Curious Christian

I recently asked a group of Muslims: “What do Muslims believe about Jesus?” The response I received was fascinating:

“They believe he was born of the Virgin Mary, that he is a prophet of God, that he facilitated miracles, that he was not crucified, that he ascended to Heaven, that he will return again as the Messiah to kill the anti-Christ, that he will reign on earth for a time, that he will die and he will be buried in Makkah next to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). His mother and he are exalted as amongst the greatest of God’s Servants, and one cannot be a Muslim without love for him and his mother.”

One detail which stood out for me was the denial that Jesus was not crucified. This made me curious about how this shapes the Muslim view of his character. I asked whether they thought the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet was consistent with their understanding of his character. The answer was a resounding yes. That response surprised me somewhat, and it definitely feels like a topic worth digging into more.

Another key takeaway from our conversation was how open and warm the group was in sharing their perspective. Just inviting them to speak about Jesus sparked a sense of connection, and I found that encouraging. It’s made me want to keep these conversations going, to keep learning from one another in this way.