SPIRIT OF ISLAM DECEMBER 2018

9 Spirit of Islam Issue 72 December 2018 for this, but warned them of God’s wrath, if they disbelieved in Him afterwards, His prayer was then answered and his disciples happily had their feast. Yet, despite these clear signs, the Israelites rejected him, accusing him of sorcery. They made clear their outright disbelief in him when he said to them, “I am sent to you by God, confirming the Torah that came before me and bringing good news of a messenger to follow me, whose name will be Ahmad.” (61: 6) (Ahmad is another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning “The Praised One”). They even tried to kill Jesus, but God saved him at the last minute by raising him up to the sky: “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been so].” (4: 157) The Quran further clarifies that his creation was no different from that of the first human being: “Jesus in the sight of God is like Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be!’ and he was.” (3: 59) Jesus taught no false worship, but only preached the unity of his Creator. On the Day of Judgement, God will question him: “Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to people, ‘Take me and my mother as two deities besides God?’” Jesus will disclaim this, saying: “Glory be to You! How could I ever say that to which I have no right?” (5: 116) And he will add: “I told them only what You commanded me to, ‘Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’” (5: 117) The Quran mentions: “Of the People of the Book there are some who stand by their covenant; they recite the word of God during the night and prostrate themselves before Him, who believe in God and the Last Day, who enjoin justice and forbid evil and vie with each other in good works. These are righteous men.” (3: 113-14) The Quran welcomes them to a common faith, saying: “People of the Book, let us come to a word common to us that we shall worship none but God and that we shall associate no partner with Him and that none of us shall take others, besides God, for lords.” (3: 64) o Mary, the mother of Jesus, described in Quran as “one exalted above all womankind,” has a whole chapter of the Quran (number 19) named after her, which tells of the miraculous birth of Jesus.