Issa ibn Maryam (AS) or Jesus the son of Mary was an important and great Prophet of Allah (SWT). He (AS) conveyed the same message to mankind as the other Prophets. Allah (SWT) mentions in Surah Al-Ma’idah that He (SWT) sent Jesus (AS) with the Injil, affirming the message of the Torah which had preceded it. As Muslims, we believe that Jesus (AS) is a Messiah and will return to this earth. Also, we can learn some vital life lessons from Jesus (AS) that we can exercise in our lives.
One of the most significant lessons from the life of Jesus (AS) is to be a servant and slave of Allah (SWT). In Surah Maryam Ayats 30-34, Jesus (AS) speaks from the cradle to introduce himself, “˹Jesus˺ declared, “I am truly a servant of Allah. He has destined me to be given the Scripture and to be a prophet. He has made me a blessing wherever I go and bid me to establish prayer and give alms-tax as long as I live, and to be kind to my mother. He has not made me arrogant or defiant. Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I will be raised back to life!” That is Jesus, son of Mary. ˹And this is˺ a word of truth, about which they dispute.” Therefore, the greatest honor for any human being is to be a willing slave and servant of Allah (SWT) since the prophets were honored because they were the best in their slavery to the Almighty (SWT).
The next important lesson is to follow the revealed scriptures. In the above Ayats from Surah Maryam, Jesus (AS) mentions that Allah (SWT) has conferred a scripture and prophethood upon him. This teaches us that it is crucial to follow the revealed scripture of our time which is the Holy Quran and the ways of our prophets so that we can earn blessings from Allah (SWT).
Furthermore, Jesus (AS) mentions in his introduction that he (SWT) must establish the prayers and give charity that leads us to our next lesson of fulfilling our obligations to Allah (SWT) and people. Faith alone is not enough and we must perform good deeds and obligatory acts commanded by Allah (SWT) such as performing the obligatory salat and giving the zakat.
The life of Jesus (AS) demonstrates the high status of mothers as he (AS) points out in his introduction that Allah (SWT) made him dutiful to his mother Mary. There is no other person more important in our lives than our mother and no relationship is more sacred. Moreover, our Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reinforces this lesson in a hadith mentioning the mother thrice, as the person most deserving of good treatment, ahead of the father.
Another significant lesson that we learn from Jesus (AS) is to have good manners as he (AS) points out in Surah Maryam that he (AS) is not arrogant or defiant. One of the trademarks of Islam and a Muslim is to possess good manners. Our Nabi (SAW) stated, “Nothing is heavier on the balance of good deeds on the Day of Judgement than good manners.” (Sunan At-Tirmidhi). It’s important to note that even though the people said very nasty things about his mother, Jesus (AS) responded with grace and authority which didn’t disparage or ridicule anyone.
The preaching and conduct of Jesus (AS) re-affirm to us that following the straight path is the simplest thing to do. We need to acknowledge that Allah (SWT) is our Rabb or Lord and we obey Him, this is the straight path.
We know that Jesus (AS) didn’t have many companions and followers but this doesn’t mean that he (AS) was a failure. Jesus (AS) teaches us that the number of followers isn’t a measure of success. His and our job is to only convey the message whereas, Allah (SWT) controls the hearts and minds of people. Despite the few numbers of companions, history still considers Jesus (AS) as one of Allah’s (SWT) greatest prophets.
In the continuation of the above lesson, it is also true from the life of Jesus that be with the truth even if the people are few. This means the truth isn’t based on the number of people who believe in it but on an idea.
For Muslims, Jesus (AS) is a savior, a reformist, the Messiah (the anointed one), the “Word of God”. Allah (SWT) raised him to heaven. Also, he (AS) could cure the ill, raise the dead, fashion inanimate objects and blow life into them, all by the Will of God.
