INTRODUCTION:

The Arabic word referred in the Quran for the followers of Jesus pbuh is ‘Nasara’. It is used ninety-nine times and Jesus pbuh is also referred by the name ‘Isa ibn Maryam which means ‘Jesus the son of Mary’. The Arabic name of Jesus is Isa which according to the Muslim scholar Zamakashariis derived from eastern Syriac Lord Isho, Yesho or Yeshu which is a derivation from the Hebrew word ‘Yeshua’ which means ‘God who saves’¹

Some allege Prophet Muhammad pbuh to have copied the Quran from the Bible,by learning the Biblical narratives from a Jewish monk which he well along recited to the people and proclaimed it to be revealed to him from Allah. Therefore, according to this claim the copied narrations in the Quran must be like the Biblical narration in the fundamental doctrines and major incidences. Though the Biblical and the Quranic narrative sound similar in plot and characters but there are major fundamental historical, statistical and chronological difference. There are difference in the sequence and intricate details of the common Prophets of the Bible and the Quran.

Sidney Griffith notes asserts that the Quranic style is like the interpreted Bible circulated in the pre-Islamic Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians. During the seventh and eighth centuries the first Arabic translation of the Bible was found in the monasteries of Syria and Judea and the earliest surviving example, dating from around the year 800, resides in the Vatican. This evidence contradicts Griffith’s exclamation. The Arabic Translation of the Bible was not present during the pe-Islamic erahence it is improbable that Prophet Muhammad pbuh. Additionally, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was illiterate and was far from the scriptural knowledge of the Jewish and Christians. The Jewish scriptures were reserved for the clergymen and the laymen were denied access to the scriptures which makes it unlikely that a non-Jew or non-Christian like Prophet Muhammad pbuh could have access to them. Moreover, if the Quran recited by Prophet Muhammad pbuh was same as the Bible than there would be no need for the Arabs and the Jews to respond differently and have had any need of conversion to the new set of belief dictated by Prophet Muhammad pbuh.

Jesus A Prophet:

The word Prophet is derived from two Greek words ‘Pro’ which means to speak before and ‘phetes’ is the one spoken by divine inspiration. According to the traditions, a Prophet reminds people to the worship of One Divine God, recall the stories of the earlier prophets and their people, guide and portray practical way to follow the teachings of God. He gives glad tidings to the righteous and promise them salvation and warn the perpetual sinners of the wrath of God and to foretell some future happenings. Prediction of future events are called prophecies which includes the coming of another Prophet or a result of war or state of people or the signs of the Last Day. The purpose of Prophecies is to inform and warn people of the coming events. Some prophecies stated by the Prophets were fulfilled during their era and most of the Prophecies are yet not fulfilled to this day.

The Bible states² that God reveals his message to the Prophets by a vision or by speaking to them in a dream with the only exception of Moses, to whom God communicated directly. The Quran also states the ways of communication with the Prophets could be through dreams, visions, via Angel Jibreel or a direct communication.³ This process of revelation is a personal conversation without the intervention of any other beings between the Prophets and Allah. It proceeds in a manner experienced only by the Prophets and most of the occasion the people present around him are least aware of this revelation. The Prophets preach the message of God in sermons, and one to one guidance or by their actions. The Ten Commandments was given inscribed on Stone Tablets to Moses. Whereas Jesus pbuh and Muhammad pbuh received the divine message through Angel Jibreel. Islam believes that all the Prophets before the coming of Prophet Muhammad were sent specifically to their community and their message remained applicable for their era. The following Prophet affirmed the fundamental message of the earlier which remains unchanged with minor alteration in the governing social laws. The Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad pbuh is the last and final Prophet for the entire humanity and no Prophet will be chosen. Likewise, the Christian believed that the message of Jesus pbuh was universal and are waiting for a coming up Messiahprophesized in the Bible.

