Wait.. So Jesus was a Muslim?

That's right. Jesus is my homeboy too. 

Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace and blessings be upon them all! But God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel.

This, however, does not undermine the worth or value of the previous prophets, including Jesus. Jesus, or Isa (AS) in Arabic, was one of the mightiest prophets of Allah (SWT) - Prophets being the key word. He was a slave of Allah, just like you, me, and everyone else. Not God himself, or the "Son of God".

Jesus has been mentioned by name 25 times in the Qur'an, while Prophet Muhammad has been mentioned by name only 5 times. Additionally, the 19th chapter of the Qur'an was named after the Virgin Mary (Maryam in Arabic), while there is no chapter in the Qur'an bearing the name of Muhammad's mother, wives, or any of his daughters. It's also noteworthy that Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an. She is described in the most honorable way as the one chosen and favored over all women! So you see that a Muslim MUST believe in Jesus in order to be a Muslim. All Muslims love Jesus (Peace be upon him).

Muslims however, do not believe that Jesus was God, or the Son of God like the Christians. And we most certainly do not believe that he was crucified! The Bible can be a little confusing on that point: Was Jesus God or the Son of God? Well, Jesus never claimed to be God or the Son of God in the Bible. He never claimed divinity by saying, "I am God", "Worship me", or "I am the Son of God". If Jesus was REALLY God or the "begotten" Son of God, he would have EXPLICITLY said that he was indeed God or the Son of God. But he didn't. And if God wanted his believers to know what's up, he would have said so explicitly, instead of making it sound like rocket science. And this: " Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4) says it all!


Instead of going off topic, I'll stick to Jesus in the Qur'an for now. Let's look at what the Qur'an says about our beloved Prophet Jesus:
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In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.

And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.

She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allah ."

He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy."

She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?"

He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.' "

So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.

And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."

But he called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.

And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.' "

Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented.

O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."

So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?"

[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah . He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.

And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah (charity) as long as I remain alive   

  

And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant.

And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."

That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the word of truth about which they are in dispute.

It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.

[Jesus said], "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."               

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Jesus was one of the most honorable prophets of Islam and if a person sincerely loves Jesus and wishes to follow his religion, he cannot do so by following the misguided doctrines of Paul and man-made doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus was a Muslim, and he called people to Islam; to monotheism; to the religion of Adam, Abraham, and Noah; and only to submit to the One True God, Allah.