Tag Archives: Muslim Traditions

Two of many verses from the Qur'an from Chapter 19 entitled Maryam (the Muslim name attributed to Mary). Photograph: Simerg.

The Birth of Jesus in the Qur’an, as Christians Around the World Celebrate His Birth at Christmas

22 December 2023

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(This article has been adapted and abridged from an article first published on the official website of the Ismaili Muslim community under the title Why Do Muslims Revere Jesus? Please note that the photograph of the Altar of Nativity and the selected verses from chapter 19 of the Qur’an, are not part of the Ismaili piece — Ed.)

Prepared by MALIK MERCHANT

Jesus and the Prophets of the Abrahamic Tradition

“Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing.” — Qur’an, 19:27

His name is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an twenty-five times, often in the form ‘Isa ibn Maryam, meaning “Jesus, son of Mary.” In the Qur’an, he is referred to by the unique title of “Messiah” (al-masih in Arabic), meaning “anointed one.” Descriptions of Jesus in the Qur’an include many aspects of the narrative found in the Gospels about the life of Jesus, including his virgin birth, the signs given to him by God, that he was raised by God into His presence, and it also suggests his future return. Jesus is also referred to in the Qur’an as the “Word” and the “Spirit” of God, a special honour. 

: The Altar of the Nativity, beneath which is the star marking the spot where tradition says the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus
The Altar of the Nativity, beneath which is the star marking the spot where tradition says the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. Photograph: Muslim Harji, Montreal.

The Holy Qur’an frequently mentions that divine guidance was sent to humankind through various prophets. For example, it says:

“So [you believers], say, ‘We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma’il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob), and the Tribes, and what was given to Musa (Moses), ‘Isa (Jesus), and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him’” (Qur’an 2:136).

This view that all prophets are considered to be equal is also supported by a widely-reported hadith, in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is believed to have said:

“Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”

Many Qur’anic verses also describe the prophets as belonging to the same family. For example, there is a line of prophets descended from Prophet Ibrahim. Both of his sons, Ishaq and Isma’il were prophets, as was Prophet Ishaq’s son, Prophet Ya’qub, and his grandson, Prophet Yusuf, or Joseph (peace be upon them).

Thus, God chose certain families over others based on their devotion, faith and commitment towards the Divine, as reflected in the following two Qur’anic verses:

“Allah chose Adam and Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim, and the family of Imran above all mankind: a progeny one from the other” (Qur’an, 3:33-34).

“We have already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom” (Qur’an, 4:54).

Article continues below, after quotes from the Qur’an

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Mary and the Birth of Jesus in the Qur’an

Mary and Jesus and the palm tree that nourished them
Left: Virgin Mary nurtured by a palm tree in a Turkish miniature, as described in the Qur’an; right: Mary and Jesus in a Persian miniature. Images: Wikipedia.

Verses in the Quran regarding Jesus and Mary
Please click on the image for enlargement. Read Barnaby Rogerson’s story related to the above verses HERE

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Jesus in Islamic Traditions

The Qur’an mentions that angels announced the coming birth of Prophet ‘Isa, saying:

The angels said, ‘O Maryam, Allah gives you good news of a Word [kalima] from Him. His name is [the Messiah], ‘Isa ibn Maryam, honoured in this world and in the next, and of those brought near [to God]’” (Qur’an, 3:45). 

Throughout history, Prophet ‘Isa has been viewed by Muslims as someone who embodied the qualities of piety and a concern for the needy, and whose example inspired Prophet Muhammad. In Sufi literature, he is frequently portrayed as an example of detachment from the material world and closeness to God.

The Ikhwan al-Safa’, or Brethren of Purity, depicted Prophet ‘Isa as a spiritual exemplar par excellence. In his article “Jesus, Christians and Christianity in the Thought of the Ikhwan al-Safa’,” Dr Omar Ali-de-Unzaga writes:

“Jesus figures prominently in the Rasa’il, as one of the exemplars who embodied the views of the Ikhwan al-Safa’: belief in the eternity of the soul and the pursuit of the purification of the soul from matter by detachment from the bodily realm.”

The 49th Ismaili Imam, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, spoke about Jesus in connection with pluralism in his acceptance speech for the Tutzing Evangelical Academy’s “Tolerance” award in 2006, saying:

“Despite the long history of religious conflict, there is a long counter-history of religious focus on tolerance as a central virtue – on welcoming the stranger and loving one’s neighbour. ‘Who is my Neighbour?’ – one of the central Christian narratives asks. Jesus responds by telling the story of the Good Samaritan – a foreigner, a representative of the Other, who reaches out sympathetically, across ethnic and cultural divides, to show mercy to the fallen stranger at the side of the road.”

