Jesus in the World's Religions - Term Paper Example

Jesus in the Worlds Religions Introduction Jesus Christ of Nazareth is recognized as the saviour of the world in Christianity. The Christians also see Jesus as not only the saviour of the world, but also the manifestation of God the father in human form as they claim he is the second of the trinity, which makes him God the son. The Christians have a lot of perception about Jesus as they see him as not only the King of the Jews, but of the whole world. Christians also refer him as the saviour of the world and the manifestation of God on earth. The Christian perception of Jesus falls in contrast with the perception of other religion as most of the religions of the world do not perceive Jesus the way the Christians do. One of the religions that reckon with Jesus and even has his name in their holy book is Islam and it is pertinent to critically analyse and evaluate the perception of Jesus in Islam. Islam believes that Jesus is indeed someone that came to the world with a mission as they concede to the fact that he had a divine calling, but they differ with the Christian perception of Jesus in several numbers of ways (Rahman 1968, p16). The Muslims argue that Jesus is a prophet and not a God, like the Christians believe as the Qur’an has it that Jesus is a messenger of God like any other prophet before him and this is an opinion that the Christians consider rather sacrilegious. Islam also does not believe in the supernatural characteristics of Jesus as they claim that he died just like any other man. They claim that God would live forever and cannot die even if he came to earth to exist as a human being. Though, the Muslims agree that the conception of Jesus by the Virgin Mary was as a result of some supernatural manifestation, this does not give cause them to esteem him as God as they claim them Allah, which is the Islamic name for God is only one and does not share his glory with anyone. According to Parrinder, “Jesus is always spoken of in the Quran with reverence; there is no breath of criticism, for he is the Christ of God” (1965, p.16). This implies that the holy book of Islam, the Holy Qur’an recognize Jesus Christ as it mention the name of Jesus with honour and adoration. But it remains to be seen if Islam has the same perception of Jesus like Christianity as different Muslims have different perspective about Jesus. The Arabic name translation of Jesus is Isa and the name is so prominent that it appears about twenty five times in the Holy Qur’an, and the Qur’an also refers to Isa as the Messiah and the Son of Mary about ten different times (Parrinder, 1965 p.18). The fact that the Qur’an mentions Jesus as the Messiah does not mean that it fully recognized most of the miracles that he performed on earth as most of his great deeds were swept under the rug and this has far-reaching consequence for the Christian religion (Cragg, 1985, p.4). The perception of Jesus (Isa) in Islam would be broadly analyzed in the lines that follow. Jesus as a Jew Jesus Christ of Nazareth was seen more as a Jew that came to the world to achieve an aim and had a purpose that was designed by God and this is a fact that Islam agrees to. Islam believes that he was just like any other Jew before him that had divine power as they compare him to Jews like Moses, Aaron, Elijah, Daniel and John the Baptist. The Muslims believe that Jesus was to the Jews what Muhammad was to the Arabs, but they claim that Muhammad had a superior role to that of Jesus. The Muslims claim that calling Jesus the saviour of the world is undermining the importance of Muhammad as they argue that Jesus belonged to a line of Jewish prophets that cleared the way for the message that would be preached by Prophet Muhammad. Islam does not dispute the fact that Jesus belonged to the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They claim that the Jews have falsely established that their race is the most superior race by claiming that Isaac is the covenant child and so the saviour of the world had to come from his loins, the Muslims debunked this claim and argued that Ishmael is indeed the covenant child and so Prophet Muhammad was his descendant. Muslims agree that Jesus was born to a Virgin Mary around 4 BCE. The Muslims also believe that Jesus was just like any other Jew that had to go to the Jewish synagogues and listen to the teachings of the Rabbi from time to time. Muslim scholars opine that Jesus belonged to a line of Jewish scholars like Daniel that was knowledgeable and verse in the scriptures. They accept the fact that Jesus delivered messages in the synagogue with great understanding and they claimed he achieved this understanding by studying the scriptures diligently. Most Muslims belong to the school of thought that believe that Jesus received what they call ‘mystical power’ through his sojourn and interaction with the distinct cultures of China, India, Tibet, Saudi Arabia, Persia and Mesopotamia. Jesus as a prophet Islam believes that Jesus belonged to a line of prophets that spread the message of repentance and redemption to the people of the world. They believe that Jesus was a true prophet of God and nothing more. This is proved with the Qur’an categorically stating that Jesus is is the prophet and messenger of God. One issue that the Islam perceptions of Jesus contradict those of Christians is the latter’s claim that Jesus was not just a prophet, but the son of God (Lewis 1987, p.4). The Muslims have criticized this belief as they claim that Jesus was just a prophet of God with a message to save humanity from their sins. They claim that saying that Jesus was the son of God was over-inflating the status of Jesus as they have used several proofs to refute this claim. The Muslims defend their argument by referring Christians that cared to listen to a portion in the Holy Qur’an which says, “But said Christ: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah, - Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.” (Qur’an 5: 72). Islam sees Jesus as just any other prophet that was sent by God to give laws and ordinances to his people as they believed he belonged to the categories of