The role and status of the Prophet differ in Islam and Christianity.Sarah Stroumsa explains in her work on prophetology: “From an early date in mainstream Christian theology, Jesus was not conceived to be a prophet. Those who spoke of Jesus as a 'righteous man' and a prophet were in the minority and their views were pushed aside by the predominant Christology. Prophets were; are those who announced the coming of Jesus; thus usually given a secondary role, in some respects, Jesus’ figura, or those who propagate his gospel.”⁴ In Islam, Prophets are chosen people by Allah and Allah communicates his message to the people through revealing his messages to the Prophets. The Muslims acknowledge Jesus pbuh as a mightiest messenger and Prophet appointed by Allah. The Christians on the other hand call him the begotten son of God. This contrasting ideology and understanding of Jesus urges to contemplate whether the Jesus pbuh addressed in the Quran and revered by the Muslim is the same person or is there a deliberate false narration and manipulation from the writers of the life of Jesus.

The Muslims believe that Jesus pbuh was one of the mightiest Prophet of Allah whereas the Christians exalt him to divinity and say that he is the begotten son of God.Karen Armstrong says that “Jesus remains an enigma… But the fact remains that the only Jesus we really know is the Jesus described in the New Testament, which was not interested in scientifically objective history. There are no other contemporary accounts of his mission and death. We cannot even be certain why he was crucified.”⁵ The Quran refers to Prophet Jesus in about seventy-one verses. The story of Jesus in the Quran begins from his grandmother, Hannah, who longed for a babe and supplicated to God and vowed to offer her child to the service of the Temple. Her supplications were answered, and Mary was born, but it was not a norm to dedicate a girl child in the service of the Temple. However, due to her noble lineage Mary was appointed to serve the Temple under the guardianship of his uncle, Zakariah⁶ who was a Prophet.

Birth of Jesus:

The Quran asserts that Jesus pbuh was born of a miraculous conception to virgin Mary. Jesus pbuh was appointed⁷ as an honourable Prophet by Allah at the time of his conception. The Bible is silent on the narration of the conception of Jesus by Mary but informs of his birth from a virgin mother Mary. Mary’s fiancée Joseph is mentioned to have been present during the birth of Jesus. The Quran does not mention of anyone present with Mary when she undergoes the pangs of labours. Jesus pbuh was named by Allah through angel Jibreel who visited Mary to inform her of a son. Mary was worried to confront his people who would question her about the parentage of Jesus pbuh. Baby Jesus spoke instantly after his birth⁸ and consoled his mother as she worried to confront the people who would allege her of unchastity. The miraculous conception and birth of Jesus without a male intervention has intrigued the Christians to conclude that Jesus pbuh was the begotten son of God. The Quran states that Jesuspbuh spoke in his infancy and replied to the allegation of unchastity and immodesty laid on his mother, Mary. The Quran does not mention Joseph or his mother’s engagement.

Christians believe that the birth of Jesus was the result of Immaculate Conception⁹.According to the Bible, Jesuspbuh of the Bible is born from a virgin Mary who was engaged to Joseph. However, according the Bible the Jews did not accuse Mary of an illegitimate relation with her fiancée, Joseph. Logically the obvious person whom the people could accuse Mary of illegitimate relationship would be her fiancée who was also present with Mary during the birth of Jesus. Astonishingly, the people did not question Joseph but only accused Mary of illegal relationship. This goes against rationale and lays further doubt on the existence of Joseph as stated in the Quranic narrations.

Birthplace of Jesus:

The Gospel writers differ amongst themselves in citing the place and time of Jesus’ birth. The historians and Biblical scholars agree with Gospel of Matthew which state 4 BCE as his year of birth¹⁰ Gospel of Luke mentions Bethlehem as his birth place and says Mary migrated with Joseph due to the summon of the Syrian Governor Quirinius. Luke agrees and states that the Roman citizen were summoned to move to their place of birth for census. According to Mark, Mary migrated to Bethlehem for the census. Whereas the historic records propound the closest time of the census was in6 BCE and this call to migrate was only confined to the regions of Judea, Samarai and Idunea. The year of migration of Mary differs from the year of birth of Jesus which lays doubt to the birth place of Jesus. On the other hand, Gospel of John¹¹ states that the birth of waiting messiah will be unknown. If Jesus was the awaiting Messiah, then the knowledge of his birth would stand least important according to John.

According to Matthew, Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, who, upon hearing that a miraculous birth of a child, ordered the children in that area, under the age of two, to be killed. Joseph, the cousin and fiancé of Mary, was warned about this by an angel so he took Mary and her newborn baby to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died and it was safe for them to return. They settled in Nazareth, Galilee and this is agreed upon by the historical records which confirms that Nazareth was the birthplace of Jesus12.

