The story of Jesus or Eesa (a.s) is one where Muslims and Christians both converge and debate. It begins with his pious mother, Mariam, who dedicated her entire life towards Allah’s worship. Once while she was praying, an angel in the form of a man appeared before her. The angel informed her that she was being given the gift of a pious son. She debated, knowing that no man had ever touched her, to which the angel replied:
“So (it will be), your Lord said: That is easy for me (Allah): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allah).”
Surah 19: 18-21
The Birth of Jesus
The angel’s visit caused Mary great anxiety. After all, how would she justify or explain this pregnancy to the world? While she felt life kicking inside her, her heart was heavy with grief.
The day she was overtaken by the pains of childbirth, she sat down against a dry palm tree, and here she gave birth to Eesa or Jesus (a.s).
With a heart full of anxiety, she returned to the city with the baby nestled in her arms. People rebuked her. It was at this time that the baby, miraculously, began to speak in his mother’s defence.
He said, “I am Allah’s servant. Allah has given me the Book, and has made me a prophet, and has blessed me wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayers and almsgiving as long as I live. Allah has made me dutiful towards she who has borne me. He has not made me arrogant nor unblessed. Peace unto me the day I was born, the day I die and the day I shall be raised alive.”
The Jewish priests felt this child was dangerous because he posed a threat to their authority. So they kept the miracle of Jesus’s speech in infancy as a secret and accused Mary of a great misdeed.
Jesus’s Ability to Debate
As Jesus grew, the signs of prophethood began to increase. He turned into an excellent debater and his miracles became evident. The learned rabbis were disturbed by the boy’s boldness and puzzled by the questions he asked, for they were unable to answer him. They tried to silence him, but he ignored their attempts and continued to express his views.
Jesus’s Message
Like an opposing force, the message of Jesus came to denounce the practices of the Pharisees and Saducees and to reinforce the Law of Moses. Jesus invited the people to Almighty Allah. His call was based on the principle that there is no mediation between the Creator and His creatures.
Also Read: Stories of the Prophets: Ibrahim (a.s)
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