Jesus' divinity is actually implied in the Koran

Summary:

For Muslims, the Koran is the last book revealed by God, and Muhammad is the seal of the prophets. They believe that he came to correct the errors of previously revealed religions, in particular Judaism and Christianity. Christians are criticised for having "exaggerated" their religion by making "Jesus son of Mary" "equal to Allah". They also accuse Jews and Christians of having falsified the revealed books, the Torah of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus, as well as the Psalms and a "scripture" revealed by Abraham.

But this accusation of falsification is contradicted by the Koran itself, as we shall see, and the exceptional place given to Jesus in this same book should normally lead readers to ponder his true identity.

The Koran and the revealed books (Torah and Gospel)

Previous articles have already shown that accusations of book falsification are, from a historical point of view, difficult to support, since there is a great deal of evidence to support the historicity of the Gospels and the Old Testament.

But neither is it clear that the Koran itself makes this accusation. On the contrary, on several occasions, the Koran claims to "confirm" the previous books: "He sent down to you the Book of Truth, confirming the Books sent down before it. And he sent down the Torah and the Gospel" (Sura 3:3). This remark is repeated throughout the Koran (Sura 2,41; 2,89; 2,91).

What's more, the Koran recognises the righteousness of the previous prophets' judgement: "We sent down the Torah in which there is guidance and light. It is on its basis that the prophets who submitted to Allah, as well as the rabbis and doctors, judge the affairs of the Jews. For they have been entrusted with the custody of the Book of Allah, and they are its witnesses" (Sura 5:44). It should be noted that this judgement concerns not only the time of the prophets, in which case we could suppose that the Torah was falsified afterwards, but also that of the rabbis. It should be noted that this role of the Jews as "guardians of the Book" is in line with certain statements made by the Fathers of the Church. But above all, the Koran calls on his contemporaries to be witnesses: "And if you are in doubt about what we have revealed to you, then ask those who read the Book revealed before you" (Sura 10:94). How could this be the case if theTorah and the Gospel had been falsified? The Koran only states that Jews and Christians misinterpret their books or do not obey them, but at no point does it accuse the books of being corrupted themselves. In fact, it was the Muslim tradition that, seeing the discrepancies between the Bible and the Koran, was forced to conclude that the Bible had been falsified, in order to defend the integrity of the Koran.

As far as these discrepancies are concerned, from a historical point of view, and leaving aside any denominational bias, it is far more logical to deduce that the writer (or writers) of the Koran sometimes misunderstood or mixed up biblical texts - or that he gave them a very personal reinterpretation or commentary.

The Koranic description of Jesus

Can the Jesus described in the Koran be just a man? This may seem a strange question, given the well-known Muslim criticism of Christians for divinising Jesus. This time, however, it has to be said that the Koran itself makes this accusation. And yet, despite this denial of Jesus' divinity, the Koran cannot help but recognise his status as so exceptional that its readers are compelled to wonder about his real identity.

First of all, the Koran insists that God gave "proofs" to Jesus: "We gave the Book to Moses and sent prophets after him. And we gave proofs to Jesus son of Mary, and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" (Sura 2,87). Although these "proofs" are not detailed, we can think of the many miracles recounted in the Gospels. Muslim tradition recognises these miracles, and the Koran explicitly mentions several of them: the healing of a blind child and a leper, and the resurrection of the dead. But the Koran also adds another interesting piece of information, stating that the Jews recognised Jesus' miracles but attributed them to magic (Sura 5,110). These statements are in line with the testimony of the Gospels and the Talmud. They are important because they attest to the fact that even Jesus' enemies did not deny his miracles.

It should also be pointed out that Jesus is described as the "word of God" and the "breath/spirit" coming from God (Sura 4:171). These descriptions are, of course, similar to the famous prologue to John's Gospel.

Finally, the Koran mentions the miraculous birth of Jesus on several occasions, and attacks those who dare to slander Mary (Sura 4,156). Mary is in fact the only woman named in the Koran, and one sura - number 19 - even bears her name.

But this birth raises questions. Why would an ordinary man have been granted such a miracle? Why did he not have an ordinary conception? No prophet before him, and no prophet after him, experienced this. If Jesus was a prophet like any other, and even the first of all the prophets, why such a birth? This unique miracle is totally consistent with the Christian faith, which recognises Jesus' divinity. It becomes incomprehensible if that divinity is denied.

Beyond reasons to believe:

In addition to its hallmarks of truth, Christianity and its doctrine are profoundly in tune with human needs and aspirations.

Going further:

No God but One: Allah or Jesus?: A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi, Zondervan (August 30, 2016)

More information:

• Catholic Answers article "Islam and Catholicism" 
• Article "The Quran vs the Bible: A Conversation with Al Fadi" (Al Fadi, a former Wahabi Muslim from Saudi Arabia, committed his life to Jesus Christ in 2001)
• A clear and concise comparison between "The Message of Islam and the Gospel of Jesus Christ" provided by Trinity Evangelical Divinity School