Prophets like: Moses, Aaron, Joshua and John the Baptist. Muslims believe that Jesus had to be mortal and calling him the son of God was a religious sacrilege against the creator. According to the belief of Muslims, just as Moses was commissioned by God to give the infant Jewish nation the Ten Commandments, Jesus was appointed by God to preach the gospel to the Jewish nation that had their hearts drawn away from God. Muslims believe that Jesus was used as an instrument by God to deliver the message of Islam to the people of Israel and the entire world, a mission that was finally completed by Prophet Muhammad. Islam believes that the revelation of Jesus as a prophet was seen in the original Gospel of the Christian New Testament and they claim that Christians derailed from the original teachings of Jesus and tried to claim that he was not just a prophet as the Muslims believe, but the son of God (Zwemer 1912, p.45). The fact that Islam has an inferior perspective of Jesus does not actually mean that they do not revere Jesus as they indeed respect him as a prophet of God that achieved his aim and fulfilled his mission on earth. Though, the Qur’an does not accept some of the Christian theological traits of Jesus, the holy book however gives other good attributes of Jesus. The Qur’an calls him an Aya, which means that Jesus is a miracle of God as they recognize the fact that his conception and birth was borne out of the wonders of God. Islam also regards Jesus as a prophet that preached peace and not war. They believe that if Christians could embrace the tenets of the preaching of Jesus, they would not be at loggerheads with their Muslim brothers. The Muslims also recognize the fact that Jesus has the word of God with him and that he has the spirit of God in him. They believe that the fact that he has the word and spirit of God does not mean he is the word and the spirit of God like the Christians believes (Parrinder, 1965 p.49). Islam concludes that Jesus is the prophet that was given the mission to announce the coming of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad. In announcing the coming of Muhammad, Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is the harbinger of Islam as they believe that he played a part in setting the foundation of their religion. Islam recognize Jesus as a very special prophet to Allah, they also believe that he would come to the world again and establish the truth about his identity. Most Muslims believe that he would show the whole world that he was indeed a prophet and not the son of God like the Christians claim. Though, the Muslims claim to revere Jesus, they do not fully accept that he is the saviour of the world as they claim that no man or mortal can save the world except God himself, who is the creator of life (Goodwin, 1994, p. 188). The Qur’an also has it that it was God that protected Jesus and other prophets from committing sin. Similarly, some Islamic doctrines also have it that it was God that saved Jesus from the agony of being crucified on the cross as God does not abandon his prophets in their time of persecution and distress. In saving Jesus from the torture and anguish of dying on the cross, Islam maintains that God lifted him to heaven and replaced him with someone that resembled him to die in his place (Larson, 2005 p.2). The Muslims believe that the Christians speak blasphemy when they say that Jesus was killed by evil men and disregard his teachings when they say that he is the son of God (Larsson, 2005 p.2). Islam also has it that Jesus is not different from any other prophet before or after him as they claim that all prophets of God were Muslims and Jesus was no exception. They claim that Jesus practiced some of the things that were in line with the doctrine of Islam while on earth (Jomier, 1989 pp.140-148). They claim that Jesus had a very special role in Islam as his task was to prepare the way for the teachings of Muhammad. Islam maintains that the fact that did several miracles on earth does not make him God as they claim that God used several prophets before him to perform miracles. They claim that God would never come down to earth to perform wonders on earth when he can use his prophets to carry out his work. The Muslims are aware that the Christians have used the numerous miracles that were performed by Jesus to convince people of his divinity and they have tried to turn their eyes away from the many miracles performed by Jesus. The Muslims maintain that if it is accepted that Jesus is not a prophet but God himself, it simply means that the incarnation story must also be accepted. Jesus is seen as a servant and messenger of God by Islam and nothing more. The Qur’an has it that Jesus himself told his followers not to worship him, but honour the one and only true God. Muslims say that he was a mere prophet with special powers and was neither God nor the son of God like the Christians believe. Islam believed that Jesus worshipped Allah while on earth and so urge their Christian brothers to worship Allah, the one and only true God. Some Muslims have kicked against the belief of the Christians that Jesus died on the cross as they claim that God would never allow his beloved prophet to die such a painful death or die in the hands of his enemies. They also say that the fact that Christians concede that Jesus died on the cross means that he belonged to the category of martyrs that was slain for God. They say that if Jesus was God, he didn’t have to die, for how can the giver of life die? Jesus as a human and not God Islam believes more in the mortality of Jesus rather than the claim of Christians that he is the second in the trinity and God the son. Muslims argue that God cannot die and saying that Jesus, who was crucified on the cross of Calvary, was the son of God and God in human form was a religious anomaly. Islam is of the opinion that Jesus had to be human for him to die and that God can never die. They accuse Christian of showing God disrespect by saying that he died on the wooden cross fabricated by the hands of men (Catherwood 2003, p.79-80). The Qur’an makes it clear that Jesus was a mortal and human prophet that had his