Clement of Alexandria, proposed the possible days for Jesus’ birth but does not mention 25^thof December in any of his possible date of Jesus’ birth. Clement writes that there are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord’s birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the 28th year of Augustus, and in the 25th day of [the Egyptian month] Pachon i.e. May 20. Calculating through His Passion, with great precision, some say that it took place in the 16^thyear of Tiberius, on the 25th of Phamenoth i.e. March 21; and others on the 25th of Pharmuthi i.e. April 21 and others say that on the 19th of Pharmuthi i.e. April 15, the Savior suffered. Further, others say that he was born on the 24th or 25th of Pharmuthi i.e. April 20^thor 21^st.¹³

The Quran does not specify the place of birth of Jesus but says that Mary secluded herself to the Eastern region where she underwent labour and gave birth to Jesus. Allah instructed her to shake a palm and she ate the dates dropped from the palm. The ‘Nasara’. In Arab culture people are referred by the place of birth or by the name of the tribes they belonged to. The word ‘Nasara’ by which the Quran addresses the Christians as refers to Nazareth which is the place of birth of Jesus.

Miracles of Jesus:

The Quran affirms the extraordinary miracles performed by Jesus of giving life to dead, healing the blind and the lepers.¹⁴ However, it acclaims that the miracles were a sign bestowed by Allah to empower the call of invitation to the Jews, so that they believe him and recognise his prophethood. Whenever the Quran speaks about the miracles bequeathed on Jesus, it states that it was a blessing from Allah. Jesus pbuh in the Bible states the “But I with the finger of God cast out devils…”¹⁵ and the Quran asserts the same.

Jesus pbuh was not a miracle worker by profession unlike the other miracle workers during his time nor was his family into the occupation of miracle workers. According to the Bible, traditionally Jesus’ family was among the wood workers or builders.¹⁶ The Biblical Greek word used to describe the occupation of Jesus’ family is ‘tekton’. Romans referred ‘tekton’ as a slang for referring to the uneducated illiterate peasant.17

Before Jesus was baptized the Bible reports that there were several miracle workers and exorcists. For instance, Honi the circle -drawer during a time of drought drew a circle in the dirt and stood inside it praying for rain and cried “I swear by your great name that I will not move from here until you have mercy in your sons” and it began to rain. Abba Hilqiah, the grandson of Honi, and Hanan the Hidden were also widely credited with miraculous deeds, both lived in Galilee around the same time as Jesus. Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, a Jewish miracle worker resided in the village of Arab, used to pray over the sick and even intercede on their behalf and discerned as to who would live and die. Appollonius of Tyana, described as a ‘Holy Man’was a famous miracle worker who taught the concept of Supreme God. He performed miraculous deeds ubiquitously and healed the lame, the blind and the paralyzed. It is recorded that he even raised a girl from the dead. Many Exorcists are mentioned in the gospels¹⁸ for example, exorcist Eleazor, an Essene, used amulets and incantations to draw demons out through their noses of the afflicted. Rabbi Simon ben Yohai, cast out demon by simply uttering the name of the demon. The Book of Acts portrays St. Paul as an exorcist who conducted exorcism and healed the people.¹⁹

Instructions for exorcism were found in the manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to the Bible healing ailments were not uncommon during the Biblical age. Jesus pbuh was distinctive by the messianic ambitions unlike the other exorcist. A leper was considered impure and unworthy of entering the Temple of God. It was believed that his illness contaminated the entire community. In the Book of Leviticus, it is stated that the law of Moses states a laborious and costly ritual to be conducted solely by a priest to clean a leper²⁰. The leper was to present an offering of two birds, two lambs, an ewe, a strip of cedar wood, a spool of crimson yarn, a spring of hissop, a bushel of flour, a jar of oil in the name of God. The Gospel of Matthew narrates Jesus pbuh healed a leper by merely touching him. This seemed a blatant attack on the authority of the priestly class and a threat to their power21 as Jesus’ method of healing would cause a sudden loss to their prestige and credibility along with the monetary damage.

