Excellent article re Islam knowledge of Jesus

Written by Zeinul Abideen Al-Rikabi, an Islamic scholar based in Riyadh, and published in the Arab News here:

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=105412&d=8&m=1&y=2008

snip

As a result of this, Muslims possess broad and profound knowledge of Jesus and Christianity. This knowledge incorporates the belief that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) preached a system of values, concepts, ethics, virtues, and teachings and tenaciously pursued its instillation in society and in human conscience.

The following are examples of these principles, concepts, and values that Muslims learn from the Qur’an:

(1) Mercy — which is the primary and most salient of Jesus’ qualities as well as his mission. The Qur’an states, “And we shall make him a miracle among men and a mercy to them, and so it has been decreed.” Furthermore, Jesus himself was keenly aware of this attribute, thus he renounced tyranny, the antithesis of which is mercy. The Qur’an states, “And he has made me kind to my mother, far from being a wretched oppressor.”

(2) Peace — The Qur’an teaches Muslims that Jesus was an advocate of peace and more precisely that he embodied peace from the day he was born till the Last Judgment, as is mentioned in the Qur’an: “So peace be upon me on my birthday, the day I die, and on Judgment Day.”

(3) True Faith — The Qur’an mentions, “But Christ said: ‘0’ Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And whoever worships other gods with Allah will be forbidden from Heaven, and Hell will be his abode.’”

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Do read this entire article, and I very much look forward to follow ups. As I've often commented Muslims who are well versed in the Qur'an are often more reverent and knowledgable of Jesus, who they call Isa, than some Christians I could mention. My warm compliments to the wise and generous author.