Muslims
are required to respect all those who are faithful and God
conscious people, namely those who received messages.
Christians and Jews are called People of the Book. Muslims
are asked to call upon the People of the Book for common
terms, namely, to worship One God, and to work together
for the solutions of the many problems in the society.
Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims
throughout centuries in the Middle East and other Asian
and African countries. The second Caliph Umar did not pray
in the church in Jerusalem so as not to give the Muslims
an excuse to take it over. Christians entrusted the
Muslims, and as such the key of the Church in Jerusalem is
still in the hands of the
Muslims.
Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were
welcomed by the Muslims. They settled in the heart of the
Islamic Caliphate. They enjoyed positions of power and
authority.
Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and
missionary schools were built within the Muslim
neighborhoods. These places were protected by Muslims even
during the contemporary crises in the Middle East.
What Do
Muslims Think About Jesus?
Muslims respect and revere Jesus. They consider him one of
the greatest of God's prophets and messengers to
humankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as
"Jesus", but always adds the phrase "upon
him be peace." The Quran confirms his virgin birth,
and a special surah of the Qur'an is entitled
"Mary." The Quran describes the Annunciation as
follows:
"'Behold (O Mary!)' The Angel said, 'God has chosen
you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of
all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word
from Him, whose name shall be the Anointed (Masih or
Messiah), Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and in
the hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He
shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity,
and shall be of the righteous.'
"She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no
man has touched me?' He said: 'Even so; God creates what
He wills. When He decrees a thing, He says to it,
"Be!" and it is.'" (Quran 3:42-7)
Jesus was born miraculously through the same power that
had brought Adam into being without a father: "Truly
the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.
He created him of dust and then said to him, 'Be!' and he
was." (Quran 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many
miracles. The Quran tells us that he said:
"I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I
make for you out of clay, as it were, a figure of a bird,
and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave.
And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead
by God's leave." (Quran 3:49)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic
doctrine of the belief in One God, brought by earlier
prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran, Jesus
is reported as saying that he came: "To attest the
law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of
what was forbidden to you; I have come to you with a sign
from your Lord, so fear God and obey me." (Quran
3:50)
The Prophet Muhammad said:
"Whoever believes that there is none worthy of
worship but God, alone without partner, that Muhammad is
His messenger, that Jesus is the servant and messenger of
God, His word which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit
proceeding from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true,
shall be received by God into Heaven." (A Hadith from
the collections of al Bukhari).
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