Jesus pbuhun like the other healers cured instantly without monetary compensation and lengthy procedures. In Christianity, possession of healing power is a major sign from God and an insignia of resilient faith. The ability to cure and heal is an evidence and sign of great attribute strong believe in God and even exaltation to divinity then the miracle workers like Honi, Abba Hilqiah, Hanan the Hidden, Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, Appollonius of Tyana, Rabbi Simon ben Yohai could qualify among the faithful. The Quran distinguishes between miracles and prophethood and Jesus pbuh was appointed as prophet before his birth, hence his performance of miracle is not a qualifying factor for being a prophet.

Mission of Jesus:

The Quran asserts that Jesus pbuh was elected as a Prophet before his birth, when the angel Jibreel conveyed the glad tidings of his birth to Mary. The Bible states that Jesus pbuh at the age of 30 years, was baptized at the river Jordan and was commissioned to exhort people to the path of God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus pbuh declared in the Sermon on the Mount: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."²². A similar statement of Jesus pbuh is found in the Quran where he says, “And I (Jesus) have come to confirm those teachings of the Guidance of the Torah which are intact in my time.”²³

The understanding of the mission of the Biblical Jesus pbuh could be gained from some of the narratives. A Pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" He replied:"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and the great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and Prophets."²⁴.On another occasion Jesus said to his disciples:"The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not."²⁵. Jesus believed in the worship of one exclusive God from his statement in the Bible, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."²⁶ and further he said "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."²⁷.

Thus, Jesus pbuh seemed to always present himself as a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the beginning of his mission the people of his own town Nazareth, rose against him and according to the tradition of Matthew, Mark and Luke, he said: "No prophet is accepted in his own country". The enemies at Jerusalem conspired to kill him and the people advised him to go to somewhere else, he replied: "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.".²⁸

On another occasion, at the entrance of Jerusalem his disciples uttered in a loud voice: "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord." The Pharisees felt offended and asked him to silence his disciples. Jesus replied:"I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."²⁹.

On one more instance he said: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart .... my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."³⁰. Moreover the fact that Jesus wanted the people to obey the Divine Law over the man-made laws and from that tradition of the Gospel of Matthew and Mark when the Pharisees asked, “Why his disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders and took food without washing their hands.”He replied and said, "Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written. This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto the, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.".³¹

The conversation reflects the emphasis laid by Jesus pbuh on the law of Moses and the strict reprimanding to his people to observe the Law of Moses. Currently, Christianity entirely disdains the Law of Moses and have abandoned the fundamental laws and rituals from the Old testament for example, circumcision of men, the rituals of sabbath, eating the Kosher meat and prohibition on consumption of pork and alcohol. The Muslims believed that Jesus pbuh himself was a strict adherent of the Law of Moses and consistently exhorted people to follow the commandments of the Torah.

The Last Days of Jesus pbuh:

Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus is crucial for Christianity. St.Paul famously wrote in the 1Corinthians 15:14 "If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is vain, your faith is also in vain". The significance attached to crucifixion of Jesus (pbuh) by St. Paul was act as a developer to convert the cross into a sign and symbol of Christianity.

The Quran states that Jesus pbuh presented clear signs and miracles to his people and recalled them to amend their ways and follow the true path of Allah. The Israelites persistently rejected Jesus pbuh and Allah raised Jesus unto the heavens³².Prophet Yahya pbuh, the cousin of Prophet Jesus pbuh, was killed by the people and the ensuing target to silence the call towards the message of God was Prophet Jesus pbuh. Allah intervened at the eleventh hour and rescued Jesus pbuh and resurrected and raised him to the heavens. The Christians believed that Jesus pbuh was crucified on the cross and died. Later, he was resurrected and hence the body of Jesus was missing from his tomb.

The Quran³³ which speaks on crucifixion in the verse which states, "However, they did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been] so;"which has led to endless speculations. Most Muslim exegetes including the classic and the modern age, inferred a theory of "substitution." According to which Jesus was not crucified, but somebody was "substituted" in his place, perhaps one of his disciples, or Judas Iscariot who betrayed him, or Simon of Cyrene who helped him carry the cross. Fakhruddin al-Razi, the medieval scholar, addressed some of the issues on crucifixion of Jesus in his major exegesis of the Qur'an. "God was no doubt capable of delivering Jesus from the hands of his enemies by simply taking him up to heaven," he first reminded. "What then," he asked, "is the purpose of casting his likeness on another man, except to condemn an innocent man to death to no purpose?" His assumption could be a good reminder for all religious believers that their arguments against the rival tradition can turn the tables.

