Birth of Prophet Isa (IV)

IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The Holy Qur’an, Al-Mu’min 23:50-61 relates, “And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign. We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs. O ye apostles! Enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness for I am well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. And verily this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher. Therefore fear Me (and no other). But people have cut off their affair (of unity) between them, into sects. Each party rejoices in that which is with itself. But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time. Do they think that because We have granted them abundance of wealth and sons, We would hasten them on in every good? Nay, they do not understand. Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord; those who believe in the Signs of their Lord; those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord; and those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord; — It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them”.

The kings and priests are anointed to symbolise consecration to their office. The strengthening of Prophet Isa (AS) with the Holy Spirit was manifested through his ministry from cradle (Qur’an 19:30). The Holy Qur’an, Maryam, 19:27-34, attests to his ministry from cradle, “At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: ‘O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!’ But she pointed to the babe. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?’ He said: ‘I am indeed a servant of God. He hath given me Revelation and made me a prophet; and He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live; (He) hath 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”.

Hence, his ministry actually lasted only about three years, from 30 to 33 years of age. He was raised up to God Almighty, when in the eyes of his enemies he was crucified (Qur’an 3:46).

The Holy Qur’an, Al-Imran 3:54-55, testifies, “And (then unbelievers) plotted and planned and God too planned and the best of planners is God. Behold! God said: ‘O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject Faith to the Day of Resurrection; then shall ye all return unto Me and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute’”.

But truly, he was neither crucified nor killed by the Jews (Qur’an 4:157). The story of the birth of Prophet Isa is indeed a complex one to the disbelievers but simple in the eyes of believers.

The Holy Qur’an, An-Nisaa 4:155-159, confirms, “(They have incurred divine displeasure) in that they broke their covenant: that they rejected the Signs of God; that they slew the Messengers in defiance of right; that they said ‘Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve God’s Word; we need no more)’; nay God hath set the seal on their hearts for their blasphemy and little is it they believe. That they rejected faith: that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge. That they said (in boast) ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Apostle of God’; but they killed him not nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge but only conjecture to follow for of a surety they killed him not. Nay God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment, he will be a witness against them.”

The Christians believe that Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus) is alive today, and many denominations believe him to be active. They also believe that he has been resurrected already, and that he will never die again.

The Muslim position, however, is that he never died, and therefore is still alive.  The Quran, An-Nisa 4:157-158, says that the Jews claim: “We killed Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, Messenger of God”. However, God denies this, as the verse continues: “But they killed him not, nor crucified him; it was only a likeness shown to them: Most certainly they killed him not. Rather, God lifted him up to Himself.”

This action of lifting is literally an upward movement, physically being taken from the earth into the heavens, just as he will be physically brought back on the wings of angels from the heavens to the earth when he returns. Christians estimate his age to be 31-33 years of age at ascension, because the synoptic Gospels are considered to describe approximately one year of his life. The Gospel of John purportedly describes three years of his life from the moment he began preaching, of which Luke says: “And Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph … and (he) was led by the spirit into the wilderness.” (Luke 3:23 and 4:1).

Muslim scholars agree. Hasan Basri said, “Jesus was 34, while Sa’eed ibn Mussayyib said, “He was 33” when he was lifted up to heaven. “And there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Judgment, he will be a witness against them” (Quran 4:159).

God, here, is talking about the ‘People of the Book’ believing in Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus) before the latter dies well after he was lifted up into the heavens. The implication is that he is not yet dead. In fact, he is securely kept by God until he completes his appointed term. As God says in the Quran: “It is God Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and (the souls) of those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed” (Quran 39:42).

And: “It is God Who takes away the souls at night, and has knowledge of all that you have done by day, and raises you up again that a term appointed be fulfilled; then will you be returned unto Him.  Then He will inform you of all that you used to do” (Quran 60:60).

The term ‘appointed’ denotes the numbered days of our lives, already known and confirmed by God. The phrase “to take away” is a promise made by God to Jesus which God will do when His messenger is threatened by disbelief.

The Qur’an informs us that God told Jesus: “Indeed, I will take you (away) and lift you up to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve…” (Qur’an 3:55).

May Almighty Allah brighten our hearts with His Light (Nur) to accept the truth about the birth of Prophet ‘Isa (AS). Ameen.