The Muslim Jesus

Abstract

The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature. Translated and edited by Tarif Khalidi. Convergences: Inventories of Present. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. Pp. viii + 245. $22.95 (cloth). Tarif Khalidi, professor of Arabic at University of Cambridge, has assembled very valuable collection of sayings and stories-303 in number-of Jesus in Arabic Islamic literature. The sources scanned reach from second to twelfth Islamic centuries (eighth to eighteenth centuries C.E.). The book consists of comprehensive and illuminating fifty-page introduction, 303 items in chronological order of their sources, and brief helpful comments (on sources, parallels, and function in Islamic discourse) appended to each item. Notes, bibliography, and two indexes close volume. The Qur'anic references to Jesus form basis of his later manifestations in Islamic literature. The Qur'anic Jesus is controversial made to distance himself from doctrines that his community is said to hold of him (p. 12) who has little in common with Jesus of Gospels, canonical or apocryphal (p. 16). In subsequent Muslim literature, however, much richer picture is found, owing to increasing contacts between Muslims and Christians. In authoritative Hadith collections Jesus comes to play part in scenario of last things, but in this role he remains a somewhat distant figure of no immediate or pragmatic moral relevance to Muslim (p. 26). This portrait of Jesus is deliberately ignored by Khalidi, who includes none of eschatological material in his collection. he focuses instead on another Muslim Jesus who is encountered in works of popular piety and asceticism and in genre called Tales of Prophets, where he was a living moral force (p. 26). The sayings and stories of this Jesus are called the Muslim gospel by Khalidi. The designation is not inappropriate. A reader with some knowledge of Synoptic Gospels will find lot of familiar stuff, especially sayings related to Sermon on Mount, though mostly with an Islamic twist; for some, combination of familiar and alien elements in Gospel of Thomas will come to mind as an analogy. Concern with poor and opposition to scholars who compromise their religious calling are in focus; Jesus plays role in intra-Muslim polemics, being subtly used by early ascetics against religious scholars who had allied themselves with worldly power (pp. 31f). Increasingly Jesus comes to be portrayed as an extrarigorous ascetic (from NT perspective he seems to have switched roles with John Baptist, who also puts in an appearance, often being more relaxed character of two). Another popular role for Jesus is that of miracle worker (which includes curious cases of casual resurrections), but he also appears as doctor who helps people by giving them rational guidance in matters of health. It is obvious that large part from material has its origin in Christian sources (though much that is rooted in Hellenistic civilization in general is also present), but it has been molded in an Islamic environment. Jesus is always identified as Muslim prophet, on occasion reciting Qur'an, praying in Muslim manner, and going on pilgrimage to Mecca. …