This is what the Quran says about Jesus

Christian artists down through the centuries have shown Jesus surrounded by fluffy clouds or angels. Around his head a golden halo of light shines, while little children and lambs are always at his feet.
On the cross, this artistic Jesus is shown suffering terrible agonies on behalf of others, asking always that his enemies be forgiven. The “gentle Jesus, meek and mild” of the Christian hymn books, the blue-eyed Jesus with curly flowing hair, is the Jesus that sits in the popular imagination.
Maybe it is because Islam has always discouraged depictions of human beings in art that Christianity has managed to win the publicity prize for its portrayal of Jesus (peace be upon him).
In addition to art, the Christian Church chose four of the many Gospels that were written to describe the life of Jesus. Saint Luke’s is perhaps the most beautiful, being a Gospel of prayer, of the poor, and of women. The way in which Luke crafts his words makes Jesus so appealing.

Jesus in Islam
Islam, on the other hand, has no artists to elevate Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the rank of a deity. It has no Gospel writers and no Paul to use their words to make Muhammad anything more than human. The Quran was revealed to a man who could neither read nor write. He simply recounted what was said as it was told to him.

A Prophet of God
The Jesus which God tells about in the Quran is quite different from the Gospel Jesus, although there are some similarities. Especially at Christmas time, when the depictions of Prophet Jesus are at their most florid, we need to remind people who Jesus really was. In the Quran we read what means:
He (Jesus) said: “I am indeed a servant of God. He has given me revelation and made me a prophet; He has made me blessed wheresoever I be; and He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable. So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)!”
Such was Jesus the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is. (19:30-35)
In other words, according to Islam, Jesus was a Prophet of God. He belonged to a long line of prophets, calling people throughout history to the worship of One God. These include such names as Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon (peace be upon them all) and, like them, he is revered and honored by all Muslims. Whenever they mention the name of Jesus, Muslims will always say, “Peace be upon him.”

A Miracle
Like the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Quran shows that Jesus’ birth was miraculous:
Behold! the angels said, “Oh Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, and in (the company of) those nearest to God. He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. He shall be (in the company) of the righteous… And God will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel.” (3:45-48)
Not only did Jesus have a miraculous birth, but the Quran also tells us that he was born of a virgin mother and that he spoke in the cradle, that he performed miracles, and that he did not die on the cross, nor was he raised back to life after three days.
God sent messengers down through the ages to bring men and women back to Him. It is part of our human nature, isn’t it, that we constantly forget, and need to be called back to the straight path?
Different messengers were sent with different gifts, as they needed to speak to their own people in a way that would attract them and help them to understand. It was the special gift of Prophet Jesus that he could perform miracles:
I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God’s leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God’s leave. (3:49)
Being able to perform miracles didn’t make Jesus equal to God. Everything he did was by God’s leave, to teach the people of Israel about God Himself. Even these miracles, though, were not enough to convince them.
It is the belief of Islam regarding Jesus that we should never confuse the message with the messenger. His message was to speak about God and to show the power of God in this world and the next, but the message didn’t make him equal to God. His miracles were his way of conveying the message.
In fact, the Quran is quite clear about this:
Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how God makes His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth! (5:75)

A Human Being
Jesus and his mother both had to eat food. They were human beings, like you and I. He was given the loftiest of tasks in being called to speak God’s message to the world, but he remained just that: a man who ate food.
Out of an exaggerated love for Jesus, many of his earliest followers, encouraged by the writings of Saint Paul, began to see Prophet Jesus as something more than human, a god.
They confused the beautiful message he brought with the One who sent it. They saw his gift of being able to calm the winds and the seas, or his gift of curing the sick, as indicating that he was more than just a man.
The Quran is quite clear about that, Jesus was a great prophet, but he was no more than that. He did not die on the cross, nor was he raised to life after three days, but he was a man.
One of the greatest men, yes. A man with very special gifts, yes. A man whom they revere as a great prophet, yes, but not a god. There is no God but Allah.
In summary of all this, the Quran tells us what God will say to Jesus on the Last Day, when He Almighty calls all people to Himself:
And behold! God will say (on the Day of Judgment): “Oh Jesus, the son of Mary! Did you say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: ‘Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I lived among them. When You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things.” (5:116-17
What was written in the letters sent by Prophet Muhammad S.A.W to several Kings?
After settling down in Medina on return from Hudaibiya, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instituted another plan for the spread of his Message. When he mentioned this to the Companions, some of them who were acquainted with the customs and forms observed in the courts of kings told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that kings did not entertain letters which did not bear the seals of the senders. Accordingly the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a seal made on which were engraved the words, Muhammad Rasulullah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Out of reverence, Allah was put at the top, beneath it Rasul and lastly Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The invitation to Islam was an invitation to believe that God is One and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His Messenger. Where the letter says that if Heraclius becomes a Muslim, he will be rewarded twice over, the reference is to the fact that Islam teaches belief in both Jesus and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
In Muharram 628, envoys went to different capitals, each with a letter from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), inviting the rulers to accept Islam. Envoys went to Heraclius, the Roman Emperor, the Kings of Iran, Egypt (the King of Egypt was then a vassal of the Kaiser) and Abyssinia. They went to other kings and rulers also.
The letter addressed to the Kaiser was taken by Dihya Kalbira. The text of the letter which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wrote to the Kaiser is to be found in historical records. It runs as follows:
From Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. To the Chief of Rome, Heraclius. Whoever treads the path of divine guidance, on him be peace. After this, O King, I invite you to Islam. Become a Muslim. Allah will protect you from all afflictions, and reward you twice over. But if you deny and refuse to accept this Message, then the sin not only of your own denial, but of the denial of your subjects, will be on your head.
“Say, ‘O People of the Book! come to a word equal between us and you that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not others for lords beside Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we have submitted to God’ ”

LETTER TO THE KING OF IRAN
The letter to the King of Iran was sent through ‘Abdullah bin Hudhafara (may Allah be pleased with him). The text of this letter was as follows:
“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. This letter is from Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Messenger of Allah, to Chosroes, the Chief of Iran. Whoever submits to a perfect guidance, and believes in Allah, and bears witness that Allah is One, and has no equal or partner, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger, on him be peace. O King, under the command of Allah, I invite you to Islam. For I have been sent by God as His Messengersa to all mankind, so that I may warn all living men and complete my Message for all unbelievers. Accept Islam and protect yourself from all afflictions. If you reject this invitation, then the sin of the denial of all your people will rest on your head.”

THE LETTER TO THE NEGUS
The letter to the Negus, King of Abyssinia, was carried by ‘Amr bin Umayya Damrira (may Allah be pleased with him). It ran as follows:
“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the Messenger of Allah, writes to the Negus, King of Abyssinia. O King, peace of Allah be upon you. I praise before you the One and Only God. None else is worthy of worship. He is the King of kings, the source of all excellences, free from all defects, He provides peace to all His servants and protects His creatures. I bear witness that Jesus, son of Mary (as) was a Messenger of Allah, who came in fulfilment of promises made to Mary by God. Mary had consecrated her life to God. I invite you to join with me in attaching ourselves to the One and Only God and in obeying Him. I invite you also to follow me and believe in the God Who hath sent me. I am His Messenger. I invite you and your armies to join the Faith of the Almighty God. I discharge my duty hereby. I have delivered to you the Message of God, and made clear to you the meaning of this Message. I have done so in all sincerity and I trust you will value the sincerity which has prompted this message. He who obeys the guidance of God becomes heir to the blessings of Allah.”

Source: Al Arabiya

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