Is Jesus Like Adam? Refuting 8 Christian Claims About the Divinity of Christ Using the Quran
I will put in your hands one of the attempts by which Christians try to convince themselves of their belief, regardless of whether it contradicts reason and logic or not. Therefore, they try to evade what the Qur’an has stated about this belief. I will convey to you what was stated on one of the websites whose only concern is cursing Islam.
The Christian Claims
Before we talk about this topic, we must know the difference between the word of God and its effect (i.e. its creative or miraculous action). Adam is the effect of the power of the word, and the effect of this power or ability was the creation of Adam. As for the Lord Christ, he is the word of God himself, i.e. he is the power and ability of the Lord. Thus, we have seen that the word of God, who is Christ, has another miraculous power other than creation, and this is what was expressed in the Gospel: “All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
It is stated in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:59: “Indeed, the example of Jesus before God is as the example of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.” The Qur’an states that creation sometimes says “clay” and sometimes says “from clay.” There is a difference between the two, just as there is a difference between creation and birth. Then this soil was wet until it became sticky clay that sticks to the hands. God Almighty said: “And We have certainly created man from an extract of clay” (Al-Muʾminūn 23:12). He also said: “Indeed, We created them from sticky clay” (Al-Ṣāffāt 37:11). He said: “And indeed, We created man from clay from an altered black mud” (Al-Ḥijr 15:26). He said: “He created man from clay like pottery” (Al-Raḥmān 55:14). He said: “And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I am going to create a human being from clay from an altered black mud. So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] spirit, then fall down to him in prostration’” (Al-Ḥijr 15:28–29).
We say that Adam is like Christ in that he is the father of the human race, its representative and deputy, but Adam, by his disobedience, dragged all of his descendants to destruction. As for Christ, He is a new father, agent and deputy for the believers in Him, whom His atonement, His vicarious work and His obedience granted their salvation. That is why the Bible said, “Adam, who is a type of the one who is to come” (Romans 5:14).
Is Christ like Adam, created from dust? Christ was not created from dust as God did with Adam, because God formed dust and created Adam with it and left him for 1000 years, as the Qur’an says that Christ was born from the Virgin Mary after she was pregnant for nine months. It is natural that Adam was created from dust and returns to dust because this is one of the characteristics of the created body. As for Christ, with His death on the cross and His resurrection, or as Muslims believe that He was raised, His body will not die and return to dust, so that the Prophet David said, Christ: His body will not see corruption. Even the expression “Be, and it will be” in the previous verse is considered linguistically incorrect. As for likening Christ to Adam in a way that indicates that Christ was created like Adam by God’s command, this is wrong. Christ was born and not created because Christ is not a being of the Word of God, but He is the same eternal Word of God who was incarnated from the Virgin Mary. He is different from Adam because Adam was created from the earth’s crust, and the earth’s crust is inanimate and has no life in it. He is similar to the Virgin Mary in his presence in life, for she came from a living being, which is Adam. Christ was formed from the blood of the Virgin Mary, and Eve was the reason for the fall of the human race and its expulsion from Paradise. The Word of God became flesh that He took from Eve, which is the Virgin Mary. The Word of God appeared among people to save them. In this, the divine revelation said, “The seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent” (see the Jewish Book of Genesis 3:15).
The Qur’an says contradictory things about Christ. Surah Al-Māʾidah 5:17 states: “They have disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.’ Say, ‘Then who can do anything against Allah if He willed to destroy the Messiah, the son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on the earth?’” Surah Al-Zukhruf 43:59 states: “He was only a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.” At the same time, there are other verses that refer to the divinity of Christ as a strange and wondrous person among mankind, and give Him the greatest titles not given to anyone else in the Qur’an:
(1) The Word of God: This noble name cannot be given to any creature, as it is specific to the Messiah, unique to him from all other angels and humans. It is mentioned in the Qur’an twice: In Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:45 — “When the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary — distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near.’” And in Surah Al-Nisāʾ 4:171 — “The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a spirit from Him.” This is an evangelical title, because the Gospel says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1–2). Christ was called the Word of God because the word of man is from Him and is one of the components of his personality. It is the image of his mind and thought, the interpreter of it, and the implementer of his authority and power. Christ is the Word of God Himself, and this proves His divinity because the Word of God is from God and in God from eternity. Is it possible that there was a time when God was without a word?
