A Miraculous Conception

 Islam recognizes Christ Jesus to be far more perfect and sinless than any human being ever has been or could be.  The Quran itself does not give to any of the prophets, not even to Muhammad, any of those special characteristics pertaining to Christ.
 'Isa  is the name given to Jesus in the Quran.  Both Christians and Muslims have wondered for centuries why He is not called Yesu' as the Gospels have it in Arabic.  Here is the reason.  Muhammad used the name "'Isa" in good faith after hearing it from the unbelieving Jews in Medina.  In their hatred, the Jews ridiculed Jesus by calling him Esau, the rejected brother of Jacob who lost the blessing.  They declared that the soul of Esau had been transformed into Jesus.  Muhammad picked up this name and put it in his Arabic tongue and applied it to Jesus without carrying with it the derogatory meaning given by the Jews.

 We read in the Surat al-Tahrim (Banning) 66:12,

•  And Mary, daughter of 'Imran, whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed therein something of Our Spirit.  And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was of the obedient.

Al Saddi's version of the miracle states the following:

•  He took hold of her sleeve and breathed into her side, and it entered her breast and she conceived.  Then Mary's sister, the wife of Zachariah, came to visit with and help her, and while she was assisting her she knew that Mary was pregnant and Mary mentioned her state to her.
   The wife of Zachariah said, "I find the child in my womb worships that which is in yours."  Another account relates that the breathing was in her mouth and reached her womb and immediately she conceived.

  ---

  
  Back to:  TABLE OF CONTENT