Max Shimba Ministries: Jesus as God According to the Qur’an (Part Four)

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Jesus as God According to the Qur’an (Part Four)

Jesus as God According to the Qur’an (Part Four)

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute
Monday, August 10, 2015

Abstract

This article presents a comparative theological analysis between the Qur’an and the Bible regarding the divine identity of Jesus Christ. The study explores the Qur’anic designation of Jesus as the Word of God (Kalimatullah) and juxtaposes it with the Biblical assertion that the Word was God (John 1:1). The argument advances the premise that both sacred texts, though differing in context, affirm the eternal and divine nature of the Word, which the Bible identifies as Jesus Christ.

1. Introduction

The Qur’an refers to Jesus (‘Isa ibn Maryam) with the distinctive title Kalimatullah — “the Word from God.” This title suggests that the origin of Jesus is divine rather than human. The same Qur’an also attests that the Word of God is eternal and uncreated, existing with God from eternity (Qur’an 6:115; 10:64; 18:27).

Conversely, the Bible, written centuries earlier, declares that the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). This mutual recognition of the eternal Word within both scriptures implies an intersection of theological truth that transcends doctrinal divisions.

2. The Qur’an Declares Jesus as the Word of God

2.1. Qur’an 3:45 — Jesus Announced as the Word from God

“When the angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and among those nearest to Allah.’”
(Surat Āl ʿImrān 3:45)

This passage reveals that Mary conceived Jesus through the Word of God. Therefore, the essential nature of Jesus, according to the Qur’an, originates not from humanity but from the Word that proceeds from God Himself.

2.2. Qur’an 4:171 — Jesus as the Word and Spirit from God

“O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion, and do not say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say ‘Three’; desist—it is better for you. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him—that He should have a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a disposer of affairs.”
(Surat an-Nisā’ 4:171)

This verse affirms two profound theological claims:

Jesus is the Word of God sent to Mary.
Jesus is a Spirit proceeding from God.

Thus, within Islamic scripture itself, Jesus’ being is inseparably connected to the divine Word and Spirit, denoting a unique ontological relationship with God.

3. The Eternal Nature of God’s Word in the Qur’an

The Qur’an further asserts that the Word of God is eternal and immutable:

“The Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His words.” (Qur’an 6:115)
“There is no change in the words of Allah.” (Qur’an 10:64)
“And recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord; none can change His words.” (Qur’an 18:27)

If Jesus is indeed the Word of God, and God’s Word cannot be altered or created, then Jesus shares in the eternal nature of that divine Word.

4. The Bible Declares the Word as God

John 1:1–3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

The Apostle John identifies the Word (Greek: Logos) as both preexistent and divine. This aligns closely with the Qur’anic view of the Word as eternal and inseparable from God’s essence. The Christian revelation, however, goes further by identifying this Word as the incarnate Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

5. Chronological Considerations

It is crucial to note that the Bible predates the Qur’an by over six centuries. The Gospel of John was written approximately in the first century A.D., whereas the Qur’an was compiled around 632 A.D. Hence, the Qur’an’s affirmation that Jesus is the Word of God appears to echo the Biblical theology that had long established the divine identity of the Word.

6. The Qur’an Commands Inquiry to the People of the Book

Qur’an 10:94

“And if you are in doubt concerning what We have revealed unto you, then ask those who read the Book before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord, so be not among the doubters.”

This verse, revealed in Mecca and translated by Sheikh Ali Muhsin Al-Barwani, recognizes the People of the Book—Christians and Jews—as authoritative witnesses to divine revelation. It therefore authorizes verification of Qur’anic claims through Biblical testimony.

As a Christian scholar, I affirm that Jesus Christ is indeed the Word of God—and that the Word was God. This truth, revealed in the Bible centuries before the Qur’an, is reaffirmed even within Islamic scripture itself.

7. Conclusion

Both the Qur’an and the Bible converge on a remarkable truth: Jesus is the Word of God. The Qur’an proclaims that this Word is eternal and uncreated, while the Bible declares that the Word was with God and the Word was God. Thus, from both perspectives, Jesus’ divine identity stands affirmed.

In sum, when the Qur’an calls Jesus Kalimatullah, and the Bible identifies the Word as divine, it becomes evident that Jesus Christ is God manifested through His eternal Word.

Bibliography

The Holy Qur’an. Translated by Sheikh Ali Muhsin Al-Barwani. Dar Al-Andalus, 1986.
The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an. Beltsville: Amana Publications, 2005.
Parrinder, Geoffrey. Jesus in the Qur’an. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 1995.
Reynolds, Gabriel Said. The Qur’an and the Bible: Text and Commentary. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018.
Shimba, Maxwell. Comparative Theology: Islam and Christianity in Dialogue. Shimba Theological Institute Publications, 2015.