The Quran on the Messiah/Christ
One accusation I
have seen levied against the Quran on a number of occasions is that it denies
that Jesus is the Christ. Anyone who
says this is either completely ignorant or a liar.
First, you
should know that the word, “Christ”, comes from the Greek word Χριστός, Christós, meaning 'anointed'.
The word, “Messiah”, comes from the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ, Māšîaḥ, meaning
‘anointed’. So, these are just two forms
of the same word. The Quran calls Jesus أَلْمَسِيح , al-Masīḥ, meaning ‘the
Anointed’. These are all just different
translations of the EXACT SAME WORD. So, some English translations of the Quran
write Christ and some write Messiah. But
it is still confirming that Jesus is the Christ either way.
Anyone who says that the Quran denies that Jesus is the
Christ is either ignorant or a liar.
Quran 3:45
إِذْ قَالَتِ
ٱلْمَلَٓئِكَةُ يَمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ
ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ
ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
“Behold! the
angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him:
his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this
world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.”
Quran 4:157, see
section The Quran on Jesus’ Death
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا
قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ
وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ
لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
“That they said
(in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger
of Allah.;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to
appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no
(certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed
him not:-“
Quran 4:171-172,
note: the parts in parenthesis were added by the translator
يَٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَبِ لَا تَغْلُوا۟
فِى دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا
ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ
إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا
تَقُولُوا۟ ثَلَثَةٌ ۚ ٱنتَهُوا۟ خَيْرًۭا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَهٌۭ
وَحِدٌۭ ۖ سُبْحَنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَوَتِ
وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًۭا
لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ
ٱلْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْدًۭا لِّلَّهِ وَلَا ٱلْمَلَٓئِكَةُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ ۚ
وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ
جَمِيعًۭا
“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in
your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the
son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He
bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His
apostles. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for
Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To
Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a
Disposer of affairs. Christ disdaineth nor to serve and worship Allah,
nor do the angels, those nearest (to Allah).: those who disdain His worship and
are arrogant,-He will gather them all together unto Himself to (answer).”
Quran 5:17
لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ
قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ
مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ
وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَوَتِ
وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ
شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
“In blasphemy indeed are those that say that
Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least
power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary,
his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth
the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth
what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things."
Quran 5:72
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ
قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ
يَبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٓءِيلَ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن
يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَىٰهُ
ٱلنَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّلِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍۢ
“They do blaspheme who say: "(Allah) is Christ
the son of Mary." 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.”
Quran 5:75
مَّا ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ
مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُۥ
صِدِّيقَةٌۭ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ ٱلطَّعَامَ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ
ٱلْءَايَتِ ثُمَّ ٱنظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
“Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle; many were the
apostles that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had
both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to
them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!”
Quran 9:30-31,
note: see section Quran on the Son of God; also note: the words in parenthesis were
added by the translator
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ
عُزَيْرٌ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَرَى ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ذَلِكَ
قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَهِهِمْ ۖ يُضَهِـُٔونَ قَوْلَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ
قَتَلَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟
أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَنَهُمْ أَرْبَابًۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ
مَرْيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَهًۭا وَحِدًۭا ۖ لَّآ
إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَنَهُۥ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
“The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the
Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their
mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s
curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! They take their priests and their anchorites
to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ
the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah. there is no
god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they
associate (with Him).”
