Birth of Jesus According to Quran
Jesus is one of the Ulul’azm messengers of God (arch-prophets) and the bearer of a divine law, with his holy book known as the Gospel. He is the last prophet before Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is one of those foretelling his coming, with his name mentioned 25 times in the Quran.
Several key moments in Jesus’ life are highlighted in the Quran. One of the most significant ones is his birth. The story of Jesus’ birth presented in the Quran has some differences from the account found in the Christian Bible. What follows is the narration of Jesus’ (AS) birth in the Holy Quran.
In the Holy Quran, God Almighty introduces Jesus (AS) as the son of Mary, the daughter of Imran. Mary was the daughter of Hannah and Imran, and from the very beginning, she was entrusted to the temple and raised under the supervision of Prophet Zechariah (AS). She is a woman whom God exalted above all women in the world in Islam. The son of Mary, as mentioned in the Quran, is Jesus. Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem and had a unique and special birth. According to verse 45 of Surah Al-Imran, one day the Angel Gabriel came to Mary from God Almighty with the message that God would give her a son named Jesus, who would possess great character in this world and the hereafter and would be among the closest to God. Mary was astonished, and in the continuation of these verses, she said to God: “(Mary) said, ‘How can there be a son for me when no mortal has touched me?’ The angel replied, ‘That is how God creates whatever He wants. When He decides to do something He just orders it to exist and it comes into existence.’” (Verse 47 of Surah Al Imran)
When Mary felt that her time of labor had come, she went to a remote place, where she began to experience the pains of childbirth. At that moment, feeling sad and distressed, she heard a voice: “He called from below to her: ‘Do not sorrow, look, your Lord has provided a rivulet below you, and shake the trunk of this palmtree it will drop fresh ripe dates upon you.’” (Verses 24 and 25 of Surah Maryam)
After giving birth, Mary took her newborn, Jesus, to her people, and they were astonished when they saw her and her baby. They said to her: “O sister of Aaron, your father was never an evil man, nor was your mother unchaste.” (Verse 28 of Surah Maryam)
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The people criticized her and made accusations against her, but Mary, following the command of the Almighty, remained silent and pointed to Jesus. Jesus spoke from the cradle and said, “I am the worshiper of Allah. Allah has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He made me to be blessed wherever I am, and He has charged me with prayer and charity for as long as I shall live. (He has made me) kind to my mother; He has not made me arrogant, unprosperous. Peace be upon me on the day I was born, and on the day I die; and on the day when I shall be raised up alive.” (Verses 30-33 of Surah Maryam)
The Holy Quran, in Verse 59 of Surah Al-Imran, compares the birth of Jesus (AS) to that of Adam, as both were born without a father. The birth of Jesus in the Holy Quran is a sign of God’s infinite power and a significant miracle in the history of humanity.
