The Muslim Jesus

Muslims love Jesus—a fact unknown to many non-Muslims. I know many Muslims who are named after 'Isa—the Qur'anic name for Jesus. When remembering him and other messengers of God, Muslims pronounce the formula of reverence: "God's peace be upon him and all of them."

In the United States, there are many mosques named after this sacred figure: The Jesus Son of Mary Mosque in Pennsylvania or the Jesus Son of Mary Center in Florida are just two examples of Muslims openly expressing their love for one of Islam's greatest prophets. It is also a way to stress the connection with the Christian tradition and cultivate relationships with the wider community. 

Christians and Muslims do hold some irreconcilable differences in belief about Jesus.. The Muslim Jesus is fully and only human. He is a prophet chosen by God. In Islam, a prophet is an extraordinary human being, free from major sins, a role model of piety, devotion and exceptional righteous character who only speaks truth. 

This is the highest spiritual rank a human being can be given in this world. The Muslim Jesus is unique in creation, was born of a virgin and is endowed with the power to perform extraordinary miracles by God's permission: he speaks as a newborn, heals the sick, cures the blind, brings clay birds to life and raises the dead. 

In Islam, Jesus was not crucified—it only appeared so to his enemies—but was saved by God, ascended to heaven and will return at the end of times to fight the forces of evil and establish justice. The Qur'an names Jesus the Son of Mary and describes him as the promised Messiah (al-masih). Muslim scripture calls him the "Spirit of God" (ruhullah) and "God's word" (kalimatullah). 

Common ground across faiths

In my own life as an observant Muslim who lived mostly among Christians in Germany and the United States, I have aspired to embody this Qur'anic posture towards religious difference: affirming sameness while maintaining difference.  

The Qur'an teaches that all of God’s messengers were sent with the same core message: to call humankind to worship the One God alone, with strong conviction, righteous deeds, and faith in the Day of Judgement and moral accountability in the afterlife. 

The Qur'an describes humanity as one family, created by God. Humankind, however, has developed different conceptions of the Divine—some of which fundamentally contradict one another. For example, some believe Jesus was crucified, some believe he was not. Both statements cannot be true. The Qur'an invites humanity to explore this tension through healthy and respectful dialogue and disputation. 

I take religious holidays, like Easter, as an occasion to reflect on these similarities and differences. Two intertwined themes stand out to me: resurrection and hope.

Resurrection

The central event of Easter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, symbolising victory over death and sin and offering hope of eternal life for believers. According to Christian belief, Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. His death and resurrection are seen as the means through which humanity is reconciled with God, granting forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The concept of salvation is deeply tied to faith in Jesus as the Saviour. 

Muslims believe that death is ordained by God alone and is a natural part of life. However, it is not the ultimate end. Every individual will be resurrected at the final Day of Judgement. Islam emphasises that salvation is through complete devotion to the will of God, belief in the oneness of God and righteous deeds. 

According to the Qur’an, Jesus' role in salvation is as a messenger of God who called people to worship God alone, as expressed in the following passage:  

"And on Judgment Day God will say, 'O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides God?’ He will answer, ‘Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is hidden within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, You alone are the Knower of all unseen.'" (The Qur'an 5:116) 

In both accounts, we see that humans are destined for immortality. They share a longing for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. 

Hope

Christians are encouraged to live with the hope symbolised by Easter every day throughout the year. The hope of the resurrection is not just for the afterlife; it is a hope that transforms how Christians live in the present world. It is a hope that gives them the strength to endure suffering, face challenges and continue living in faith, knowing that Jesus has already conquered the greatest enemy—death itself. 

The resurrection assures Christians that suffering in this life is not meaningless. Just as Jesus' suffering was followed by resurrection, so too will believers experience joy and glory after their trials. This hope helps Christians persevere in difficult circumstances, knowing that God's plan for them is ultimately good. 

For Muslims, too, hope is a paramount virtue. Islam teaches that every person can hope for God's forgiveness, regardless of the severity of their sins. Hope is a spiritual discipline to live by. One's positive and hopeful outlook on life and the future means to bear witness to God's ultimate compassion, wisdom and justice. It is to trust in God's power to create beauty and goodness out of darkness and despair.  

Hope is the ability to see possibility in uncertainty and to refrain from viewing life as meaningless and purposeless. It is to find comfort in God's promise of eternal and joyous reunion with departed loved ones. 

Christians and Muslims both affirm that hope empowers believers to live according to God's will, to embrace others and to be a force for good in the world. 

In this spirit of this shared commitment to God, the twentieth-century Muslim scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi called on Christians and Muslims to collaborate and use their faith to build a better world, in which all individuals can thrive and flourish.