The Titles of Jesus in the Qur'an and the Bible
Chapters
Jesus is defined in the Qur'an as a messenger and a prophet no different nor superior to all the other messengers who went before him. The Qur'an expressly denies the Christian beliefs about Jesus that make him pre-eminent among men and it is known in the Christian world primarily for its denials that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was crucified.
Nevertheless, while the denials in the book are very emphatic, the positive teaching about the person and life of Jesus is considerably vague and indeed strangely mysterious. For much of the teaching in the Qur'an about Jesus really appears to be far more Christian than Muslim in content and emphasis. Many of the admissions it makes about the features of his life, far from supporting the bare denials of the Qur'an about his deity and the Christian belief that he is the Son of God, tend rather to strongly uphold these Christian beliefs. (Many of these features have already been thoroughly examined in "The Uniqueness of Jesus in the Qur'an and the Bible" in this series. In this booklet the emphasis has been placed solely on some of the titles which the Qur'an gives to Jesus).
Whereas the Qur'an concedes unique features in the life of Jesus that are not in any way adequately explained in the book, but which clearly imply that he is the Son of God and that he came to earth to die for the sins of men, so it also awards certain eminent titles to Jesus alone which are also not explained and which in no small measure also strengthen Christian belief about Jesus.
No sincere Muslim can study the teaching of the Qur'an about Jesus without honestly feeling that there is more to this man that meets the eye and that the assertion that he was no different to other messengers is not supported by the evidence the Qur'an concedes to the Bible.
Jesus is given many titles in the Qur'an but only three will be treated in this booklet. The reason for this is twofold. In the first place, the three titles referred to are applied to j alone. Secondly, all three of these titles appear in one short passage where the Qur'an bluntly denies that Jesus is deity and that he is the Son of God. This makes it possible to study the meaning of these three titles right in the very context of the basic teaching of the Qur'an that Jesus was only a messenger like those who went before him. The passage is:
"O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and his messengers and say not "Three" - Cease! it is better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from his transcendent majesty that He should have a son". (Quran 4.171)
As strongly as anywhere else in the Qur'an the Christian belief that Jesus is the Son of God is here denied. But in this same passage Jesus is given three titles, however, which are majestic, exalted and splendid and are of supreme importance because they are applied to Jesus alone. Let us consider them in the order in which they appear.