(2) The Spirit of God: It is stated in Surah Al-Nisāʾ 4:171: “The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was only a messenger of God and His word which He directed to Mary and a spirit from Him.” The verse did not stop at describing the Messiah as a messenger, but rather testified that he is the Word of God. And in order for us not to imagine something other than what is meant by the word “the Word of God,” it was followed by what removes doubt, which is a spirit from Him, so that we understand that the Messiah is not just an ordinary messenger, but a son sent by his Father to the lower world, like the rays of the sun emanating from the sun to the earth. What is the difference between saying that the Messiah is Light from Light, true God from true God, and the saying that he is the Spirit of God or a Spirit from God? Is he not from the essence of God and from His substance?
(3) His birth by the Holy Spirit from a virgin: Christ was distinguished from all other human beings by His birth from a virgin! So why was He distinguished from all other prophets by entering our world in this miraculous way? He is the Word of God and the Spirit of God dwelt in the womb of the Virgin and was incarnate and appeared among people as a sign and mercy to the worlds. So He is a son. Who is his mother? Mary. And who is his father? God. “We breathed into her of Our spirit and made her and her son a sign to the worlds.” (Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ 21:91)
(4) Holy without evil: The Qur’an testified to the absolute holiness of Christ without all other human beings. He never sinned. It is stated in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:36: “And indeed, I seek refuge for her and her offspring with You from Satan, the accursed.” It is stated in the hadith of Imam Muslim on the authority of Muhammad that Muhammad said to Aisha: “No child is born to the son of Adam except that Satan pokes him at his birth, so he begins to cry out from the poking of Satan, except for the son of Mary and his mother.” It is stated in the book of Imam Al-Ghazālī (Part 3, p. 38): When Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, was born, the devils came to Iblīs and said: “The idols have become with their heads down.” He said: “This is something that has happened. Stay where you are.” He flew until he reached the ends of the earth and did not find anything. Then he found that Jesus, peace be upon him, had been born, and the angels were surrounding him. Then he returned to them and said: “A prophet was born last night. No female has ever conceived or given birth except that I am present with her except this one. So despair of idols being worshipped after this night. But come to the children of Adam before haste and lightness.” We ask: What is the secret of this absolute holiness and supreme perfection? And why does the Qur’an not mention a mistake for Christ as it did for other prophets? And why is there no indication in the Qur’an that Christ repented to God or that God repented of him, or that he offered forgiveness or that God forgave him as came from all the other prophets and messengers? Is it not because Christ is a sacred being and he is the Word of God and His Spirit?
(5) His ability to perform miracles: The Qur’an testifies to Christ’s absolute ability to perform miracles in a way that is unparalleled among all the other prophets. It attributes to him knowledge of the unseen in His statement in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:49: “And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.” Although knowledge of the unseen is exclusive to God alone: “Say, ‘The unseen belongs only to God.’” (Surah Yūnus 10:20). The Qur’an attributed to Christ the ability to create, as it says in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:49: “Indeed, I will design for you from clay [an object], as it were, the figure of a bird, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by permission of Allah.” It also attributed to him the ability to heal illness and revive the dead: “And I heal the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead by permission of Allah.” It is known that creation belongs to Allah alone: “Is He who creates like one who does not create?” (Surah Al-Naḥl 16:17). Likewise, He gives life to the dead, and He is the One who gives life and causes death (Surah Al-Muʾminūn 23:80).
(6) His ascension to heaven: The Qur’an testifies that Christ was ascended from the earth to God and he is alive and immortal in heaven. It is stated in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:55: “When God said, ‘O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.’” It is also said about Muhammad in Surah Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:34–35: “And We have not granted immortality to any human being before you. So if you die, are they the immortal ones? Every soul will taste death.” So why did Christ triumph over death, when people have died in every generation, and He is alive and immortal, and He has immortality, and He has elevation and glory?
