The Story of Jesus in the Qur'an

Many Christians are surprised to discover that the Qur’an mentions Jesus (peace be upon him) by name far more often than it mentions Muhammad ﷺ. Jesus is called the Messiah, a word from God, a sign and a mercy. His story in the Qur’an begins not with him, but with the women who came before him.

A girl dedicated to God

The story starts with Mary’s mother, the wife of ‘Imran. While still pregnant, she promised her child to the service of God. When she gave birth to a daughter, she named her Mary (Maryam) and asked God to protect her and her descendants. God accepted the child with love, placed her in the care of the prophet Zechariah, and provided for her so generously that Zechariah would find food with her in her place of prayer and ask where it came from (Qur’an 3:35-37).

Mary grew into a woman of deep devotion. The angels brought her a message of extraordinary honour:

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾

And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.

Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an, and the nineteenth chapter is named after her. You can read more about her in Mary in Islam.

The angel’s announcement

One day, while Mary was alone, an angel came to her in the form of a man. Frightened, she sought refuge in God, the Most Merciful. The angel reassured her that he was a messenger from her Lord, bringing news of a pure son. Mary asked how she could have a son when no man had ever touched her. She was told that this is easy for God, who wished to make the child a sign for people and a mercy (Qur’an 19:16-21). Elsewhere the Qur’an adds that when God decrees something, His command alone is enough for it to come into being (Qur’an 3:47).

Christian readers will recognise Mary’s question from the Gospel of Luke: “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34, KJV). Muslims and Christians share the belief that Jesus was born of a virgin mother, by a miracle of God.

Born beneath a palm tree

The Qur’an’s account of the birth is short and very human. Mary withdrew to a remote place, alone, and the pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. There, overwhelmed, she wished she had died before this. Then God comforted her:

فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًۭا مَّنسِيًّۭا ﴿٢٣﴾ فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحْتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّۭا ﴿٢٤﴾ وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًۭا جَنِيًّۭا ﴿٢٥﴾

²³And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten." ²⁴But he called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. ²⁵And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

Water to drink, fresh dates to eat and words of comfort: God’s care for a frightened young mother is at the centre of this moment.

A baby who spoke

When Mary returned to her people carrying the child, they were shocked and accused her. She did not defend herself — she simply pointed to her baby. They asked how they could speak to an infant in the cradle (Qur’an 19:27-29). Then the baby Jesus spoke:

قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّۭا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّۭا ﴿٣١﴾ وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّارًۭا شَقِيًّۭا ﴿٣٢﴾ وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّۭا ﴿٣٣﴾

³⁰[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. ³¹And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive ³²And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. ³³And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."

His very first words describe who he is in Islam: a servant of God, a prophet, given scripture, devoted to prayer and charity, and kind to his mother.

Miracles by God’s permission

As a man, Jesus was sent to the Children of Israel with remarkable signs. The Qur’an lists them in his own words:

وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾

And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

Notice how often the phrase about God’s permission is repeated. In the Qur’an, the miracles are real and wonderful, and they show that Jesus was truly sent by God — the power behind them is God’s. The Qur’an also tells how his disciples asked for a table of food to be sent down from heaven, and Jesus prayed for it as a sign (Qur’an 5:112-115).

His mission

Jesus did not come to abolish what came before him. He confirmed the Torah, eased some of the burdens on his people, and called them to worship God alone:

وَمُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿٥٠﴾ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۗ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌۭ مُّسْتَقِيمٌۭ ﴿٥١﴾

⁵⁰And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. ⁵¹Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path."

Some people rejected him, but his disciples stood by him and declared their faith in God (Qur’an 3:52). The Qur’an also says that Jesus brought good news of a messenger who would come after him (Qur’an 61:6).

The Qur’an’s account of how Jesus’ mission on earth ended, and of his return before the end of time, are matters of belief that differ in important ways from Christian teaching. We explore them carefully in Jesus in Islam: What Muslims Believe.

Close to the Prophet’s heart

Muslims love Jesus. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described the bond between them in these words:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one

For Muslims, honouring Jesus and his mother is not a gesture of politeness to Christians — it is part of their own faith. If you would like to see where Muslims and Christians agree and where they differ, read Islam and Christianity.