Divinity and Sonship of Christ, and His Sinlessness

Sūrah References:

Sūrah 19:35-36
Sūrah 3:51-52
Sūrah 43:57-65
Sūrah 9:30
Sūrah 3:72-73
Sūrah 5:19

Etymology and Translations

Arabic (عيانية ابن الله والهو ما كانوا يخطئون)
Turkish (Hazreti İsa’nın İlahlığı ve Günahsızlığı)

Key Quranic Verses:

Sūrah 19:35-36:

1“That is Jesus the son of Mary, the word of truth (Qaulu ʾl-Ḥaqq), whereon ye do dispute! God could not take to Himself a son! Celebrated be His praise! When He decrees a matter He only says to it, ‘BE,’ and it is; and verily God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him: this is the right way. But the sects have differed among themselves.”

Sūrah 3:51-52:

1“These signs, and this wise warning do we rehearse to thee. Verily, Jesus is as Adam in the sight of God. He created Him of dust: He then said to him, ‘Be’—and he was.”

Sūrah 43:57-65:

1“And when the Son of Mary was set forth as an instance of divine power, lo! thy people cried out for joy thereat: And they said, ‘Are our gods or is he the better?’ They put this forth to thee only in the spirit of dispute. Yea, they are a contentious people. Jesus is no more than a servant whom we favoured, and proposed as an instance of divine power to the children of Israel; and if we pleased, we could from yourselves bring forth Angels to succeed you on earth: and he shall be a sign of the last hour; doubt not then of it, and follow ye me: this is the right way; and let not Satan turn you aside from it, for he is your manifest foe. And when Jesus came with manifest proofs, he said, ‘Now am I come to you with wisdom; and a part of those things about which ye are at variance I will clear up to you; fear ye God, therefore, and obey me. Verily, God is my Lord and your Lord; wherefore, worship ye him: this is a right way.’ But the different parties fell into disputes among themselves; but woe to those who thus transgressed, because of the punishment of an afflictive day!”

Sūrah 9:30:

1“The Jews say Ezra is the Son of God; and the Christians say that the Messiah is the Son of God; that is what they say with their mouths imitating the sayings of those who misbelieved before—God fight them!—How they lie!”

Sūrah 3:72-73:

1“And some truly are there among them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues, in order that ye may suppose it to be from the Scripture, yet it is not from the Scripture. And they say, ‘This is from God’; yet it is not from God: and they utter a lie against God, and they know they do so. It beseemeth not a man, that God should give him the Scriptures and the Wisdom, and the gift of prophecy, and that then he should say to his followers, ‘Be ye worshippers of me, as well as of God’; but rather, ‘Be ye perfect in things pertaining to God, since ye know the Scriptures, and have studied deep.’ ”

Sūrah 5:19:

1“Infidels now are they who say, ‘Verily God is the Messiah Ibn Maryam (son of Mary)! Say: And who could aught obtain from God, if he chose to destroy the Messiah Ibn Maryam, and his mother, and all who are on the earth together?”

Theological Insights:

Jesus in Islamic Theology

In Islamic theology, Jesus (known as ‘Īsā) is regarded as a prophet and a messenger. He is attributed titles such as the “Word of God” and “Spirit of God,” acknowledging his miraculous birth and significant role among the prophets. However, the Qur’an firmly denies his divinity and sonship to God, emphasizing monotheism and the unique nature of God as beyond any form of physical or metaphorical parentage.

Quranic Perspective on Sinlessness

The Quran acknowledges Jesus as without sin, distinguishing him positively among prophets. This notion is underscored in a Hadith where prophets recount their sins except Jesus, reinforcing his unique status, yet remaining purely human in Islamic belief.

Significant Hadith

An illustrative Hadith related by Anas, emphasizing the sinlessness of Jesus compared to other prophets, and presenting Muhammad as the ultimate intercessor for Muslims on the Day of Resurrection.

Contextual Insights

In interacting with modern theological dialogues or Christian missionary work:

Affirm shared respect: Both Islamic and Christian traditions respect Jesus Christ, though their theological understanding diverges decisively.
Critical differences: Islam rejects the divinity of Jesus and the notion of sonship, which are core to Christian doctrine, acknowledging the miraculous aspects but opposing doctrines of atonement linked with Christ’s divinity.
Quranic emphasis on monotheism: Reinforces monotheism and positions worship exclusively towards God (Allah).

Conclusion and Takeaways:

Islam upholds Jesus as a significant, sinless prophet but denies his divinity and sonship to God.
Monotheism is central in Islam’s perspective on Jesus, positioning him as a pivotal prophet without attributing divine nature.
Interfaith dialogues require nuanced understanding, respecting theological variances while identifying shared moral and spiritual reverence for Jesus.

Understanding how Jesus is perceived within Islam allows for richer interfaith dialogue and appreciation of theological differences that shape the spiritual landscape of billions.

This concludes our dictionary entry for the reference on “Divinity and Sonship of Christ, and His Sinlessness” from an Islamic perspective based on selected Quranic verses.

Divinity and Sonship of Christ, and His Sinlessness - Quranic Perspective