
The Islamic Jesus
A Christmas Day Tribute
By Moin Qazi
“The Qur’an does not believe that Jesus is divine but it devotes more space to the story of his virginal conception and birth than does the New Testament, presenting it as richly symbolic of the birth of the Spirit in all human beings (Q 19:17-29; 21:91). The Quranic writings say Jesus was betrayed and sentenced to die on the cross. According to Islamic narrative, Jesus was not crucified; instead, a man who looked like him was. Muslims believe Jesus did not die but risen bodily to Heaven by God, from whence he will return to Earth before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and to defeat al-Masih ad-Dajjal (“the false messiah”), also known as the Antichrist.”