What Do Muslims Think of Jesus?

And an even better question we could be asking

As we make our way through December and approach Christmas, many people have Jesus on the mind—and not just Christians. For Muslims, Jesus is also an important religious figure. He appears in the Qur’an and is revered as a prophet and messenger. But what exactly do Muslims believe about him?

A Palestinian Muslim woman and her baby admire a large Christmas tree in Manger Square, right outside the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem in January 2020.

A couple years back, I was invited on U.S. Catholic’s Glad You Asked podcast to answer this question. You can listen to the interview below, or on other podcast platforms like Apple or Spotify.

In the interview, I was asked about how the Qur’an portrays Jesus (‘Isa), and I share some surprising similarities and differences from the biblical narratives. For example, the Qur’an’s ‘Annunciation’ story—where the angel Gabriel tells Mary, a virgin, that she will bear a son—is very similar to the version in the Gospel of Luke. However, Jesus’ crucifixion is portrayed very differently—the Qur’an says that it never happened at all! I also talk about how Muslim views of Jesus relate (or don’t relate) to broader aspects of Islamic theology, and provide a little 101 on how the text of the Qur’an is structured and how it is viewed by Muslims.

Islamic depictions of the Annunciation, Jesus as a baby with his mother, and Jesus' ascension

At the end of the conversation, I propose another question that Christians should be asking about Jesus and Islam—one that I think is better, or at least more illuminating, for learning about Muslims’ faith.

"What in Islam plays the role that Jesus plays in Catholicism?”

As I share in the interview,

“What's more interesting and more helpful is realizing that the Qur’an actually plays a similar role in Islam that Jesus plays in Christianity, or more specifically Catholicism. The Qur’an, Muslims believe, is God's Word in the world. The most tangible expression of God's presence in the world is this text or this revelation.”

Take a listen and feel free to share your own insights, reactions (including pushback!), and questions in the Comments section. If you’re interested to delve more into this Jesus/Qur’an as ‘Word of God’ parallel, check out my book, Finding Jesus among Muslims.

Want to dig deeper into this topic and learn more about Jesus and Mary in the Islamic tradition? Check out these wonderful resources from Muslim and Catholic colleagues below:

Mary nursing Jesus; Jesus being raised to heaven from Islamic manuscript; Mary shaking a date tree during her labor

More Resources on Jesus and Mary in Islam

Podcast episode: Mary and Jesus: A Sufi Perspective on the Christmas Story, Omid Safi, Sufi Heart Podcast

Podcast series: The Islamic Mary, Younus Mirza

Book: Christians, Muslims, and Mary, Rita George-Tvrtkovic

Book: The Qur’an and Bible: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition, John Kaltner and Younus Mirza

Essay: “The Muslim Mary: A Symbol of Devotion, Virtue and Hope”, Zeyneb Sayilgan

Book: The Muslim Jesus, Tarif Khalidi

Mini video course: Maryam, the Muslim Mary: An Interreligious figure who divides and unites us, Zeyneb Sayilgan

Hadia Mubarak’s post about the prayer of Anna (Mary’s mother) in the Qur’an

Portion of a fifteenth century painting of Jesus being introduced to the Prophet Muhammad (not pictured) in heaven, during the latter’s Night Journey and Ascension in Jerusalem.