(7) Honorable in this world and the Hereafter: The Qur’an testifies to the honor of Christ in this world and the Hereafter. It is stated in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:45: “When the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary — honorable in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near.’” Tafsīr al-Jalālayn says: Honorable and of high status, in this world because of prophethood, and in the Hereafter through intercession and high ranks. So why does the Qur’an single out Christ for honor in this world and the Hereafter? Surah Al-Sajdah 32:4 states: “It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, and then He established Himself on the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or intercessor. Will you not then remember?” So why did Allah not give the authority to intercede to any human being except Christ? Is it not because he is the incarnate Son of God and the only mediator between God and people, and he is the one who revives the dead and the hearts, because he is the life of our bodies and our souls?
(8) The Savior: The Qur’an called Christ by the name Isa 25 times and called him by his name Al-Masīḥ. We do not know where Muslims got the name Isa from. However, he is known in the Bible as Jesus, which means Savior, and Al-Masīḥ means the anointed one or the appointed king, prophet, and priest — eight times. This is because he was appointed as the savior of the human race, and he is the one who brought the Gospel, which is a Greek word, Evangelion, meaning good news. The word Gospel is mentioned in the Qur’an 12 times. So why did the Qur’an single out Christ for good news? What the Qur’an says about Christ is more than what it says about all other people, including Muhammad. Doesn’t this indicate that Christ is unique among all other people? This is what the Bible says about the divinity of Christ.
Response
On the Core Comparison: Jesus and Adam in Āl ʿImrān 3:59
This is a flawed understanding that led them to ruin, so they became losers.
The Qur’an, when it likened Christ to Adam, said that Christ resembles Adam in the way he came to this world in a way that is different from the usual way of the rest of humanity, and in that both of them came to this world with the word “Be,” and he was. Look at the verse:
“Indeed, the likeness of Jesus before God is as that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.”
The point of similarity is: He created him from dust — meaning in a way that is different from all humans, without a father or mother. He said to him “Be,” and he was — meaning the manner of his coming was miraculous in a way that did not happen with all humans.
So if Jesus was distinguished by being born without a father, then Adam was created without a father or mother — so Adam is more deserving of divinity than Jesus. And if Jesus was distinguished from Adam in that he was born, then all the children of Adam are gods, for they are also born. So how is Jesus distinguished from Adam or from the rest of the people to be a god without them?
We come now to the tafsīr of the verse:
[!scholar] Ibn Kathīr — Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, Vol. 2, p. 49
God Almighty says: “Indeed, the likeness of Jesus before God” — in the power of God Almighty where He created him without a father — “is like the likeness of Adam,” for God Almighty created him without a father or a mother, rather “He created him from dust and then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.” And the one who created Adam is able to create Jesus by the first and most appropriate way. And if it is permissible to claim sonship in Jesus by his being created without a father, then it is permissible in Adam by the first way — and it is known by consensus that this is false, so claiming it in Jesus is even more false and more clearly corrupt. But the Lord, the Almighty, wanted to show His power to His creation: He created Adam from neither a male nor a female; He created Eve from a male without a female; He created Jesus from a female without a male; just as He created the rest of creation from a male and a female. That is why God Almighty said in Sūrat Maryam: “And that We may make him a sign for mankind.” (Maryam 19:21)
Ibn Kathīr says that Jesus was created without a father, just as Adam was created without a father or mother, by the power of God. So since God was able to create Adam without a father or mother, He was able to create Jesus without a father. In fact, creating Jesus is easier, and nothing is difficult for God.
On the Claim That Christ Is the Word of God While Adam Is Merely Its Effect
The Christian explains the supposed lack of similarity between Christ and Adam. He says that Christ is the Word of God, while Adam is only the effect of the Word of God. When we talk about this subject, we must know the difference between Adam and Christ to know whether Christ is really the Word of God in the Christian concept — that is, that he is a god.
Adam was created in his form as a mature, rational man, while Christ was created as a weak fetus that no one could see. Adam did not stay in a woman’s womb for nine months feeding on his mother’s blood, while Christ remained in his mother’s womb for nine months feeding from his mother’s womb. Adam did not pass through the reproductive tract. Christ descended from his mother’s reproductive tract, and blood and things that disgust humans came down with him — so what about a god? Adam did not breastfeed from a woman’s breast, while Christ continued to take his mother’s breasts and suck them for nearly two years to obtain the food that he lives on. Adam did not go through the period of weakness that occurs in childhood, while Christ went through this stage, so he needed someone to dress him and feed him — he could not serve himself. He used to urinate and defecate, and he needed someone to clean this filth for him. Adam was created without a father and without a mother, but Christ was created without a father only.
