According to Islam, Jesus is not God. The Quran honors him as the Messiah, born miraculously to the Virgin Mary, a prophet who worked miracles by God's permission, and "a word" from God. It also records Jesus saying, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah" (Quran 19:30). Christians, by contrast, worship Jesus as God the Son.
"Is Jesus God?" is one of the most searched religious questions in the world, and most people asking it are Christians or people raised in Christian cultures. This page explains the Islamic answer respectfully, alongside the Christian belief in its own words, so readers can understand why the two faiths, which both love Jesus, see him differently.
Key takeaways
- The Quran calls Jesus "the Messiah," "a messenger of Allah," "His word" and "a soul [created at a command] from Him," and tells Christians "do not say, 'Three'" (Quran 4:171).
- In Quran 5:116–117, Jesus denies ever telling people to worship him and his mother, saying he only taught "worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord."
- The Quran compares Jesus' fatherless birth to Adam's creation from dust, both by God's command "Be" (Quran 3:59).
- The First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) defined Jesus as "of one Being with the Father," and Christians see this as stating what the apostles already taught.
- The Prophet Muhammad said that whoever testifies that Jesus is God's servant and messenger, His word and a spirit from Him, will enter Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 3435).
What does Islam teach about Jesus?
Islam teaches that Jesus, called Isa ('Isa, عيسى) in Arabic, is one of the five greatest messengers of God, alongside Noah, Abraham, Moses and Muhammad. Muslims believe:
- He was born to the Virgin Mary without a father, by God's command (Quran 3:47).
- He is the Messiah (al-Masih, المسيح), a title the Quran gives to him alone.
- He spoke as an infant in the cradle to defend his mother's honor.
- He healed the blind and the leper and raised the dead, "by permission of Allah" (Quran 3:49).
- He received the Gospel (Injil) as "guidance and light" (Quran 5:46).
- He was not crucified, and God raised him up (Quran 4:157–158).
- He will return before the end of time.
Muslims say "peace be upon him" after his name, as they do for every prophet. Our guide to Jesus in the Quran covers his story verse by verse.
Why do Muslims call Jesus Isa?
Isa is the Arabic form of his name used in the Quran. Arabic-speaking Christians usually call him Yasu', which is closer to the Aramaic and Hebrew Yeshua. Scholars of language have offered several explanations for the Quranic form, but the person is the same: the son of Mary from Nazareth. Muslims often call him Isa ibn Maryam, "Jesus, son of Mary," which itself makes a point: he is identified through his human mother.
What the Christian faith teaches about Jesus
To understand the disagreement fairly, it helps to state the Christian belief as Christians themselves state it. The Nicene Creed, recited by Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant churches, confesses Jesus as "the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church adds that God is "one God in three persons" (CCC 253), and later councils affirmed that Jesus is fully divine and fully human at once. In this belief, the Son took on human nature without ceasing to be God, so that he could reconcile humanity to God through his death and resurrection.
Christians emphasize that this is not belief in three gods, and not the idea that a man became a god. It is the belief that the one God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Why do Muslims not believe Jesus is God?
Muslims believe Jesus is not God for three main reasons, all rooted in the Quran.
God is one without partners
The Quran teaches that God is absolutely one, the core belief Muslims call tawheed. God's names include Al-Ahad, the One, and As-Samad, the Eternal Refuge on whom all depend. Surah al-Ikhlas states that God "neither begets nor is born" (Quran 112:3). In the Islamic view, the idea that God has a son, in any sense, compromises that oneness:
It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.
Jesus' own words in the Quran
The Quran's portrait of Jesus is of a servant who points to God. His first words, spoken as a baby, were: "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet" (Quran 19:30). The Quran also describes a scene on the Day of Judgment in which God questions Jesus:
And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?'" He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.
He continues: "I said not to them except what You commanded me - to worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord" (Quran 5:117).
A miraculous birth does not make someone divine
Christians often see the virgin birth as a sign of Jesus' divine origin. The Quran accepts the virgin birth fully but draws a different conclusion:
Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was.
If Adam had neither father nor mother and is not divine, Muslims reason, a birth without a father does not imply divinity either. The Quran also notes that Jesus and Mary "both used to eat food" (Quran 5:75), a reminder of their full humanity.
Did Jesus claim to be God? Verses Christians cite and the Muslim reading
Christians point to several passages in the New Testament as showing Jesus' divinity. Muslims read the same Bible passages differently, and also point to others. Both sides are summarized here as each would present them.
| Bible passage | Christian reading | Common Muslim reading |
|---|---|---|
| John 1:1, "the Word was God" | The eternal Word, who became flesh in Jesus, is God | The Quran also calls Jesus God's "word," meaning created by God's command |
| John 10:30, "I and the Father are one" | Unity of divine nature between Father and Son | Unity of purpose, as Jesus prays his disciples "may be one" in John 17 |
| John 8:58, "before Abraham was, I am" | Echoes God's name in Exodus 3:14, claiming eternal existence | Refers to God's prior plan or knowledge, not a claim to be God |
| John 20:28, Thomas says "My Lord and my God" | Thomas worships the risen Jesus and is not corrected | An exclamation, or praise directed through Jesus to God |
| Mark 10:18, "No one is good except God alone" | Jesus invites the questioner to recognize who he is | Jesus distinguishes himself from God |
| Mark 13:32, the Son does not know the hour | Spoken from his human nature | God knows all things, so one who does not know is not God |
| John 20:17, "my God and your God" | Spoken from his human nature | Jesus worships the same God as his disciples |
Christian theologians answer the Muslim readings by distinguishing Jesus' divine and human natures, as defined at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Muslim scholars answer that the plainest reading of Jesus' prayers and statements is that he is a servant of God. Each side considers its reading the more natural one, and readers can study the texts themselves. Our guide to the Quran and the Bible explains how Muslims view the Gospels as scripture.