Universally Christians around the world, with all their great love for Jesus and their beliefs concerning him, have reported that they witnessed him being crucified and killed. Ar-Razi says if we were to deny this, we would cast doubt on the principle of tawatur – an Islamic concept to agree to take an universally accepted transmission. Casting doubt on this principle would also necessitate raising uncertainty on the prophethood of Muhammad pbuh and Jesus pbuh, and even on their very existence, as well as the existence of all other prophets which would be untenable.

Few Muslim commentators took a second and less radical interpretation "seemed to them," arguing that Jesus was indeed crucified, but he did not die on the cross, but was secretly survived by his execution despite ‘he seemed to’ have died. Ahmadiyya Muslims, an unorthodox sect of Islam, take this line. They even believe that after surviving the cross, Jesus moved to Kashmir and lived there until his death.In the city of Srinagar, Kashmir there exists a highly revered "tomb of Jesus." The US-based Christian sect, known as the Church Universal and Triumphant, is known as modern supporter of the belief that Jesus lived in Kashmir, though they do not believe that he died there.³⁴

The third radically different interpretation of the cross is recorded by Mustafa Akyol in his work ‘Islamic Jesus’. Henotes the context of the statement "they did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him."And states that it is a polemic against certain Jews— not Christians—who, apparently, both slandered Mary and took pride in claiming "We killed the Messiah." The Quran responds to these peoples by stating, "They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear like that to them". Whereas the third view asserts that the Quran only states that Jews did not crucify and kill Jesus pbuh but that left a possibility that someone else could have done the act. According to the canonical Bible, the Romans crucified and killed Jesus. This third interpretation is compatible with the Christian understanding of the crucifixion. Late William Montgomery Watt, one of the most eminent Western scholars of Islam argued that a Christian could agree the Quranic statement on the crucifixion, "since the crucifixion was the work of Roman soldiers... [and] since the crucifixion was not a victory for the Jews in view of [Jesus'] resurrection."

‘Son of God’

The extraordinary birth of Jesus pbuh, his healing power and his ascension to the heavens are the primary reason for the Christian belief that he was the begotten son of God. The Quran confirms the miraculous birth of Jesus as a manifestation of the infinite powers of Allah, so was Adam created without a father and a mother.³⁵ Jesus pbuh cried out on the cross as the Bible records that he uttered, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which mean “O My Lord, O My Lord why have you forsaken me?”. This statement creates doubt on the Christian doctrines on the divinity of Jesus.

In the Bible, numerous figures are called sons’ of God, like Prophet David, the greatest King.³⁶.In the Greek Bible. Jesus has referred to himself as ‘The son of God’ (ho huios tou anthropou). The Book of Acts³⁷ narrates an incident that after the ascension of Jesus pbuh one of his follower, Stephen, who was being stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus pbuh to be promised Messiah. Just before the beginning of the stoning, Stephen had a vision and he exclaimed “Look! I can see the heaven opening and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God”38. Stephen was the first to report, among the follower of Jesus, who proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of Man. Besides the Gospel and the letters of Paul, the phrase ‘Son of Man’ was understood to be a Christological expression made by the early Church.

Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the Bible is recorded in Greek. In Aramaic the word “Son of Man” will be written as bar anash(a) and in Hebrew – ben adam both of which means ‘son of a human being’. In Aramaic or Hebrew, it is equivalent to saying ‘man’- a common idiom in Hebrew for ‘man’. Such references are found in the Bible in the Gospel of Luke 9:58; 12:10, Gospel of Matthew 12:32. Jesus speaks about the Son of man as a common expression. The Quran refers to the people of Jesus who imitated the ancient belief and called Uzair the Son of God.³⁹

A Muslim Jurist Al-Tabari and Companion of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh Abdallah ibn Ubayd states that only one Jew (Pinhas) viewed Uzayr as the son of God. Another companion Ibn Abbas and Jurist Qurtubi says only four Jews, whose names they record, believed Uzayr was a son of God.