Have you seen the difference between Adam and Christ? Have you noticed the difference between the effect of the word of God and the word of God itself as the Christian claims?
God forbid — for by reason, if there was a god other than God (God is exalted above what they describe), Adam would have been more deserving of it than Christ. As for us, we say that Christ is called the Word of God because he was created with the word “Be,” and it was:
“She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son while no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘Thus does God create what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.’”
On the Claim That the Qur’an Contradicts Itself Regarding Clay and Mud
The Christian writer is bringing up matters that have nothing to do with the topic. He is only concerned with making Muslims doubt their religion. But after this response, Christians are the ones who need to review themselves in many matters.
The Christian writer once again deliberately involves himself in matters he does not understand. He says that the Qur’an once said that man was created from clay and another time it says he was created from mud.
Do you know what clay is? It is a type of clay. So ṭīn (clay) is general and laẓb (sticky clay) is specific. That is, if you said clay is clay, that would not be something strange or odd. The Qur’an said that man was created from clay, considering sticky clay to be a type of clay.
On the Claim That Christ Is the New Adam — Father and Representative of Believers
The Christian plays with words and belittles the minds of those who read him, without evidence. He says that Christ is the father and representative of those who believe in him, just as Adam is the father and representative of the entire human race.
We say that if Christ is the father and representative of those who believe in him, then it is because Christ is one of them — because the representative must be of the same kind as those represented, just as Adam is of the same kind as the human race. Otherwise it is not reasonable. And if Adam is the representative of the entire human race and Christ is the representative of those who believe in him only, then Adam’s representation is more general and comprehensive than Christ’s representation. How can it be reasonable that the more restricted representation belongs to God incarnate, while the more general and universal representation belongs to a mere mortal?
On the Claim That Jesus Was Not Created from Dust
The Qur’an did not say that — and this cannot be denied even after al-Qurṭubī’s interpretation. The Almighty’s statement — “Indeed, the likeness of Jesus before Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust” — is evidence of the validity of analogy. The likeness is based on the fact that Jesus was created without a father like Adam, not that he was created from dust. One thing may be likened to another even if there is a big difference between them, after they come together in one description. Adam was created from dust and Jesus was not created from dust, so there was a difference between them in this respect. However, the likeness between them is that He created them both without a father, and because the origin of their creation traces back to dust — since Adam, from whom Mary descended, was not created from anything other than dust.
As for the claim that “God created Adam from dust and left him for 1000 years, as the Qur’an says” — where did the Qur’an say this?
Now the Christian writer comes to a strange conclusion: that Adam was created from the earth’s crust — inanimate with no life in it — so when he dies he will return to the earth and dust. As for Christ, he was made from the blood of the Virgin and was not created from the earth’s crust, so his body will not die and return to the earth.
We will respond to him by saying: Christ was made from the blood of the Virgin — the blood of the Virgin that comes out during menstruation, the blood of the Virgin that when the Virgin dies will have no effect and will perish like all creation. If Christ was made from something mortal, then Christ is destined to perish. Add to that that he was made from the blood of the Virgin — if he is not the Word of God according to their concept, then how can the incarnate Word of God be made from the blood of a woman? Add to that: if this conclusion were correct, then all humans after Adam and animals as well would have become gods and would not return to the earth, for they were all formed in their mothers’ wombs as Christ was.
Then they say that the offspring of the woman, which is Christ, came to save humanity. The offspring of the woman! If he were the son of God, he would be attributed to God and not to the woman — for a child is attributed to the most honorable of his fathers, unless it is intended to belittle his status, in which case he is attributed to the least honorable. If he were the son of God, he would be attributed to God and not to the woman.
On the Claim That “Be, and It Is” Is Linguistically Incorrect
Who are you to judge right or wrong? You do not even understand the sentences correctly, and we have explained that. Then you come and speak about something you do not understand.
