Tracing Jesus in the Bible and the Quran (PDF)

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2003 in the subject Theology - Comparative Religion Studies, grade: cum laude, Concordia University Montreal (Concordia Theologica Instiute; Neffs, Penns., USA), language: English, abstract: This paper sets out to examine the presence of Jesus Christ as presented in the Holy Quran. This is presented from the perspective of a twentieth century African Christian after an objective reading of the Holy Quran and some Hadith literature. Jesus comes through as a prophet and messenger of Allah, with whom Allah has established unique relationship and about whom the last word is not yet spoken. The Quran comes through as a great defender of what it reveals as the true nature and identity of Jesus, against different and conflicting misrepresentations of Jesus by rival Christian groups. The Quran presents a Jesus in whom Allah is greatly interested.

Allah identifies and prepares Mary the mother of Jesus and entrusts her to the care of Zachariah. Allah gives a gift of a son to Zachariah in their old age; this son is John and called "Yahya" in the Quran. Allah then gives a Word from Himself to Mary. This word from Allah given to Mary becomes Jesus a son born of a virgin mother. Allah himself through the ministry of Angels and nature arranges for and takes care of Mary's confinement and post-delivery care till Allah presents her back to her people with her infant son Jesus who as an infant miraculously spoke in defense of his mother.

The Quran presents a Jesus who delivers a message to the children of Israel only. A Jesus who performs miracles and a Jesus who is rescued by Allah from the threat of being crucified by the Jews Allah takes Jesus unto Himself and before the day of judgement Jesus will come to do the will of Allah.

After reading all the references of Jesus in the Quran, one develops an interest in this Prophet and Messenger of Allah and asks many questions about him.

However, the Quran is silent. This silence of the Quran about so much historical information about Jesus becomes very loud and problematic. The quotations from the Holy Quran in this paper are from Ali, Abdullah Yusuf: The Holy Quran: Arabic Text, Translation and Commentary, University of New York Press, 1991. The purpose of this paper is:-
1. Trace Jesus in the Holy Quran

2. Compare and contrast the Jesus in the Quran and the Bible 3. Help Christian to understand Islam Religion and being able to answer the basic system of doctrine of a Muslim.

4. Have a picture of Jesus through the eyes of a Muslim and a Christian.