The Islamic scholar Ibn Hazm said that just a small group of Jews in Yemen worshipped Uzair as a son of God in some remote period. The Quran elaborate a dialogue which will be between Allah and Jesus on the Day of Judgment. Allah will question Jesus pbuh whether he had legalized and exhorted his followers to call him the Son of Allah.⁴⁰ Jesus will respond with a complete denial to the allegations and disown the followers who committed this blunder. The word ‘Trinity’ is not mentioned in Bible but the Quran mentions it in Arabic in the word ‘Thalatha’ which means ‘Trinity’⁴¹.The Quran⁴² acknowledges Jesus the Messiah and the Messenger of Allah who is a ‘Word’ of Allah and a spirit proceeded from him. But it completely desists ‘Trinity’ and says Allah is far above than having a son. It calls Jesus as a sign of the Last day⁴³ when Jesus will descend from the heaven to fight the anti-Christ Ad-Dajjal.

Reza Aslan writes that only three scenes from the life of Jesus pbuh are mentioned in Paul’s epistles: the Last Supper as in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, the Crucifixion as in 1 Corinthians 2:2, the Resurrection as in 1 Corinthians 15:4. He further says, “Paul may be an excellent source for those interested in the early formation of Christianity, but he is a poor guide for uncovering the historical Jesus”⁴⁴”. Heinz Zahrnt calls Paul a ‘a corrupter of the Gospel of Jesus’ and Warde describes him ‘the second founder of Christianity.’

Resurrection of Jesus from his tomb forms the basis of the fundamental concept of Salvation in Christianity. Hermann Samuel Reimarus, argues from the report in Matthew, that the disciple stole the body of Jesus from his tomb was a concoction of the disciples to maintain their status as wise and holy men and relaunch their preaching career. The Rationalist argue that Jesus was merely resuscitated . David Friedrich Strauss, in 1865, famously pointed out that " a being who had stolen half-dead out of the sepulchre, who crept about weak and ill, wanting medical treatment, who required bandaging, strengthening and indulgence, and who still, at last, yielded to his sufferings" could have hardly have given his disciples "the impression that he was the Conqueror over death and the grave, the Prince of Life". Scholars derive that the early Christian community explained the origin of new religious community in line with the ancient myth of dying and rising gods like Osiris, Attis, Adonis and Tammuz.

SHROUD OF TURIN:

The Shroud of Turin is a long linen cloth with a mysterious image of a tortured crucified man imbued on it. The cloth is over 14 feet long and marked with two complete impression of the front and back of a flogged crucified man. In the village of Lirey, near the city of Troyes in north-eastern France, in early 1350s, a prominent knight called Geaffrey I de Charny, adorned the church founded by him with the shroud. In 1355-56 he exhibited the shroud which attracted hordes of pilgrims. It changed several hands as a sacred relic and even met a disastrous fire. It underwent minor burns before it was rescued and preserved in the Cathedral of Turin where it rest till now. According to tradition it was used to wrap the dead body of Jesus, though widely regarded as a medieval fake yet it is cherished as one of the holiest relics of Christianity.

A carbon dating of the relic done in 1988 states that the cloth was manufactured between 1260 and 1390. The Catholic Church had a puzzling reaction to the results of the carbon dating. The archbishop of Turin , Cardinal Ballestrero , acknowledged the result of the carbon dating.

The Shroud is locked in a shrine in the Royal Chapel of Turin Cathedral since the seventeenth century. In 1390, on the basis of Clements VII's judgment the Shroud could be exhibited only as a 'figure or representation' of Christ's burial cloth. In recent years, 1998, 2000 and 2010, the shroud is exhibited with a great pomp and ceremony. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI sanctioned the display of the Shroud .In 2002, the Shroud was subjected to a secret conservation campaign by removing the charred material and vacuuming and stretching of the entire cloth. William Meacham, an experienced archaeologist and acknowledged expert of the Shroud, calls this an act of 'vandalism' which has destroyed the relic's historical heritage and lost valuable scientific data and paused its study forever.

Trial and Crucifixion:

The story of the trial of Jesus, as it is presented in the Gospels is full of contradictions and inconsistencies. The priestly class the of Jews were threatened by the increasing number of the followers of Jesus, thus they plot to crucify him laying a falls allegation on him. The general outline is as follows -Jesus is arrested at night, on the eve of the Sabbath, during the festival of Passover. He is brought under the darkness to the courtyard of the high Priest, where the members of the Sanhedrin wait for him. At once, a group pf witnesses appear and testify that Jesus has made threats against the Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus refuses to answer these accusations and the High Priests questions Jesus directly whether he is the Messiah. Jesus’ answers vary in all the four Gospels. When he declares himself as the Son of Man, the High Priests are infuriated and immediately charges Jesus with blasphemy. The punishment for blasphemy according to the Torah was putting to death. The next morning the Sanhedrin hands over Jesus to Pilate for crucifixion.