You do not know the methods of the Arabs in metaphor and deletion, and you do not know the rules and exceptions. Are you better than the people of the language who were used as an example in eloquence — then the Qur’an came to challenge them? Do you think that if they found a single mistake, they would have missed out on exploiting it to prevent the call that they had always fought and bled and lost their blood and money and their children to prevent? Would they have been lazy about that? They are the ones who used to hunt for mistakes in each other’s poetry and prose, saying “If he had said such and such, it would have been better” — even though the first was not a mistake.
This is the parsing from the tafsīr of al-Kashshāf:
[!scholar] Al-Zamakhsharī — Al-Kashshāf
“That He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” I say: It is a metaphor in speech and a representation, because nothing of the components is forbidden to Him, and He is like the one who is commanded and obeyed when the command of the commander is obeyed. If you say: What is the reason for the two readings of “faykūn”? I say: As for the nominative, it is because it is a sentence of subject and predicate, because its meaning is “faykūn” (he is), conjoined to something similar to it, which is his command to say to him “Be.” As for the accusative, it is for conjoining with “yaqūlu” (he says).
On the Claim That the Qur’an Contradicts Itself About Christ
The Qur’an did not come with contradictory verses, but rather their understanding is full of contradictions. The previous verses are clear and explicit that Christ is a servant of God and a creation of His creation. As for bringing a few words from a verse understood according to their whims while leaving the rest of the verse — the rest of which completely destroys their understanding and throws it into the sea — we will present examples of this valuable understanding and blatant deception.
On Point (1): “The Word of God”
The Christian writer practices his favorite hobby of misleading, deceiving, and blatant irrational inference. First, let us bring the verses he quoted in their correct context:
“When the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed God gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary — distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near (45) and he will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and among the righteous (46). She said, “My Lord, how can I have a son while no man has touched me?” He said, “Thus does God create what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (47) And He teaches him the Book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel. (48) And a messenger to the Children of Israel, saying, “Indeed, I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I create for you from clay a thing like the figure of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God’s permission. And I heal the blind and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by God’s permission, and I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers. (49) And confirming what came before me of the Torah, and that I may make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me. (50) Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.” (51)
Have you seen how he left all these clear words indicating that Jesus is a messenger and a servant, and that the miracles he performed were only by Allah’s permission — and he cut off the text to bring a word that has more than one meaning, whose meaning is not clear except by reading the rest of the verses, so he cut off the rest of the verses so that he and people would understand according to his corrupt and barren desires?
He did not see these words: “of those brought near” — “Allah creates what He wills” — “and teaches him the Book” — “and a messenger” — “a sign from your Lord” — “by Allah’s permission” — “by Allah’s permission” — “so fear Allah” — “Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him.”
Have you seen this great deceiver?
We have explained that Allah called the Messiah a word from Him because He created him with the word “Be,” and he was, as the angels themselves explained to Mary: “She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son while no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘Thus does God create what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.’” (3:47)
[!scholar] Al-Saʿdī — Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān
“His word which He cast into Mary” — meaning: a word that God spoke, and through it Jesus came to be. It was not that Jesus was that word itself, but it was associated with him, and this is from the aspect of adding honor and respect.
Let us come to the other verse to see if it is deception or stupidity — for one may suspect that he did not understand well, or that he did not see all these words that indicate the servitude of Christ:
“O People of the Book, do not commit excess in your religion and do not say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, ‘Three.’ Desist, it is better for you. Allah is only one God. Glory be to Him above having any partner. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. (171) The Messiah will not disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor will the angels brought near. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant — He will gather them all to Himself.” (172)
As for the claim that this title comes from the Bible — even if we assume it was revealed in the Bible, it was revealed to deceitful people like this writer, so they changed and altered it as he did with the verses: they added and subtracted and took what they wanted and left what would corrupt what they wanted, just as he did.
