He called humanity to reconnect their hearts to God – to love, obey and worship Him alone. Through Him, God raised the dead, healed the leper and gave sight to the blind.
There will come a day when His Kingdom will cover the earth with justice and peace.
This is what Muslims believe about Jesus!
Family of Jesus
"Indeed, God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran above all people of their time. They are descendants of one another. And God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Remember when the wife of Imran said, 'My Lord! I dedicate what is in my womb entirely to Your service, so accept it from me. You alone are truly the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' When she delivered, she said, 'My Lord! I have given birth to a girl,'—and God fully knew what she had delivered—'and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek Your protection for her and her offspring from Satan, the accursed." — The Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verses 33-36
Jesus is from the noble family of Imran, a family chosen by God. Mary's mother, Hannah, wanted a boy as she felt a male would be more dutiful and in service to the Divine. God, however, sends a powerful timeless message. Women's servitude to God is equal to a man's.
"Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds." — The Qur'an, Chapter 16, Verse 97
In fact, women have many abilities that men do not have. They can give birth and nurture future generations of pious believers. The status of a person before God is not based on their gender, wealth, beauty, lineage, intellectual capabilities, physical strength, power or anything else material. Rather, it is God consciousness that elevates a person.
In many societies, sons are unjustly preferred over daughters for many reasons, the main one being that the family name and lineage is passed on from sons and not daughters. In the case of Mary's parents, having a daughter elevated their family name. Mary is mentioned throughout the Qur'an; she is mentioned more than Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them). One of the chapters of the Qur'an is named after her and another is named after her father. Her son, Jesus, is mentioned with the honorific title: Son of Mary.
Mary is chosen as a role model for humanity's spiritual growth. We cannot truly understand Jesus until we understand Mary and her story.
Mary's Purity
"And remember when the angels said, 'O Mary! Surely God has selected you, purified you, and chosen you over all women of the world. O Mary! Be devout to your Lord, prostrate yourself in prayer and bow along with those who bow down.'" — The Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verses 42-43
God's plan will always manifest itself. Mary was being prepared for something extraordinary. Mary was loved by everyone. She was known for her wisdom, innocence and piety. She spent her time in prayer, contemplation and learning Divine scripture. Mary witnessed miracles such as the appearance of fruit which was out of season.
The Announcement
"Mention in the Quran the story of Mary. She withdrew from her family to a place to the east and screened herself off from them. Then We sent to her Our angel Gabriel appearing before her as a man, perfectly formed. She appealed, 'I truly seek refuge in the Most Compassionate from you! So leave me alone if you are God-fearing.' He responded, 'I am only a messenger from your Lord, sent to bless you with a pure son.'"
She wondered, 'How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?' He replied, 'So will it be! Your Lord says, "It is easy for Me. And so will We make him a sign for humanity and a mercy from Us. It is a matter already decreed."'" — The Qur'an, Chapter 19, Verses 16-21
While Mary was in her chamber, God announces to her that she will have a blessed son. Mary is startled, and questions how can she be pregnant without intimate contact. God reminds her that He has power over all things, and nothing can stop His will. God can do anything. He does not need material causes to be in place. The miracles she witnessed throughout her life and her close relationship with God prepared Mary for this miraculous conception.
Virgin Birth
"We recite all this to you O Prophet as one of the signs and as a wise reminder. Indeed, the example of Jesus in the sight of God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, 'Be!' And he was! This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt." — The Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verses 58-60
The birth of Jesus is indeed extraordinary when compared to what we are familiar with, yet in the human story something similar had already occurred at its very outset. Adam was created without a father or a mother. Jesus, like Adam, was a direct creation of God, not His Son.
From a purely scientific and naturalistic point of view, a virgin birth may not make much sense yet claims are made that life arose from a primordial lifeless soup! It is easier to believe life came from life, than to believe life came from non-life.
God is reminding us that He is not restricted by anything. We should not be in doubt about this miraculous event.
Childbirth Pain
"And so it was ordained: she conceived him. She withdrew to a distant place and, when the pains of childbirth drove her to [cling to] the trunk of a palm tree, she exclaimed, 'I wish I had been dead and forgotten long before all this!' but a voice cried to her from below, 'Do not worry: your Lord has provided a stream at your feet and, if you shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you, it will deliver fresh ripe dates for you, so eat, drink, be glad, and say to anyone you may see: I have vowed to the Lord of Mercy to abstain from conversation, and I will not talk to anyone today.'" — The Qur'an, Chapter 19, Verses 22-26
Childbirth is one of the most painful experiences that a human being can go through. God took care of Mary as a child, and now that she is in this pain, he arranges for her provisions and consoles her.
Islam honours the mother due to her hardships. A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said, 'O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?' the Prophet said, 'Your mother.' The man said, 'Then who?' The Prophet said, 'Then your mother.' The man further asked, 'Then who?' The Prophet said, 'Then your mother.' The man asked again, 'Then who?' The Prophet said, 'Then your father.'
Defending His Mother
"Then she returned to her people, carrying him. They said in shock, 'O Mary! You have certainly done a horrible thing! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an indecent man, nor was your mother unchaste.' So she pointed to the baby. They exclaimed, 'How can we talk to someone who is an infant in the cradle?' Jesus declared, 'I am truly a servant of God. He has destined me to be given the Scripture and to be a prophet. He has made me a blessing wherever I go, and bid me to establish prayer and give alms-tax as long as I live, and to be kind to my mother. He has not made me arrogant or defiant.'" — The Qur'an, Chapter 19, Verses 27-32
This is what Muslims believe about Jesus — a mighty messenger of God, the Messiah, born of the virgin Mary, who performed miracles by God's permission, and who will return to establish justice on earth.