The history of the doctrine: Nicaea and after
In 325 CE, the Roman emperor Constantine called a council of bishops at Nicaea, in modern-day Turkey, to settle a dispute caused by Arius, a priest of Alexandria who taught that the Son was created and not eternal. The council rejected Arius and declared the Son "of one Being" (homoousios) with the Father. The Council of Constantinople in 381 expanded the creed to describe the Holy Spirit, and the Council of Chalcedon in 451 defined Christ as one person in two natures.
Christians and Muslims interpret this history differently:
- The Christian view: The councils did not invent the doctrine. They put into precise words what the church already believed and worshipped. Christian historians point to early writers such as Ignatius of Antioch, who died around 110 CE and spoke of "our God, Jesus the Christ."
- The Muslim view: The debates show that Jesus' nature was contested among his followers for centuries, which fits the Quran's statement that people "are in dispute" about him (Quran 19:34). Muslims believe the Quran restored Jesus' original message of pure monotheism.
Why do Muslims believe Jesus was not crucified?
The Quran says directly that Jesus' enemies did not kill him:
And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
The next verse adds, "Rather, Allah raised him to Himself" (Quran 4:158). Most classical commentators understood that someone else was made to look like Jesus and was crucified in his place, while Jesus was raised alive to heaven. A minority of modern interpreters read the verse in other ways, but mainstream Muslim belief follows the classical reading.
For Christians, the crucifixion is the center of the faith: "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). This is the point where the two faiths differ most sharply, because the Christian teaching of salvation depends on it, while Islam teaches that God forgives sincere repentance directly, as His name At-Tawwab expresses.
Will Jesus return?
Yes, both faiths expect Jesus to return, though they understand his role differently. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the son of Mary will descend as a just ruler, break the cross and kill the swine (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448). Muslims understand this as Jesus correcting misunderstandings about himself and defeating the Antichrist (al-Dajjal). You can follow this story in our Dajjal journey on the timeline and in our guide to the signs of the Day of Judgement.
Common ground: love and honor for Jesus
Muslims and Christians disagree about Jesus' nature, but they share a great deal: belief in his virgin birth, his miracles, his title as Messiah, his ascension and his return. The Prophet said, "I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus," and described the prophets as brothers whose religion is one (Sahih al-Bukhari 3443).
For a wider comparison of the two faiths, including scripture, worship and the afterlife, see Islam vs Christianity. For the Quran's portrait of his mother, see Mary in the Quran.
Read about Jesus on Quran Universe
You can read Surah Maryam, including the account of Jesus speaking from the cradle in verses 19:30–35, and the passage in Surah al-Maidah 5:116–117 on Quran Universe with the Arabic text, word-by-word meanings and Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jesus God according to Islam?
No. Islam teaches that Jesus is a mighty prophet and the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary, but fully human and not divine. The Quran records Jesus saying "I am the servant of Allah" (19:30) and denying that he ever told people to worship him (5:116–117). Muslims believe God is one, with no son or partner.
Why do Muslims not believe Jesus is God?
Muslims believe God is absolutely one and "neither begets nor is born" (112:3). The Quran presents Jesus as a servant of God who taught "worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord" (5:117). It compares his fatherless birth to Adam's creation (3:59), showing that a miraculous birth does not make someone divine.
Did Jesus claim to be God?
Christians point to passages such as John 10:30 and John 8:58 as claims to divinity. Muslims read these differently and point to verses where Jesus distinguishes himself from God, such as Mark 10:18 and John 20:17. In the Quran, Jesus explicitly denies claiming divinity (5:116). Each faith reads the texts in light of its wider beliefs.
Why do Muslims believe Jesus was not crucified?
The Quran states that "they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them" (4:157), and that God raised Jesus to Himself (4:158). Most classical Muslim scholars understood that someone else was crucified in his place. Muslims believe Jesus is alive and will return before the Day of Judgment.
Why do Muslims call Jesus Isa?
Isa is the Arabic form of Jesus' name used in the Quran. Arab Christians usually say Yasu', closer to the Hebrew Yeshua. Muslims often call him Isa ibn Maryam, "Jesus, son of Mary," and al-Masih, "the Messiah." All of these refer to the same Jesus of Nazareth whom Christians follow.
Do Muslims love Jesus?
Yes. Muslims love and honor Jesus as one of the greatest prophets, and a Muslim who denied his prophethood would leave Islam. The Prophet Muhammad said he was "the nearest of all the people to Jesus" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3443). Many Muslims name their sons Isa, and Muslims say "peace be upon him" whenever they mention his name.