On Point (2): “The Spirit of God”
Not only Jesus is said to be from the spirit of God — all of mankind is:
“That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful (6) Who perfected everything He created. And He began the creation of man from clay (7) then He made his descendants from an extract of despised water (8) then He proportioned him and breathed into him of His [created] spirit and gave you hearing and sight and hearts. Little do you give thanks.” (9)
“And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I am creating a human being from clay from an altered black mud.’ (28) Then, when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] spirit, then fall down to him in prostration. (29) So the angels prostrated, all of them together. (30) Except Iblīs, who refused to be with those who prostrated.” (31)
If Jesus were a god by virtue of this, then all humans would be gods. Look at the interpretation of Ibn Kathīr:
[!scholar] Ibn Kathīr — Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (on Al-Nisāʾ 4:171)
Mujāhid said about His statement “and a spirit from Him”: meaning, a messenger from Him. And someone else said: and love from Him. The first and most apparent meaning is that it refers to a created spirit, and the spirit was added to God as an honorific — just as the she-camel and the House were added to God, in His statement: “This is the she-camel of God” (Hūd 11:64), and in His statement: “And purify My House for those who perform Ṭawāf” (Al-Ḥajj 22:26), and as mentioned in the authentic hadith: “Then enter upon my Lord in His House” — He added it to Him as an honorific addition, and all of this is of one kind and one pattern.
If Jesus were a god then all humans would be gods — for God breathed of His spirit into Adam just as He did with Jesus.
On Point (3): Birth by the Holy Spirit from a Virgin
We have previously shown that the manner of birth does not indicate divinity — otherwise Adam would have been more deserving of it than Jesus. Let us look at the verses:
“And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our spirit and made her and her son a sign for the worlds. (91) Indeed, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.” (92)
And He said upon the creation of Adam: “then He proportioned him and breathed into him of His spirit” (Al-Sajdah 9), and “So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My spirit” (Al-Ḥijr 30). So with this unsound understanding, Adam is also a god. But God added the word “spirit” to Himself as an honor and a tribute to the owner of this spirit — Adam first, then Christ after him — and not to deify either of them. God Almighty is above taking a son:
“And to warn those who say, ‘God has taken a son.’ (4) They have no knowledge of it, nor did their fathers. It is a grave word that comes out of their mouths. They say nothing but a lie.” (5)
So adding the spirit to God is like adding the she-camel to Him — He said “the she-camel of God” to magnify its matter so that the people of Ṣāliḥ would not underestimate it and kill it.
On Point (4): Holy Without Evil
The Qur’an did not testify to the absolute holiness of Christ — rather it glorified him and raised his status as a righteous servant of Allah. It is stated in Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:36: “And indeed, I seek refuge for her in You and for her offspring from Satan, the accursed.” If he was a god, he would not have needed his Lord to protect him from Satan, the accursed. The verse does not indicate anything of what they imagine.
The hadith indicates that Satan did not touch them because of the supplication of Mary’s mother — “And indeed, I seek refuge for her in You and for her offspring from Satan, the accursed” — so Allah answered her. Do not imagine what has no basis or evidence.
As for what is stated in the book of Imam al-Ghazālī, it does not indicate anything of what is in their minds — and this is if it is even correct, because neither this writer nor Imam al-Ghazālī mentioned the source of this statement.
We have shown that the Qur’an did not sanctify him with absolute sanctity — and that the Qur’an did not mention a sin for Jesus does not mean he is a god. Let us tell them what the Qur’an actually said about Jesus:
“He said, ‘Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet (30) and has made me blessed wherever I am, and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakāh as long as I remain alive (31) and dutifulness to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. (32) And peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I die and the day I am raised alive.’ (33) That is Jesus, the son of Mary — the word of truth about which they are in doubt. (34) It is not for Allah to take a son. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is. (35) And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path. (36) But the parties differed among themselves. So woe to those who disbelieved from the scene of a tremendous Day.” (37)
“And when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?”’ He said, ‘Glory be to You! It is not for me to say that which I have no right to. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within my soul, and I do not know what is within Your soul. Indeed, You are the Knower of the unseen.’ (116) I said to them nothing except what You commanded me: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was over them a guardian, a witness, as long as I was among them. But when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are Witness over all things. (117) If You should punish them — indeed they are Your servants; and if You should forgive them — indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (118)
“And when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, ‘O Children of Israel, indeed I am the Messenger of God to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a Messenger to come after me whose name will be Aḥmad.’ But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is obvious magic.’” (6)
On Point (5): His Ability to Perform Miracles
We will bring the verses in full — as we have mentioned them before — and leave the reader to comment:
“She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son while no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘Thus does God create what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.’ (47) And He will teach him the Book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel. (48) And a messenger to the Children of Israel, saying, ‘Indeed, I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I create for you from clay a thing in the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I heal the blind and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers. (49) And confirming what came before me of the Torah, and that I may make lawful to you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. (50) Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.’” (51)
Have you seen the omission of all these clear words indicating that he is a Messenger and a servant and that the miracles he performed were only by the permission of Allah?
