Jesus in Islam & What Prophet Muhammad Said About Him

"I am the closest of people to Jesus" the prophets are like paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one. There is no prophet between me and Jesus". This narration, mentioned by a Muslim in his Sahih, describes the relationship of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with our master Jesus, son of Mary (peace be upon him). Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: I am the closest of people to Jesus. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one. 

The term 'al-Alat' refers to brothers from one father but different mothers, while those with the same parents are called 'al-A'yan'. Al-Nawawi explains: "The majority of scholars agree that the essence of their faith is one, but their laws may differ. They are united in the fundamentals of monotheism, whereas differences arise in the branches of the laws. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) says their religion is one, he means the principles of monotheism and obedience to Allah, even though there may be differences in their descriptions. The essence of monotheism and obedience is what is meant here". Many hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) revolve around Jesus, the son of Mary, his virtues, and his attributes.

Description of Jesus: Brown with a Tinge of Fairness and Redness

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, portrayed Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon them, in a narration established in the two Sahihs, where he described the physical features of Jesus. Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying: 'While I was asleep, I dreamt that I was circumambulating the Kaaba, when suddenly, I saw a man with an Adam-like appearance, with flowing hair, between two men, water dripping from his head, or as if his head was dripping water. I asked: "Who is this?" They replied: "This is the son of Mary". Then I turned around and saw a man who was red and stout, with curly hair, blind in one eye, his eye looking like a floating grape. I asked: "Who is this?" They replied: "The Antichrist, the most resembling among people to Ibn Qatan".

Similarly, in another hadith narrated by Bukhari: "I saw Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. Jesus appeared red with curly hair and broad chest. As for Moses, he was well-built and tall as if he belonged to the people of Az-Zutt". Both hadiths indicate that Jesus, peace be upon him, had a complexion between brown and reddish, as reddishness denotes fairness in human skin. Thus, he was brown with a tendency towards fairness and redness, not towards extreme brownness or darkness.

Untouched by Satan

Satan touched every newborn upon their birth except Jesus, son of Mary, and his mother. This is a virtue affirmed by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in an authentic hadith preserved in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim concerning Jesus, peace be upon him and his mother, distinguishing them from all other humans, including the prophets.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in Sahih Bukhari and the wording in Sahih Muslim: "Every newborn is touched by Satan at birth, causing them to cry out from the touch of Satan, except for the son of Mary and his mother".

Assurance of Paradise for Those Who Believe in Allah, Muhammad, and Jesus, Peace Be Upon Them

Both Bukhari and Muslims narrated in their Sahihs a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, giving glad tidings of paradise to those who believe in Allah, His messenger Muhammad, and Jesus, peace be upon them. It is reported on the authority of 'Umayr ibn Hani', from Jundub, from 'Ubadah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "Whoever bears witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner or associate, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and that Jesus is the servant of Allah, His messenger, and His word which He bestowed upon Mary, and a spirit from Him, and that paradise is accurate, and Hell is actual, Allah will admit him into Paradise regardless of his deeds". Ibn Hajar commented in his explanation of the hadith that it encompasses beliefs, as it gathers what all disbelievers deny, despite their differences in beliefs and distances from each other.

This hadith is not the only one; the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is mentioned in a hadith recorded by Bukhari, which states the obligation of believing in Jesus, son of Mary. He said that whoever believes in Jesus and then believes in him will have a double reward. In a hadith narrated by Al-Sha'bi, from Abu Burda ibn Abi Musa, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When a man disciplines his child, teaches her well, and then emancipates her and then marries her, he will have two rewards. And if he believes in Jesus, son of Mary, and then believes in me, he will have two rewards. And if a servant fears his Lord and obeys His masters, he will have two rewards".

Testimony for Jesus, Son of Mary, with Pure and Clear Insight

Muslim narrated in his Sahih, a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that he said: "Jesus saw a man stealing and said: 'O so-and-so, did you steal?' The man replied: 'No, by Allah, I did not steal '.Jesus said: 'I believe in Allah, and my eyes deny what you say'".

Ibn Kathir comments in Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah on this hadith, saying: "This indicates pure insight, as the man swore an oath, thinking that no one would swear falsely by the greatness of Allah regarding what Jesus had witnessed firsthand. So, Jesus accepted his excuse and retracted his accusation, saying: 'I believe in Allah,' meaning 'I believe you' and 'my eyes deny,' meaning 'I disbelieve your words because of your oath'".

The Glad Tidings of His Descent in the Latter Days

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, mentioned the descent of Jesus, peace be upon him, in the latter days, and Muslims are informed about it in several narrations. He said that Jesus would remain on Earth for forty years, and then Allah, glorified and exalted by He, would cause him to die. Muslims will perform funeral prayers for him and bury him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, as reported by Ibn Kathir in "Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah" and Al-Tabari in his history: "The prophets are brothers from different mothers, and their religion is one. I am the closest of people to Jesus, son of Mary, because there was no prophet between me and him. He will descend, so when you see him, recognize him.

He will be a man of medium height, leaning toward fairness and redness, with curly hair as if his head is dripping, even though it is not wet, between two red garments. He will break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizyah, and reconcile the religions so that there will be no religion except Islam during his time. Allah will then destroy the false messiah, and security will prevail on Earth to the extent that camels will graze with lions, tigers with cattle, and wolves with sheep. Children and youngsters will play with snakes without harm. He will stay on Earth as long as Allah wills, then he will die, and Muslims will perform funeral prayers for him and bury him".