TODAY marks year 2000 on the Christian calendar. The beginning of the calendar coincides somewhat with the birth of Jesus Christ.
The sacred texts of Islam and Christianity contain plenty of references to Jesus. For Christians, he is the hinge that opens the door of their faith. Through this door, he is to lead them to heaven.
The story of Jesus Christ is told in a number of passages in the different chapters of the Quran too.
First and foremost is the background to his birth.
Chapter three of the Quran is Ali-Imran. Apart from Adam, Noah and Abraham, Imran is considered as one of the most revered families of the Islamic traditions.
Anne, a member of the Imran clan, vowed that if her child were to be a girl, she was to be named Mary. Although Anne was distressed at the thought of giving birth to a girl, she nevertheless sought God’s protection from evil for both herself and the child.
It turned out that the child was indeed a girl, and thus named Mary.
Soon after, there was a fierce debate among the priests on who should take care of Mary.
Although Prophet Zachariah won the right to be her guardian, Mary grew up under divine protection. God purified her and raised her above all other women.
Her sustenance, both physical and spiritual, came from the Almighty. Thus, whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where Mary lived, he constantly found her supplied with sustenance.
Asked how she got it, Mary said it was Godsent. This prompted Zachariah, who longed for a child, to pray to the Almighty to bestow him with a progeny despite his advanced age and his wife’s barrenness.
Zachariah’s wish was duly granted and his wife, Elizabeth, gave birth to Prophet Yahya, otherwise known as John the Baptist. As Mary and Elizabeth were cousins, John and Jesus thus had blood ties.
John was the forerunner of Jesus. Together they tried to renew the message of God that had been corrupted and lost among the Israelites.
John did not live long. He was imprisoned for chiding Herod, a provincial ruler under the Roman Empire, for the latter’s sins. John was later beheaded.
Secondly, the Quran describes how Mary was informed of her miraculous conception, an event referred to as the Annunciation.
Chapter 19 of the Quran that bears the title Maryam focuses on this subject.
Mary used to withdraw from her family and people to devote herself to prayer.
It was in this state of purity that the angel appeared before her in the form of a man.
The angel announced that she was to be the mother of Jesus. The raison d’etre of Jesus was to guide an atheistic world back to the path of the Almighty and to bring solace and salvation to those who repented.
Mary asked how she could beget a son when no man had ever touched her. She was told that God had breathed into her His spirit, much in the same manner that He had raised Prophet Adam.
It is presumed that the Annunciation and the conception of Jesus happened in Nazareth of Galilee, about 100km north of Jerusalem.
Mary then moved to a remote place, Bethlehem, situated 10km south of Jerusalem.
The birth of Jesus took place in an obscure corner of Bethlehem on a high ground and under a palm tree. Naturally, Mary was driven by the pangs of childbirth.
There was no one to attend to her. She wished that she were dead and forgotten. A voice advised her not to grieve but to drink from a rivulet created by God beneath her.
She was also told to shake the palm tree so that ripe dates would fall.
Later, the baby was probably removed to a manger in a stable. Mary was commanded to refrain from speaking to anyone.
She then brought her child to her people. Naturally they expressed shock and amazement as her parents were highly respected members of the community.
This brings us to the miracles of Jesus covered in the Quran. For example, when people doubted the purity of his mother, the child astonishingly came to her rescue.
He not only spoke to defend his mother but also preached to an unbelieving audience.
He asserted that he was God’s Prophet who had been provided with a scripture, that is the Gospel that enjoins prayer and charity.
He also declared that he was blessed wherever he went, and bestowed with peace on the day of his birth and death and the day of his being raised to life.
His other miracles included producing a live bird from clay by breathing into it and healing the blind and lepers. With God’s will, Jesus was able to raise the dead.
Chapter five of the Quran, named the Table Spread of Viands or Al-Maidah, relates the story of disciples who asked Jesus whether his Lord was able to send down food for them to eat.
Jesus requested God to send down the feast as a sign that he spoke the truth. God consented but promised to punish those who persisted to reject the truth. This event is the infamous Last Supper.
Fourth, the Quran explains the teaching of Jesus. God taught Jesus the Torah and Gospel. This latter scripture contains guidance light and admonition.
Jesus also made lawful some of the prohibitions erroneously practised by the Israelites in his day.
Fifth, there are descriptions in the Quran of how Jesus’ life on earth came to an end. He was eventually raised to God in the heavens.
Prophet Muhammad met Jesus in one of the heavens during his ascension on the Night Journey.
Islam believes that Jesus is one of God’s prophets.
Thus Muslims are enjoined to believe both in Jesus and his Gospel, as they form two of the six articles of faith of Islam. They too can celebrate the new millennium in remembrance of Jesus.