On Point (6): His Ascension to Heaven
The Christian writer did not bring the verse that actually indicates the ascension of Christ, so we will bring it — because it will reveal his deception:
“And their saying, ‘Indeed, we killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ But they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them. And indeed, those who differ about it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. (157) Rather, God raised him up to Himself. And ever is God Exalted in Might and Wise.” (158)
That is, he was not killed or crucified — as the Christians claim — but God preserved him and gave him victory over those who betrayed him, supported him, and protected him from his enemies. Have you seen that we respect him more than they do? He is one of God’s righteous servants.
Then the Christian comes with the verse “When God said, ‘O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself’” as if he does not understand what he is reading. He said “I will take you” — meaning I will cause you to die. He said “I will cause him to die” — and then claims he is alive and eternal. It is astonishing to the minds.
On Point (7): Honorable in This World and the Hereafter
First: the Qur’an did not say that only Jesus is honorable. Look at what He said about Moses:
“O you who have believed, do not be like those who harmed Moses, but God cleared him of what they said, and he was honorable (wajīh) in the sight of God.”
So is Moses also a god?
As for the claim about intercession — who told them that only Christ will intercede? Look at what God said about intercession:
“They do not possess intercession except for one who has taken a covenant with the Most Merciful. (87) And they say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ (88) You have certainly done a terrible thing. (89) The heavens almost burst from it and the earth splits open and the mountains fall in ruin (90) that they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. (91) And it is not befitting for the Most Merciful to take a son. (92) Indeed, everyone in the heavens and the earth comes to the Most Merciful only as a servant.” (93)
“On that Day they will follow the Caller, with no crookedness in him, and voices will be hushed before the Most Merciful, so you will hear nothing but a whisper. (108) On that Day, no intercession will benefit except for one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and whose word is acceptable. (109) He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not encompass it in knowledge.” (110)
Intercession is by God’s permission for those He is pleased with — it is not exclusive to Christ.
On Point (8): The Savior and the Name Al-Masīḥ
Where did the Qur’an say that he is Jesus or that he is the Savior? The Qur’an must be understood in Arabic — not in Greek or in the terms of a distorted Bible. Look at the meaning of Al-Masīḥ in relation to the Qur’an:
[!scholar] Al-Qurṭubī — Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Vol. 4, p. 89
There is a difference of opinion about the Messiah, son of Mary, as to what the name derives from. Some say: because he wiped the ground (masaḥa al-arḍ), i.e. he traveled it and did not settle in it. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās that he did not wipe a person with a defect except that he was healed — so it is as if he was called Masīḥ for that. It was also said: because he was wiped with blessed oil, the prophets used to anoint themselves with it; so if he was anointed with it, it was known that he was a prophet. It was also said: because his soles were wiped. It was also said: because beauty wiped him, i.e. it appeared on him. It was also said: he was called that because he was wiped with purity from sins. Abu al-Haytham said: Al-Masīḥ is the opposite of al-Masīkh — it is said: God wiped him, i.e. created him in a good and blessed way; and massakha means created him in a cursed and ugly way. Ibn al-Aʿrābī said: Al-Masīḥ is the truthful one, and al-Masīkh is the one-eyed one, and the Antichrist was named after him.
We have nothing to do with its meaning in Greek or its meaning in the Bible — for the Qur’an cannot be understood through Greek or the terms of a distorted Bible.
Every argument the Christian writer raises — the Adam comparison, “Word of God,” “Spirit of God,” virgin birth, sinlessness, miracles, ascension, honor, intercession, and the name Al-Masīḥ — collapses under the same method: the Qur’an itself, read in full context, affirms unambiguously that Jesus is a servant of God, a messenger, and a created human being. He himself declared in the cradle: “Indeed, I am the servant of Allah.” He himself declared before his people: “Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him.” And Allah declared plainly: “It is not for Allah to take a son. Glory be to Him.”