weaknesses. Though, they accept the fact that while Jesus was on earth he was sinless, but this they claim is not enough reason for Christians to claim that he is God. They believe that it was God that caused Jesus not to sin as he had no power of his own. The Muslims opine that the fact that Jesus was born through the same medium that other humans were born is enough reason to show that he was a mortal in all ramification. Some Muslims go further to say that if Jesus was not eventually crucified on the cross of Calvary that he would have ultimately grown old and died like any other human as they believe that the degeneration that comes with being old would have affected him too. The Muslims believe that God can never be born through humans that he created. They claim that Christians are just trying to blow the fact that Jesus was conceived miraculously out of proportion. The Muslims have seriously criticized the Christians belief that Jesus was God as they argue that God have never and would never share his divinity with anyone as he alone is God. They say God did not give birth to anyone, nor did any human give birth to him. The Muslims believe that the fact that Jesus had special powers does not make him more than any other human on earth as God gives power to who he so pleases and he chose to manifest his power in Jesus Christ. The divinity of Jesus and his role as the son of God was played down as the Qur’an does not state that God would beget any son (Parrinder, 1965 pp.75-80). They back this up with readings from the Qur’an which says that, “Say: He, Allah, is one. Allah is He on whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him.” (Quran 112: 1-4). Though, Islam accepts the Christian belief that Jesus was supernaturally born, but they claim that this does not mean that he is God or the son of God (Djaballah, 2004 p.19). Muslims have said that rather than the Christians engaging in verbal confrontations with them over the humanity of Christ, they should recognize the Islamic picture of Jesus as a very important and interesting subject of discourse. Islam has opened the door for sensible dialogue as the people of the world would love to know the truth on the humanity of Jesus (Robinson 1991, 29). Islam claim that God is one and not three like the Christians claim in their Principle of Trinity. Conclusion Different religions have different perceptive of Jesus and one of the religions that reckons more with Jesus is Islam. The people of the Islamic world see Jesus as a part of them and an instrument that Allah used to pass his message across to the people of the world. While Islam and Christianity have some similar perception of Jesus, the fact still remains that Islam see Jesus from a very different perspective from those of the Christians. Islam do not share the same religious sentiments that the Christians attach to Jesus as they do not believe in his divinity. Islam and Christianity share the same opinion about Jesus in the sense that they believe that he lived a holy life worthy of emulation while on earth. The Muslims also believe that he was born of the Virgin Mary. They also recognize the fact that Jesus performed several miracles while on earth, but the Holy Qur’an does not really go into details as per the miracles that Jesus performed as the Christians would have expected. They also acknowledge the fact that he lived without sin while on earth. Islam has some perspectives about Jesus that are not in line with the opinions of Christians. Islam does not agree that Jesus is both human and divine as they claim that he was human and a Jewish prophet chosen by God Almighty (Allah) to spread the word of repentance to the people of the world. Muslims do not worship Jesus like their Christian counterparts as they only revere him as a true prophet of God that prepared the way for the coming of the holy prophet, Muhammad. The Muslims uses the Holy Qur’an as the only reliable source that narrates the story of Jesus and the wonderful deeds he performed while on earth. Muslims claim that the fact that Jesus is quoted as being the son of God means that they have questioned the spirituality of God and that Christians have unreasonably equated God to man. Islam argues that the fact that Jesus preached a message of salvation does not mean that he is the saviour of the world. Religious freedom permits people to think in any direction. Islam is free to have any opinion they have about Jesus Christ, but the fact remains that it does not change the Christian’s belief that he is God the son, the Prince of Peace, the saviour of the world and the one who would sit on the right hand of his father, God to judge the living and the dead at the end of time. Another point of note is that Islam remains the only religion that treats Jesus with so much regard and the fact that they do not believe in his divinity do not mean they do not recognize the works that he did on earth and his importance to the work of God on earth. References Catherwood, C 2003, Christians, Muslims, and Islamic Rage: What Is Going On and Why It Happened, Zondervan,Grand Rapids, MI Cragg, K 1985, Jesus and Islam: An Exploration, George Allen and Unwin, London Djaballah, A 2004, “Jesus in Islam” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, vol. 8, No. 1, p.19 Goodwin, J 1994, Price of Honor: Muslim Women Lift the Veil of Silence on the Islamic World, Little Brown and Company, New York Jomier, J 1989, How to Understand Islam, Crossroad, New York Larson, W June 20-22 2005, Jesus in Islam and Christianity: Discussing the Similarities and The Differences, First Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas Lewis, B 1987, The Jews of Islam. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ Parrinder, P 1965, Jesus in the Qur’an, Sheldon Press, London Rahman, F 1968, Islam. Doubleday & Company, New York: Anchor Books Robinson, N 1991, Christ in Islam and Christianity, State University of New York Press, Albany, New York Zwemer, SM 1912, The Moslem Christ: An Essay on the Life, Character, and Teachings of Jesus Christ According to the Koran and Orthodox Tradition. Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, London. Read More