Based on what we discussed, read and learned in this course, in your own words, please first describe the main features, structure, and content of the Qur’an as a text and the way it has been received

Isa (Jesus)

We d n e s d a y, M a r c h 1 7 I s a ’s b l e s s e d n a m e is m e n t i o n e d in t h i r t e e n

c h a p t e r s of t h e H o l y Q u r ’ a n . In m o s t v e r s e s , h i s

n a m e is a s s o c i a t e d w i t h g r e a t n e s s a n d is

m e n t i o n e d w i t h t i t l e s s u c h as : A b d u l l a h , t h e w o r d

of G o d , t h e S p i r i t of God . In t h e Q u r ' a n , t h e n a m e

of J e s u s is m e n t i o n e d f o r t y -f i v e t i m e s , w h i c h is

m e n t i o n e d in e l e v e n s u r a h ’s w i t h t h e w o r d h e a r t

( " C h r i s t " ) . J e s u s (p b u h ) w a s b o r n f i v e h u n d r e d

a n d s e v e n t y y e a r s b e f o r e the b i r t h of t h e P r o p h e t

of I s l a m (p b u h ) in t h e l a n d of K u f a , by t h e

E u p h r a t e s R i v e r . S o m e h a v e s a i d t h a t he w a s b o r n

in t h e v i l l a g e of N a z a r e t h or J e r u s a l e m . H i s b i r t h

w a s a m i r a c l e a n d it h a p p e n e d by G o d ' s

p e r m i s s i o n w i t h o u t h a v i n g a f a t h e r . H i s m o t h e r

M a r y a m , t h e d a u g h t e r of I m r a n , w a s an e x e m p l a r y

w o m a n a n d o n e of t h e p r o m i n e n t p e r s o n a l i t i e s of

the c h i l d r e n of I s r a e l . F i n a l l y, M a r y a m , h o l d i n g her c h i l d , m o v e d f r o m t h e

d e s e r t to t h e v i l l a g e and w e n t to h e r r e l a t i v e s . S h e

t o o k her c h i l d and w e n t to her p e o p l e a n d as s h e

p r e d i c t e d , t h e y o p e n e d t h e i r m o u t h s to s l a n d e r a n d

s a i d : O M a r y ! Yo u m u s t h a v e done a v e r y s t r a n g e and

b a d t h i n g . T h e y r e b u k e d her a n d s a i d : O s i s t e r A a r o n ,

y o u r f a t h e r w a s n o t a bad p e r s o n , and y o u r m o t h e r w a s

n e v e r p o l l u t e d . So, w i t h t h i s f a m i l y o r i g i n a l i t y, w h e r e

d i d you b r i n g t h i s c h i l d ? A n d how d i d y o u c o n c e i v e

t h i s c h i l d w i t h o u t a h u s b a n d ?

At t h i s t i m e ( a c c o r d i n g to t h e p r e v i o u s o r d e r )

M a r y a m w a s s i l e n t a n d h e r only r e a c t i o n w a s to

p o i n t to h e r b a b y J e s u s , but t h i s s u r p r i s e d t h e m

t h e m o s t a n d s o m e of t h e m c a r r i e d M a r y a m on a

m o c k e r y a n d b e c a m e a n g r y a n d s a i d : M a r y a m

Wi t h w h a t y o u h a v e d o n e , a r e y o u s t i l l

s u b j u g a t i n g your p e o p l e ?! T h e y s a i d to h i m ,

“ H o w can we t a l k to a c h i l d in a c r a d l e ? ” S u d d e n l y t h e y s a w t h a t t h e c h i l d s p o k e a n d s a i d : I am t h e s e r v a n t of God, he h a s b l e s s e d me w i t h

t h e book of h e a v e n a n d h a s m a d e me a p r o p h e t a n d God h a s m a d e me a b l e s s e d c r e a t u r e f o r t h e

s e r v a n t s w h e r e v e r I am a n d as l o n g as I l i v e , He h a s r e c o m m e n d e d p r a y e r a n d z a k a t a n d h a s

m a d e me v i r t u o u s t o w a r d s my m o t h e r a n d h a s not m a d e me t y r a n n i c a l . M a y God b l e s s me on t h e

d a y I w a s b o r n a n d t h e d a y I d i e a n d t h e d a y I am r e s u r r e c t e d a l i v e .

