Jesus: Who is HeOne day Jesus asked his disciples a pointed question, "Who do people say I am?"  (Mark 8:27). The question of who Jesus is  intensely discussed and debated till today by muslims worldwide. Was Jesus only a prophet among  the other prophets as muslims claim? . I invite my Muslim friends to  check every references provided in this article from both  the  Quran and the Holy Bible and seek God’s guidance to grant a deeper revelations by Praveen Raju.


One day Jesus asked his disciples a pointed question, "Who do people say I am?"  (Mark 8:27). The question of who Jesus is  intensely discussed and debated till today by muslims worldwide. Was Jesus only a prophet among  the other prophets as muslims claim? What does the Quran reveal about Jesus? Lets first turn to the pages of Quran to discover what Allah revealed about Isa al masih or Jesus the messiah as claimed by Mohammed and make out weather Jesus sounds only a prophet or more than a prophet. I will be using some Arabic titles ascribed to Jesus in the Quran and furnish its meaning supporting it with the scriptures. I invite my Muslim friends to  check every references provided in this article from both  the  Quran and the Holy Bible and seek God’s guidance to grant a deeper revelations. (Following is taken from my book “The Unveiling of Isa al Masih” from the Noble Quran and the Holy Bible)  As per The Noble Quran, Jesus Christ is:  

  1. Kalimatuhu  : God's Word (Ali Imran  3:45 )
  2. Ruhunminhu:Spirit proceeding from Him (Al Nesa  4:171 )
  3. Al-Masih :The Messiah (Al -Nesa 4.157, 171 )
  4. Rahma :Mercy from God to mankind (Maryam 19:21)
  5.  Zakiyyan : Gift of a holy or sinless son (Maryam 19:19)
  6. Salam  :Peace on him (Maryam 19:33 )
  7. Mina al-Saliheen  : Upright or righteous shall he be
  8. Nabiyy :  Prophet (Al-Ankaboot 29:30 )
  9. Rasul   : Envoy, messenger (Al – Nesa 4:157, Al-Ma’-edah 5:75 )
  10. Ibn Maryam :  son of Mary , Jesus son of Mary (Ali-Imran 3:45)
  11. Min al-muqareeab : Those who are close to God  ( Ali Imran 3:45 )
  12. Wadjih: worthy of esteem in this world and the next (Ali Imran  3:45)
  13. Mubarak  : Blessed ,a source of benefit for others ( Maryam  19:31. )
  14. Qawl al-haqq :  Sure word   ( Maryam 19:34.)
  15. Abd Allah   : Servant of God (Maryam 19.30)
  16. Aya : A sign unto mankind (Maryam 19:21 ;3:50 ;43:61)
  17. Shahid :  A witness on Judgement day ( Al-Nesa 4:159)
  18. Mathal  : A Parable or example (Al-Zukhruf 43:57)
  19. IIm  : Knowledge of the hour (Al-Zukhruf 43:61)
  20. Hikmah : Bearer of wisdom ( Al-Zukhruf 43:63)

No other prophets (among the One lakh twenty six thousand) in all the Quran is described so profoundly as Jesus Christ. All the other prophets including Mohammed may have one or the few titles mentioned above but only Jesus Christ is bestowed with All the superlative titles and claims. Not only that, the Quran  tells of  Jesus Christ  performing the supernatural miracles which only God could do and he is the only one who is going to return back for the day of Judgment. As per Quran, only Jesus was born in a strange and mysterious way (virgin birth), where God intervened in the natural and biological process already set in motion to bring forth Jesus Christ into this world. Further, we notice  there are two glorious titles or nature of Jesus that must be highlighted as mentioned in the Quran, which has also puzzled many  scholars of Islam. This is because only Jesus is assigned with such a nature : Jesus is called as Kalimatuhu or The word of God (Ali Imran  3:45 ) and Ruhuminhu or The spirit of Allah (Al Nesa  4:171 )  Though the Quran  describes  Jesus as a prophet, it seems to move further, to describe him in such a way , as to picturise him  more than a prophet. Therefore it must not surprise my muslim friends to raise objections if the bible has already called him (before Quran) more than a prophet  to be the Son of God. The puzling questions to many  could be: “ How can Jesus be portrayed both as a prophet and more than a prophet?” The Holy Bible  rescues us from the  logical fallout from this two edged question. As per the Bible, God in his soverignity plans to step into this world by adding upon himself the  human likeness with a mission to provide salvation for all mankind. Now, if God comes into this world in human form, then, it is reasonable to think and believe that he would posses both the  nature in one person viz; the Divine and Human. This  theological term  is called as  “hypostatic union”: The union of both the human and divine nature in one person. That is why we find, Jesus in his human nature displays or expresses human attributes like praying, sleeping, weeping ,eating etc while in his divine nature he claims and demonstrates divine attributes like forgiving sins , accepting worship, claims of granting eternal life in heaven and paradise , raising people from dead , calls himself as Son of God, claims to be first and last, beginning and the end, messiah ,savior of world etc . Lets list some of the claims made by Jesus about himself as recorded  by his disciples. Jesus claimed himself to be  

  1.  God (John 14:9 ; 10:31-33 ; 5:18)
  2. Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)
  3.  Before Abraham I AM ( John 8:58)
  4. Giver of eternal life (John 10:28)
  5. Giver of the holy spirit of God ( John 20:22 ; 14:15)
  6.   Giver of peace ( John 14:27)
  7.  Knower of all things ( John 21:17)
  8. Omnipresent ( Matthew 28:20)
  9. Before all things ( John 17 : 5, 24)
  10. Forgiver of sins (Mark 2:3-12 ; Luke  7:48 ,49 )
  11. Sacrifice for sins (Matthew 26:28 ; Mark 10:45)
  12. Came down from heaven ( John 3:13)
  13. Resurrection and life (John 11:25)
  14. Way ,truth and Life  (John 14:6)
  15. Dead  and Alive forever (Revelation 1:17-18)
  16. One and Only Son of God (John 3:16)
  17. First and Last ( Revelation 1:17)
  18.  Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13)
  19. Light of the world (John 8:12)
  20. Savior of the world (John  4:42)
  21. Good shepherd  (John 10:11)
  22. Authority of heaven and earth (Matthew 28: 18,20)
  23. Son of Man of Daniel 7:12-13 (Matthew 26:64 & Mark 14:62.)

 A  prophet cannot clai

m such divine titles as mentioned above unless he is really what he claims to be or else he could be declared as insane or a deceiver. Let me close with  Jesus pointed and personal question, which could be posed to us even today: "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Mark  8:29).  Make your decision now.

 Contact the author at: [email protected] 

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