What Muslims Believe About Jesus
At any time general traits and beliefs of a group are noted there are persons who know exceptions. Following are fundamental beliefs held by most Muslims with few exceptions.
Muslims respect Jesus as a great prophet. Have you ever noticed you never hear a Muslim speak a disparaging word about Him. They teach that after Mohammed returned from his visit to heaven he called an assembly of all Old Testament prophets and included Jesus. Mohammed converted all of them, including Jesus, to Islam. Thus, Jesus is revered as a great Muslim prophet.
In the magnificent Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem there is written on the wall near the ceiling a statement declaring Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
Muslims love Jesus, but they believe His followers misunderstood His message and have failed to apply it. Their dislike for Christians and Jews dates back to the youth of Mohammed. Christians and Jews along the caravan route near his home in Mecca were unkind and rude to him as a boy. He concluded the Jews had a book, the Old Testament, and Christians had a book, the Bible, but his people had no book. Thus he undertook to write what became the Koran.
During the Crusades there was much hatred and inhumanity on both sides. Muslims still point to this period as a time when persons professed to follow Christ did not enact His teachings. Muslims themselves were less than civil.
What does the book called by President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and members of the administration call the Holy Koran say about Christians and Jews? Let the Koran speak for itself. The parentheses are added for clarity.
The Koran teaches the superiority of Islam. “It is He who has sent His messenger (Mohammed) with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior to all religions even though the mushrikim (polytheist, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it). Surah 9:13
Of Muslims it declares, “You are the best of people ever raised up from mankind.” Surah 3:110
It expresses an opinion of all others. “Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islam, the Koran, and the Prophet Mohammed) from among the peoples of the Scriptures (Christians and Jews) and all mushrikim will abide in the fires of hell. They are the worst of people.” Surah 98:6
Muslims have a point about Christians missing the message of Jesus. I concur some have, but many get it. An example of missing it is related to the Model Prayer taught by Jesus.
Some Christians use God’s name as slang or profanity. Jesus taught persons to pray “…hallowed be thy name.”
When a Muslim uses the name of Allah it is usually immediately accompanied by a phrase like “blessed be the name.”
Jesus taught His followers “ought always to pray.” Few Christians have a vibrant prayer life. Muslims pray five specified times a day on their knees.
It is estimated that by 2030, Muslims will increase in America from our present 2.6 million to 6.2 million. They will be a numerous as Jews or Episcopalians. America will have more Muslims than any European country other than Russia and France.
Jesus also taught His followers to “love one another.” We have to live with persons not like us, persons unlike us, and who don’t like us. That milieu will change our nation. This is the conflict dividing two cultures.