Jesus in Islam (عيسى ابن مريم)
Muslims love and revere Jesus (Isa) as one of the mightiest prophets of God. He is mentioned 25 times in the Quran — more than Muhammad (ﷺ). Here is what Islam truly says about him.
What Muslims Believe About Jesus
- ✓Jesus (Isa) is one of the greatest prophets of God
- ✓He was born miraculously to the Virgin Mary (Maryam)
- ✓He is the Messiah (Al-Masih) — the anointed one
- ✓He performed miracles by Allah's permission
- ✓He was NOT God, NOT the Son of God, and NOT part of a Trinity
- ✓He was NOT crucified — Allah raised him up alive
- ✓He WILL return before the Day of Judgment
- ✓His message was the same as every prophet: worship God alone
Key Quran Verses About Jesus
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
Idh qaalatil malaa'ikatu yaa Maryamu innallaaha yubashshiruki bi Kalimatim minhu ismuhul Maseehu 'Eesab-nu Maryama wajeehan fid dunyaa wal aakhirati wa minal muqarrabeen
When the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary — distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]."
قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّۭا وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّۭا وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّارًۭا شَقِيًّۭا وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّۭا
Qaala innee 'abdullaahi aataaniyal Kitaaba wa ja'alanee Nabiyyaa. Wa ja'alanee mubaarakan aynama kuntu wa awsaanee bis Salaati waz Zakaati maa dumtu hayyaa. Wa barram biwaalidatee wa lam yaj'alnee jabbaaran shaqiyyaa. Wassalaamu 'alayya yawma wulidtu wa yawma amootu wa yawma ub'athu hayyaa
He said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I remain alive. And [He made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."
وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ
Wa idh qaalal laahu yaa 'Eesab-na Maryama a'anta qulta linnaasit takhidhoonee wa ummiya ilaahaini min doonil laah; qaala Subhaanaka maa yakoonu lee an aqoola maa laisa lee bihaqq
And when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?"' He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right."
إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ
Innamal Maseehu 'Eesab-nu Maryama Rasoolul laahi wa Kalimatuhoo alqaahaa ilaa Maryama wa roohum minh
The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ
Wa maa qataloohu wa maa salaboohu wa laakin shubbiha lahum
And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him — but it was made to appear so to them.
Mary (Maryam) in Islam
Maryam (Mary) is the most honored woman in Islam. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the entire Quran. An entire surah — Surah Maryam (Chapter 19) — is named after her.
The Quran describes her as chosen above all women:
وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Wa idh qaalatil malaa'ikatu yaa Maryamu innal laahastafaaki wa tahharaki wastafaaki 'alaa nisaa'il 'aalameen
"And when the angels said, 'O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of all the worlds.'"
The Miracles of Jesus in the Quran
Virgin Birth
Born without a father — by Allah's command "Be, and it is" (Quran 3:47). His mother Mary (Maryam) is the most honored woman in the Quran — an entire surah (Surah 19) is named after her.
Speaking as a Newborn
Spoke from the cradle to defend his mother against accusations (Quran 19:30-33). His first words were: "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah."
Healing the Blind and Lepers
Cured the blind and those with leprosy by Allah's permission (Quran 3:49).
Raising the Dead
Brought the dead back to life by Allah's permission (Quran 3:49). Every miracle was by God's power, not his own.
The Table from Heaven
His disciples asked for a table spread with food from heaven as a sign. Allah sent it down (Quran 5:112-115). An entire surah — Al-Ma'idah (The Table) — is named after this event.
Creating Life from Clay
Fashioned a bird from clay and breathed into it, and it became a living bird — by Allah's permission (Quran 3:49).
Important: Muslims believe all of Jesus' miracles were performed by Allah's permission (bi-idhnillah) — not by Jesus' own power. This is the key distinction from the Christian view.
Is Jesus God? — The Islamic Answer
This is the central question that separates Islam from Christianity. The Islamic answer is clear and respectful: No — Jesus was not God. He was one of the greatest prophets ever sent, the Messiah, born of a virgin, and a worker of mighty miracles — but he was a servant of God, not God Himself.
The Quran presents this as what Jesus himself would say. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will ask Jesus directly — and his answer will be:
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ
Maa qultu lahum illaa maa amartanee bihee ani'budullaaha Rabbee wa Rabbakum
"I said not to them except what You commanded me — to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord."
Muslims believe this is exactly what the historical Jesus taught: pure monotheism, worship of the One God, without any intermediary. The concept of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, Muslims believe, came from later councils and theologians — not from Jesus himself.
The Return of Jesus
Both Muslims and Christians believe Jesus will return — but the Islamic narrative is distinct. According to Islamic tradition, Jesus will:
- ✦Descend near a white minaret east of Damascus, Syria
- ✦Defeat the Dajjal (the false messiah / Antichrist)
- ✦Break the cross — rejecting the crucifixion narrative
- ✦Abolish the jizya — meaning all will accept Islam
- ✦Establish justice and peace on earth for 40 years
- ✦Marry, have children, and die a natural death
- ✦Be buried next to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in Medina
Source: Sahih Muslim 2937, Sahih Al-Bukhari 3448, and other authenticated narrations.
What Language Did Jesus Speak?
Jesus (Isa) spoke Aramaic — a Semitic language closely related to both Hebrew and Arabic. Aramaic was the everyday language of the common people in Palestine during the 1st century CE, while Hebrew was used mainly in religious contexts and Greek was the administrative language of the Roman Empire.
This is significant because Aramaic, Hebrew, and Arabic all come from the same Semitic language family. The word for God in Aramaic is "Alaha" — strikingly similar to the Arabic "Allah" (الله). When Jesus prayed to God, the word he used was essentially the same word Muslims use today.
The Gospels preserve some of Jesus' original Aramaic words: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani" (Matthew 27:46) and "Talitha kumi" (Mark 5:41). These fragments confirm Aramaic was his mother tongue. He likely also understood Hebrew (used in synagogue readings) and may have known some Greek for trade.
For Muslims, this linguistic connection reinforces a key point: Jesus spoke a language from the same family as Arabic, called God by a name nearly identical to Allah, and preached a message of pure monotheism — the same message the Quran carries in Arabic.
A Bridge, Not a Wall
Jesus is not a point of division between Muslims and Christians — he is a bridge. Both faiths love and honor him. The difference is not about his importance — it's about his nature.
Muslims believe Jesus was among the greatest human beings ever created — a prophet, a messiah, a healer, a teacher of pure monotheism. They reject only the claim that he was God, believing this diminishes God's majesty and was never part of Jesus' own message.
The Quran invites Christians to common ground:
قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍۢ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا
Qul yaa Ahlal Kitaabi ta'aalaw ilaa Kalimatin sawaa'im bainanaa wa bainakum allaa na'buda illallaaha wa laa nushrika bihee shai'aa
"Say, 'O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you — that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him.'"