THE people Of the book

In Islamic traditions, Jesus is held in high regard as a messenger of God and an exemplar of piety and as a guide to spiritual truth. He is also part of the shared heritage that binds the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Together, they are known in the Qur’an as the ahl al-kitab, or People of the Book, that is, people to whom God sent revelation.

His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan highlighted this shared Abrahamic heritage in his address to the Canadian parliament in 2014, stating:

“We find singularly little in our theological interpretations that would clash with the other Abrahamic faiths — with Christianity and Judaism. Indeed, there is much that is in profound harmony.”

Date posted: December 22, 2023.

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FURTHER READING:

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We welcome feedback from our readers. Please click LEAVE A COMMENT. Your letter may be edited for length and brevity and is subject to moderation.

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SOURCES:

  1. Faith and Practice in Islamic Traditions, vol. 1 (Student Reader). London: Islamic Publications Limited for The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2015.
  2. The Qur’an and its Interpretations vol. 1 (Student Reader). London: Islamic Publications Limited for The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2017.
  3. Shedinger, Robert F. “Jesus“, in: Oxford Bibliographies in Islamic Studies.
  4. Omar Ali-de-Unzaga. “Jesus, Christians and Christianity in the Thought of the Ikhwan al-Safa’”, in: Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History. Volume 2 (900- 1050), ed. David Thomas et al. (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2010); The History of Christian-Muslim Relations, 14; pp. 306-311. 
  5. Andani, Khalil, “Jesus in Esoteric Islam: An Ismaili Muslim Christology,” Lecture for the Society of Comparative Theology, Harvard Divinity School, 1 March 2013. 
  6. Aga Khan III. The Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time. London: Cassell and Company Ltd, 1954.

Fall’s Ubiquitous Pumpkin: While Used Creatively for Decorations and in Artistic Works, the Healthy Fruit is Mentioned in the Earliest Muslim Traditions Dating to the Prophet Muhammad

30 October 2023

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By MALIK MERCHANT

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day are the most significant days for the flower industry. Still, there is almost an entire season — and not just a day — in Canada and the USA where the pumpkin remains the king in indoor and outdoor markets and at numerous events celebrating corn and pumpkin harvests. In fact, Calgary and other cities acround Canada including Edmonton, Milton, Burnaby and Ottawa are hosts to “Pumpkins After Dark“, Canada’s award-winning outdoor fall event that feature over 10,000+ hand-carved pumpkins.

The pumpkin is associated with Thanksgiving in Canada (2nd Monday in October) and the USA Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November), and is one of the most popular desserts served during the holiday. In between, on Halloween Day, October 31, pumpkin heads are put to scary uses through creative works of art. Aside from the pumpkins’ use in decorations and artistics works, the fruit is used in restaurants in North America, such as Starbucks, Tim Horton, McDonalds and many others for special pumpkin chais, coffees and desserts.

Story continues below

Pumpkin Aga Khan Museum
Aga Khan Museum Toronto Courtyard decorated with pumpkins, October 23, 2020. Photograph: Malik Merchant / Simerg.

My real interest on the health benefits of the pumpkin was drawn when I saw the large fruit decoratively laid out at the Aga Khan Museum’s coutyard during the pumpkin season some three years ago. I then wondered whether the fruit was mentioned anywhere in Islamic literature and, to my amazement, I read that the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his progeny) was fond of pumpkins. I am pleased to include a small selection of adaptations from readings that I found.

“I saw the Prophet being served with soup and containing gourd (pumpkin or squash) and cured meat, and I saw him picking and eating the pieces of gourd.” — Bukhari Volume 7, Book 65, Number 348.

It is related that a sailor once invited Prophet Muhammad to eat some food that he had prepared. Anas bin Malik, a companion of the Prophet, noted that the Prophet was served barley bread and a soup with pumpkin in it. The Prophet keenly ate the pumpkin around the dish, and from that day Anas made it his favourite food. Traditions also note that whenever a a dish of bread, meat and broth was presented to the Prophet and it contained pumpkin, the Prophet would pick up the pumpkin because he really liked it, and made the heart strong. Other Muslim traditions note that the pumpkin increases brain function and brain strength.

Ibn Ridwan, in a medical treatise written during the Fatimid period, recommended the pumpkin as a diet for healthy living along with several other fruits and vegetables such as celery, carrots, lentils and cucumbers.

Interestingly, there is also a general consensus among researchers and scholars about the Arabic word yaqteen that is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. They say that it refers to the pumpkin — a food that nourished and helped heal Prophet Yunus, after he was cast into the wilderness while he was sick (see Qur’an, 37:144-146, at Corpus Quran English Translation).

The website healthline mentions that pumpkin is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is incredibly healthy. Moreover its low calorie content makes it a weight-loss-friendly food. It goes on to add that “its nutrients and antioxidants may boost your immune system, protect your eyesight, lower your risk of certain cancers and promote heart and skin health.”

Enjoy the pumpkin!

Date posted: October 30, 2023.

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