Knowledge › History & Heritage

Isa ibn Maryam — Jesus Son of Mary: The Quranic Portrait of a Revered Prophet

عِيسَى ابنُ مَريَمَ عليه السلام — نَبِيُّ اللهِ عِيسَى فِي القُرآنِ الكَرِيمِ وَالفِكرِ الإِسلَامِيّ
2 min read · 331 words

Isa ibn Maryam (عِيسَى ابنُ مَريَم — Jesus son of Mary; mentioned 25 times in the Quran by name, plus numerous references as al-Masih [the Anointed/Messiah] and as Ibn Maryam [Son of Mary]) holds a uniquely honored position in Islamic theology: a mighty prophet (*rasul*), endowed with the Gospel (*al-Injil*), supported by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, who performed extraordinary miracles — yet emphatically not divine, not the Son of Allah, and not crucified (in mainstream Islamic interpretation). The Quran's affirmations: *'Indeed, the similitude of Isa before Allah is like the similitude of Adam — He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was.'* (3:59 — the virginal birth does not make Isa divine; Adam had no father or mother); *'O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Isa the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him.'* (4:171). The Quran's denial of the crucifixion: *'And [for] their saying, We killed the Messiah, Isa, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it appeared so to them.'* (4:157). Isa will return before the end of times according to hadith tradition. He is one of the five *Ulu al-Azm* (Prophets of Resolute Purpose).

The Quranic Isa vs. the Gospel Isa

Core affirmations: The Quran affirms of Isa: his miraculous birth from the Virgin Maryam (19:16-34); that he is the Masih (Messiah, Arabic masih from Hebrew mashiach); the Ruh Allah and Word of Allah (4:171 — but not in the Trinitarian sense); that he performed extraordinary miracles: speaking in the cradle (3:46), healing the blind and leper, raising the dead, creating birds from clay — all bi-idhni Allah (by Allah’s permission, 5:110).

Core denials: The Quran explicitly denies: that Isa is the Son of Allah in any literal or divine sense (9:30, 19:35); that he was crucified (4:157); and that he himself taught his divinity (5:116-117 — ‘And when Allah will say: O Isa, son of Mary, did you say to the people, Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah? He will say: Exalted are You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say…’)

See also: Nubuwwa, Tawhid Divine Unity, Al Mubahalah, Isra Wal Miraj, Aqida Islamic Creed

Isa and Islamic Eschatology

The return of Isa: Hadith traditions (Bukhari, Muslim) describe Isa descending near the end of times, breaking the cross (symbol of the Christian misunderstanding of his mission), killing the Dajjal (Antichrist), praying behind the Mahdi, and completing a period of righteous rule before his death. The return of Isa is a sign of the Hour.

See also: Al Mahdi, Akhira And Afterlife, Nubuwwa

Ismaili Ta’wil of Isa

Isa and the batin-zahir pair: In Ismaili thought, Isa’s Gospel (al-Injil) represents a deepening of the zahir-batin dimension of revelation — bringing a more spiritualized, interior dimension to the Mosaic Law. The succession Musa (Law/zahir) → Isa (Spirit/batin) → Muhammad (completion) is a prophetic progression. Isa’s unique birth (from the Ruh/Spirit, not a physical father) is interpreted as an expression of his special connection to the spiritual dimension of revelation.

See also: Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Al Zahir Al Batin, Nubuwwa, Musa Al Kalim, Why The Quran, Ismaili Philosophy

See also: Nubuwwa, Tawhid Divine Unity, Al Mubahalah, Isra Wal Miraj, Aqida Islamic Creed, Al Mahdi, Akhira And Afterlife, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Al Zahir Al Batin, Musa Al Kalim, Why The Quran, Ismaili Philosophy

← All articles
← Previous
Musa al-Kalim — Moses the Interlocutor: The Prophet Who Spoke Directly with Allah
Next →
al-Yaqzah — Spiritual Wakefulness: The Opposite of Heedlessness and the Beginning of the Path
✦

More in History & Heritage

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) — The Seal of Prophets

The life, mission, and legacy of Sayyidna Muhammad ibn Abdullah (SAW) — the Seal of Prophets, the beloved of Allah, the Natiq of the final divine dispensation, and the one through whose lineage the Imamate continues in the Ahl al-Bayt. This is the foundation of every Bohra belief and practice.
Sayyidna Ibrahim al-Khalil (AS) — The Friend of Allah

Sayyidna Ibrahim ibn Azar (AS) — the Prophet Abraham — is the father of monotheism, the builder of the Ka'ba with his son Ismail (AS), and the ancestor through whom both the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) via the Ishmaelite line and a vast number of Prophets via the Israelite line descend. He is called Khalilullah (the Friend of Allah) and his trials are among the greatest in prophetic history. Hajj itself was established by him and restored by the Prophet (SAW).
The Fourteen Masumeen — Prophet and Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt

A reference guide to the 14 Ma'sumeen — Rasulullah (SAW), Syedatona Fatema (AS), and the 12 Imams — whose names, lives, and legacy form the devotional and theological core of Bohra and wider Shia Islamic tradition.
← Back to all articles