merely to teach and heal, but to redeem people from their sins.