Isa

The Prophet Isa ﷺ is one of the greatest prophets of Allah, given the title Ruhullah a spirit from Allah and given the Gospel (Injil) as scripture.

His birth was a miracle unlike any other: he was born to the righteous Maryam (as) without a father. Not because of any divinity but by the command of Allah: "Be" and it was. (3:47)

The Quran makes his status clear: "The likeness of Isa with Allah is as the likeness of Adam He created him from dust, then said to him: Be and he was." (3:59)

Isa was a human prophet. A servant of Allah. Born by a miracle just as Adam was created by a miracle. Both are signs of Allah's power, not evidence of divinity.

Allah granted Isa ﷺ extraordinary miracles every single one by the permission and power of Allah, not from himself.

The Quran records his miracles: "I create for you from clay the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by the permission of Allah. And I heal the blind and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by the permission of Allah." (3:49)

Three times in one verse he said: by the permission of Allah. He never claimed these miracles were from himself. He was a servant of Allah, doing Allah's will.

He also told his people what they had eaten and what they had stored in their houses knowledge given to him from Allah. (3:49)

Isa ﷺ called his people the Bani Isra'il to worship Allah alone, to follow the true path, and to confirm what had been revealed before in the Torah.

He gathered disciples the hawariyyun a small group of sincere believers who said: "We are the helpers of Allah we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we submit." (3:52)

They followed Isa, believed his message, and spread it among their people.

Isa told his people: "Allah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. This is a straight path." (3:51)

His entire message was the same message all the prophets brought: Tawheed worship Allah alone.

The disciples of Isa ﷺ made an extraordinary request: "O Isa, son of Maryam can your Lord send down to us a table spread [with food] from the heaven?"

Isa told them this was a serious matter and warned them: if the table descended and they still disbelieved, Allah's punishment would be severe.

They insisted they wanted to eat from it, to have their hearts reassured, and to witness a sign.

So Isa ﷺ prayed: "O Allah, our Lord send down to us a table from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from You." (5:114)

And the table came down from the sky. This miracle gives Surah 5 its name: al-Ma'idah The Table.

When those who rejected Isa ﷺ plotted against him and planned to capture and kill him, Allah protected His prophet with a complete and perfect protection.

The Quran states clearly: "And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him but it appeared so to them. Indeed those who differ over him are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain." (4:157)

Instead: "Rather, Allah raised him to Himself and Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." (4:158)

Isa ﷺ was not crucified. He was raised alive by Allah. He is with Allah now and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that Isa will return before the Day of Judgement. (Sahih Muslim 155)

One of the most important things Isa ﷺ did was give good news of the final prophet who would come after him.

The Quran records his words: "O children of Isra'il, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me whose name is Ahmad." (61:6)

Ahmad is another name of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Isa pointed forward to the completion of the message, to the final prophet, to the Quran.

Every prophet pointed toward the next. Every message was a stepping stone. Isa was not the end he was a great sign that prepared the world for the final revelation.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that Isa ﷺ will return to earth before the Day of Judgement. He will descend, break the cross (showing the truth that he was not crucified), kill the swine, and abolish the jizyah calling all people to Islam alone.

He will live for a period, then die a natural death. Muslims will pray his funeral prayer. (Sahih Muslim 155)

His story is not finished. He is with Allah right now alive and he will return.

Isa ﷺ said from the cradle: "Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive." (19:33)

From the first word he ever spoke, he declared: I am the servant of Allah. That is the complete truth of Isa prophet, miracle, sign, and servant of the Most High.