The Birth of Isa (Jesus) Alayhissalam

Imran was among the prominent people of the Israelites. When his wife Hanna became pregnant, he made a vow to dedicate the child to the service of Bayt al-Maqdis (Masjid al-Aqsa). Back then, there was a tradition of dedicating children to Bayt al-Maqdis. Imran passed away when his wife Hanna was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, named her Maryam, and prayed: “O Rabb, I gave birth to a daughter. Accept my dedication!” Then she took her daughter to Bayt al-Maqdis and delivered her to the authorities there, saying, “this is my dedication.” The prophet of the time, Zakariyya (alayhissalam), took Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) and brought her to his wife Isha, Maryam’s (rahmatullahi alayha) aunt from her mother's side. Thus, Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) grew up receiving education beside her aunt.

Zakariyya (alayhissalam) had built a special room for Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) in Masjid al-Aqsa. She retired there and began to occupy herself with worship. None but Zakariyya (alayhissalam) could enter her private quarters. Whenever he entered, he found food beside her, sent from Allah (jalla jalaluhu). Prophet Zakariyya (alayhissalam) was about a hundred years old but wished greatly for his wife and him to have a child of their own; they had never had any. One day Jibril (alayhissalam) appeared to him in the form of a human and told him that he would have a child named Yahya. Afterwards, he appeared to Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) in the same form and told her she too would have an immaculate boy, even though she had never met with a man (and he blew his breath through her collar). Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) became pregnant as a miracle (mu’jizah) and gave birth to Isa (alayhissalam) when the time came. Yahya (alayhissalam) had been born six months earlier.

When the Israelites around the virgin Maryam (rahmatullahi alayha) saw that she gave birth to a child (in Quds/Bayt al-Lahm), they told her, “O Maryam, you really did something despicable!” and wanted to stone her. She beckoned to the baby in the cradle. Then the child in the cradle spoke: “Verily, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and made me a prophet, and He has made me a blessed one wherever I be, and has enjoined salah and zakat upon me as long as I am alive, and (He has made me) good to my mother, and he did not make me oppressive (or) ill-fated. And peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised alive again.” (Maryam, 30-33).

(History of the Peoples and Kings, Al-Tabari (Cairo 1979, p. 1/593-600); al-Kamil fi’l-Tarikh, Ibn al-Athir (Beyrut 1989, p. 1/298-300, 307-312).

The Prophethood of Isa Alayhissalam

Isa (alayhissalam) was born in Palestine (Bayt al-Lahm) a few years before the assumed year of Zero CE in a miraculous way (mu’jizah). After a short time, to be safe from the harm of the Israelites that showed enmity toward the mother and son, they traveled to Egypt and spent twelve years away from danger. Later, they returned to Palestine (near modern Haifa) to Nasirah (Nazareth). Isa (alayhissalam) had spent his youth there with his mother, and the Injil (Gospel) was sent to him when he reached the age of thirty. Isa (alayhissalam), together with his twelve companions who believed in him first and supported him, traveled to many places in Palestine and invited people to the right path and true religion, showing many mu’jizahs. It is known that he showed miracles such as the curing of blindness and disabilities that came from birth, as well as vitiligo skin disease, resurrecting the dead when necessary, and even making a bird out of clay and letting it fly. (Al-Ma’idah, 110). However, many stubborn Israelites said “These are sorcery!” and insisted on their denial. Nevertheless, some of them believed and followed him.

The “ma’idah/repast” story is famous; it is said to be one of the major miracles of Isa (alayhissalam). The name of surah Ma’idah comes from this event. The ayahs that tell this event are these: “When the disciples said, ‘O ‘Isa, son of Maryam, can your Lord send down to us a repast from the heavens?’ He said, ‘Fear Allah if you are believers.’ They said, ‘We wish that we eat from it, and our hearts be satisfied, and we may know for sure that you have told us the truth, and we may become witnesses to it.’ ‘Isa son of Maryam said, ‘O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a repast from heaven which may be a happy occasion for us, for all our generations present and future, and a sign from You, and give us provisions. You are the best Giver of Provisions.’ Allah said, ‘I am going to send it down to you; but whoever among you disbelieves after that, I shall give him such a punishment as I shall not give to anyone else in all the worlds.’” (Ma’idah, 112-115)

According to the narrative, Isa (alayhissalam) did not like to hear such a demand from his companions. Nonetheless, he prayed weepingly to Allah for the ma’idah to be sent down. It is said that there were fish and various good-smelling meals. Those meals ascended again after many people ate from them until they were full.

(al-Nuwayri, Nihayah al-Ereb (Cairo, 1943), 14/225-240); Ibn al-Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran (Riyadh, 1943), 3/224-231.

The Departure of Isa Alayhissalam from this World

Isa (alayhissalam) had been a prophet among Israelites for about three years and had made efforts to take the message of the Injil to the people verbally; he had no opportunity to write it down. While most Israelites opposed him, a few of them believed in him. The people who followed the true faith he brought were called “Nasrani” or “Isawi.” The essentials of the Isawi faith were the same as the Islamic belief. In fact, as the true religion decreed by Allah for that time period, it was the Islam of that time.

The Israelites that showed enmity towards Isa (alayhissalam) eventually decided to kill him. They provoked the Roman governor of al-Quds against him. They said that Isa (alayhissalam) had been working against Rome, trying to form a new government in Palestine and that he opposed their religion as well. Thus, they deceived the governor. For this reason, the governor of al-Quds demanded that Isa (alayhissalam) should be punished and passed this duty to the Israelite notables. Following this, they began searching for him in order to kill him. With the guidance of the traitor Yahuda, a companion of the prophet, they found Isa (alayhissalam).

As Yahuda entered the place where they intended to find and capture Isa (alayhissalam), his appearance was altered by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to look like Isa (alayhissalam). They mistook him for Isa (alayhissalam) and executed him by crucifixion. Isa (alayhissalam), however, was taken to the heavens. The Quran informs us of this event: “In fact they did neither kill him, nor crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance. Those who disputed in this matter are certainly in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, but they follow whims. It is absolutely certain that they did not kill him, but Allah lifted him towards Himself. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (An-Nisa, 157-158)

Christians believe that Isa (alayhissalam) rose from the dead after the crucifixion and then ascended to the heavens. After the thirty-three years of Prophet Isa’s (alayhissalam) life on earth, his companions tried to spread the true religion. However, the Christians/Nasranis who believed in the true creed that Isa (alayhissalam) taught were subjected to oppression and various forms of persecution for three hundred years. Though Christianity became free afterwards, the true faith and the collected manuscripts of the Injil had disappeared. Isa (alayhissalam) was falsely declared to be the son of Allah and God Himself—hasha wa kalla. Hundreds of fictitious Injils were written during this time. After a time, some were selected and reduced to four variants. The existing four gospels today (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are full of mistakes and are inconsistent and incompatible with each other.

Şemseddin Sami, Qamus al-A’lam, 5/3228,29, Ahmet Cevdet, Kısas-ı Anbiya (Ankara, 2000), 1/40-42.

Yusuf Yavuz