Salaam - Questions about ʿĪsā (Jesus), al-Masīḥ, and the Injīl in the Qurʾān
As-salāmu ʿalaykum - I hope this is respectful; I don't mean to offend. I'm open-minded and would even consider embracing Islām if my doubts were addressed. I respect Islām's pure monotheism. A bit about me: I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I accept the Torah as God’s word and think God’s covenant with the People of Israel still stands. I don't believe ʿĪsā was divine or the Christian Messiah. I was raised Catholic long ago but left Christianity. My questions about ʿĪsā and the Injīl as presented in the Qurʾān: - The Qurʾān calls ʿĪsā a prophet and also names him al-Masīḥ, and it recounts stories similar to the Gospel accounts and apocryphal tales (the virgin birth, miracles, opposition from some Jews, ʿĪsā being raised to heaven, etc.). - One reason I left Christianity was skepticism about stories like the virgin birth, which to me resemble myths from other cultures. The Gospels were written in Greek, and I wonder if that influenced their narratives. - From a Jewish view, Malachi is often seen as the last prophet, and over the last two millennia no major rabbi accepted ʿĪsā as the awaited Mashiach ben David. The Jewish expectations of the Messiah include descent from David, rebuilding the Temple, bringing global peace and ruling as king - things ʿĪsā did not fulfill. So: why does the Qurʾān call ʿĪsā “al-Masīḥ”? Is that the same as the Jewish Mashiach ben David, or is the term used differently? Why is ʿĪsā given such prominence in the Qurʾān - he’s mentioned many times, sometimes more than other prophets like Ibrāhīm or Nūḥ. Shouldn’t Ibrāhīm get more attention? Also, what about the idea that some Qurʾānic/Gospel events (like the virgin birth) resemble Greek mythology - is that a fair comparison? Finally, does ʿĪsā’s statement in the Qurʾān (3:50) about making lawful some of what was unlawful contradict the Torah’s warning not to add or subtract from God’s command (Deuteronomy 4:2)? I hope these questions come across respectfully. JazakAllāhu khayran for any answers.