W h e n t h e y h e a r d J e s u s s p e a k p l a i n l y, t h e y r e a l i z e d t h a t M a r y w a s c l e a n a n d pure f r o m a l l

i m p u r i t y, a n d t h a t J e s u s d i d not s p e a k u n t i l a f t e r s h e h a d g r o w n up a n d r e a c h e d t h e p o i n t of

o p e n i n g h e r m o u t h . H i s t o r i a n s , d a t e t h e a g e of J e s u s to t h e a g e of t h i r t y, a n d t h i s is in l i n e w i t h

s o m e B i b l e s . S o m e h a v e s a i d t h a t at t h e a g e of t h i r t y, an a n g e l w a s r e v e a l e d to h i m a n d t h e

p e r i o d of h i s p r o p h e t h o o d a n d m i s s i o n b e g a n . H o w e v e r, in s o m e n a r r a t i o n s , it is s t a t e d t h a t t h e

P r o p h e t s t a t e d h i s p r o p h e t h o o d at t h e a g e of s e v e n or e i g h t . T h e J e w i s h p e o p l e w e r e w a i t i n g for e m e r g i n g of C h r i s t b e f o r e t h e c o m i n g of J e s u s a c c o r d i n g to

t h e G o s p e l of M o s e s ; B u t a f t e r h i s a p p e a r a n c e , t h e c o l l e c t i v e i n t e r e s t s of t h e o p p r e s s o r s a n d

p e r v e r t s of t h e C h i l d r e n of I s r a e l w e r e j e o p a r d i z e d , a n d o n l y a l i m i t e d p e o p l e s u r r o u n d e d h i m ,

a n d t h o s e w h o s e p o s i t i o n w e r e e n d a n g e r e d by t h e i n v i t a t i o n of C h r i s t r e f u s e d to a c c e p t t h e

d i v i n e l a w s . A f t e r a r e a s o n e d a n d s u ff i c i e n t i n v i t a t i o n , J e s u s r e a l i z e d t h a t s o m e of t h e c h i l d r e n

of I s r a e l i n s i s t e d on o p p o s i t i o n a n d s i n a n d d i d not r e f r a i n f r o m a n y d e n i a l or p e r v e r s i o n .

T h e r e f o r e , he c r i e d out : “ W h o w i l l s u p p o r t t h e r e l i g i o n of God a n d d e f e n d m e ? ”

O n l y a f e w r e s p o n d e d p o s i t i v e l y to t h i s i n v i t a t i o n , t h e s e w e r e t h e pure p e o p l e w h o m t h e Q u r ' a n

c a l l s t h e “ H o v a r y u n ” ( f o l l o w e r s ) . T h e a p o s t l e s d e c l a r e d t h e i r r e a d i n e s s to h e l p C h r i s t a n d , as

t h e Q u r ' a n s a y s , “ We a r e G o d ' s c o m p a n i o n s , a n d we b e l i e v e in God a n d we t a k e y o u - C h r i s t -

as a w i t n e s s to our I s l a m .” A c c o r d i n g to t h e n a r r a t i o n s , t h e d i s c i p l e s w e r e t w e l v e p e o p l e , but

t h e i r n a m e s a r e not m e n t i o n e d in I s l a m i c n a r r a t i o n s . T h e J e w s , w i t h t h e c o o p e r a t i o n of

s o m e t r e a c h e r o u s C h r i s t i a n s , d e c i d e d

to k i l l J e s u s , a n d G o d t h w a r t e d t h e i r

p l a n s a n d f r e e d h i s p r o p h e t f r o m t h e i r

c l u t c h e s . G o d m e n t i o n s H i s b l e s s i n g on

C h r i s t b e f o r e t h i s h a p p e n s : " J e s u s , I

w i l l t a k e y o u and r a i s e y o u up to

m y s e l f .“

T h e c o m m e n t a t o r s , q u o t i n g t h e a b o v e

v e r s e , h a v e a r g u e d t h a t C h r i s t w a s not

k i l l e d , a n d t h a t G o d t o o k h i m to

h e a v e n .

B u t a c c o r d i n g to t h e B i b l e , C h r i s t i a n s

s a y t h a t J e s u s w a s k i l l e d a n d b u r i e d ,

t h e n r o s e f r o m t h e d e a d , w a s on e a r t h

f o r a s h o r t t i m e , a n d t h e n a s c e n d e d to

h e a v e n . It is c e r t a i n to us t h a t t h e J e w s

c o u l d not a r r e s t J e s u s a n d t h a t G o d

A l m i g h t y r a i s e d h i m to h e a v e n . T h e y a r r e s t e d a n o t h e r p e r s o n w h o l o o k e d l i k e t h a t I m a m a n d h a n g e d h i m , a n d w h a t e v e r t h a t p e r s o n

s h o u t e d t h a t I w a s n o t J e s u s , t h e y d i d not a c c e p t a n d h a n g e d h i m . B u t t h e r e is a d i f f e r e n c e in w h o t h a t

p e r s o n w a s . M a n y h a v e s a i d t h a t he w a s t h e s a m e J u d a s I s c a r i o t w h o , w h e n he e n t e r e d t h e h i d i n g p l a c e

of J e s u s , b e c a m e l i k e h i m a n d w a s h a n g e d . S o m e h a v e s a i d : He w a s t h e s a m e o f f i c e r w h o e n t e r e d t h e

p l a c e a n d w h a t e v e r he e x a m i n e d he d i d n o t s e e J e s u s a n d w h e n he c a m e o u t , he l o o k e d l i k e J e s u s a n d

o t h e r s w h o w e r e w a i t i n g for h i m o u t s i d e c a m e to a r r e s t h i m a n d h a n g h i m .