What do Muslims say about Jesus?
In short: Islam respects Jesus — but not as the Son of God. The Quran calls Him the Word of God, a prophet and messenger, born of the Virgin Mary. But it denies that He is God incarnate, and it denies the Crucifixion. And it is precisely on these points that everything is at stake.
The Orthodox nuance
What the Quran affirms about Jesus (Isa): He is a great prophet, granted miracles, born of a virgin (Surah 19, Maryam, is dedicated to her). The Quran calls Him the "Word of Allah" and "His Spirit" (Surah 4:171). He will return at the end of times. The respect for Jesus in Islam is real and profound; Muslims do not view Him with indifference.
What the Quran does not confess, however, is the divinity of Jesus (Surah 112, "Allah has no son"), the Trinity, and the Crucifixion. Surah 4:157 states that Jesus was not killed or crucified, but that "it was made to appear so to them." For the majority of Islamic theologians, someone else died in His place.
From an Orthodox perspective, these differences touch the heart of the Christian faith. If Christ is not God incarnate, the Incarnation is meaningless. If He did not die on the cross, there is no Sacrifice and no Redemption. If He did not rise again, faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). The Jesus of the Quran is a venerated prophet; the Jesus Christ of the Gospel is the God-Man who dies and rises for us. Dialogue can be respectful, but it should not erase this central difference.
Sources
- John 1:1 and 14 (the Word became flesh)
- 1 Corinthians 15:17 (if Christ is not risen)
- Saint John of Damascus (first theologian to systematically address Islam)