ISLAM AND THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Muslims believe that Jesus was the son of Mary. In addition, they believe that Jesus was conceived without the intervention of a human father. The Qur'an describes that an angel appeared to Mary, to announce to her the "gift of a holy son" (Qur’an 19:19). She was astonished at the news, and asked: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?" (19:20). When the angel explained to her that she had been chosen for the service of God and that God had ordained the matter, she devoutly submitted herself to His will.

Mary is the only named woman mentioned in Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an - she is mentioned 34 times. Called Maryam in Arabic, Mary has an entire chapter/sura (19) in the Qur’an named for her. Interestingly, Mary’s name is mentioned more times in the Qur’an than in the entire New Testament. The story of the birth of Jesus in the Qur’an contends that his first miracle took place when he spoke as an infant. It is alleged that Jesus said (Sura/Chapter 19:29), “I am the servant of God… He has exhorted me to honour my mother and has purged me of vanity and wickedness. Blessed was I on the day I was born, and blessed I shall be on the day of my death and on the day I shall be raised to life”.

Because of the interest shown in aspects of the birth of Jesus, some believe that that interest can be used as a bridge to dialog with Muslims. Particularly, some Roman Catholics, because of their emphasis in the doctrine of Mariology, have been exploring their mutual interests with Muslims. Evangelicals, however, tend to be less gullible regarding this tepid affirmation of the Virgin Birth.

Actually, Arab evangelicals tend to be offended by the idea. Imad Shehadeh, Founder and President of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary believes, “… it is nice that Christians and Muslims can use Mary as a bridge, but so what?” Imad contends, “it is the nature of any system that rejects a superior truth to elevate less important truths or to mix error with lesser truths.” Islam celebrates the virgin birth, but denies Jesus’ deity and his death and resurrection – even though the Maryam chapter/sura states clearly that Jesus would die and then rise again. That major truth is denied elsewhere in the Qur’an.

It would be prudent to observe, not only what Islam affirms about the Virgin Birth, but what Islam denies about it. For instance, there is no mention of Joseph the carpenter, nor any recollection of the inn, the manger or Simeon who officiated at Jesus’ dedication as an infant. The Qur’an describes that Mary retreated from her people, outside the city, and gave birth to Jesus underneath a remote date palm tree. The tree miraculously provided nourishment for her during labour and delivery.

The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us that Adam, the first human being, was born with neither a human mother nor a human father. Accordingly, “Jesus is like Adam in the sight of God. He created him of dust and then said to him: ‘Be,’ and he was” (Sura/Chapter 3:59). In Islam, Jesus is regarded as a human prophet and messenger of God, not part of God Himself. In Islam, Jesus is not considered to be divine. Honestly, “…in Islam, the baby growing in Mary’s womb is part of creation. In Christianity, the baby growing in Mary’s womb is actually the Creator”.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul presented Jesus as “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). The description was speaking of Jesus’ pre-existence. The word “firstborn” signifies priority. In the culture of the Ancient Near East, the firstborn was not necessarily the oldest child. Firstborn referred to rank, not to birth-order. The firstborn possessed the inheritance and leadership. The phrase expresses Jesus’ sovereignty over creation. In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the firstborn of God on six occasions. Each passage made reference to Jesus’ pre-existence and sovereignty.

Furthermore, in the same letter to the Colossians, Paul went on to say of Jesus, “for by him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). As far as Paul was concerned, the Bethlehem story of Jesus’ birth was not his origin. Like other New Testament writers, Paul believed that at Bethlehem, God came to dwell among his creatures. Wasn’t this what Joseph was told by an angel? “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

Unlike the Qur’an, the Bible consistently recognizes the pre-existence and sovereignty of Jesus. Through the doctrine of the Incarnation, Christians believe that the eternal Son of God took on human flesh, without losing any of his divine nature. That miraculous, history-changing event took place in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Isaiah alluded to this when he said: “The Lord himself will give you a sign – The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Interestingly, in reporting on the birth of Jesus, Matthew quotes this prophecy from Isaiah (Matthew 1:22). Matthew recognized that the birth of Jesus was unique. It was more than another fatherless birth, like Adam.

A proper understanding of the Virgin Birth preserves the truth that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus did not acquire divinity because of the life he lived, nor because of a ruling by a Church Council. He came as Immanuel, and did not become Immanuel later.