This narration of trial is against the strict rules of the Mishna. The Sanhedrin chose the time and method of trial under Rabbinic regulation, The Sanhedrins are restricted from meeting at specific occasions like at night, at Passover, on the eve of Sabbath and in the courtyard of the high Priest. The Sanhedrin were strict in following these rituals therefore the trial could not place at the proposed time mentioned in the Bible or the Gospel writers were unaware of the Jewish Law. Some Biblical scholar give a counter argument that the trial period of Jesus was not under the rules of Mishnah. Historically this argument is proved incorrect as the Mishnah rules were uplifted much later in the 70 CE after the revolt.⁴⁵

The Torah is clear in “The One who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death: the congregation shall stone him to death”.⁴⁶ A clear injunctions of stoning to death is mentioned in the Bible for Blasphemy. Jesus was charged of Blasphemy then why was he not stoned to death? Why was Jesus handed over to the Romans to crucify. As in the case of Stephen he too was charged of blasphemy but was stoned to death instead.47 This analysis of the Biblical text lay further doubt to the authenticity of the records in the Bible.

St. Paul played a key role after the ascension of Jesus for the spread of Christianity. St. Paul had travelled far and wide to promulgate the teachings of Jesus. It is also believed that he was a Roman citizen. The Romans believed in three gods and St. Paul too proposed the believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He even abrogated the Jewish Law for the Gentiles like the slaughtering of animals in the strict ritualistic manner called Kosher, Following the sacred Sabbath day and circumcision of men etc. St. Paul quoted the Bible to support his arguments that the laws were a curse⁴⁸ and exclaimed ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” ⁴⁹

St. Paul’s interpretation of the Bible seemed convincing to the Romans. They felt similarity in their previous religion and the teachings of St. Paul. The Gentile followers of Jesus’ pbuh message after the missionary work of St. Paul outnumbered the Nazarenes. The Greeks and the Romans believed in tripartite existence hence the Pauline proposition of “God the Father, Son of God and the third inclusion of the Holy Ghost’ matched their view and was readily accepted.6 Though Paul did not use the word Trinity in his teaching but the expression he used to interpret the Biblical opened the door of tripartite gods.

The Islamic version of the trial stated that they failed in the attempt to crucify Jesus. Allah saves Jesus and replaces another man who appears like Jesus and is crucified instead. The Quran states in “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they thought they did. God lifted him up to His presence. God is Almighty, All-Wise”⁵⁰

Jesus was raised up alive into the heavens and will be send back to earth towards the Last Day. Jesus will be descending from the Sky on the wings of the Angels and fight the army of the anti-Christ-Dajjal. The Anti-Christ will drive people towards disbelieve in Allah and would claim himself to be God. Jesus will descend and break the cross, kill the pig, reject those who worship him as God and kill Dajjal. The tradition record that he will marry and have children and follow the way of Prophet Muhammad pbuh (pbuh) and reign for forty years on earth. During this tenure there would be absolute peace and justice on earth. And after his death the people will forget the righteous path and deviate and go back to their evil and corrupt ways. The Quran states peace upon Isa the Day he was born and the day that he will die and the day he will be raised up.

A Dead Sea scroll states that the Qumran community must live according to the original discipline “until there shall come a prophet (Elijah) and the Messiahs of Aaron and Israel” (Manuel of Discipline 9:11). There is also a rabbinic belief in a messianic figure from the northern tribes; a son of Joseph, Mary’s husband, who is killed by Roman enemies.

Jesus was raised up alive into the heavens and will be send back to earth towards the Last Day. Jesus will be descend from the Sky on the wings of the Angels and fight the army of the anti-Christ-Dajjal. The Anti-Christ will drive people towards disbelieve in Allah and would claim himself to be God. Jesus will descend and break the cross, kill the pig, reject those who worship him as God and kill Dajjal. The tradition record that he will marry and have children and follow the way of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and reign for forty years on earth. During this tenure there would be absolute peace and justice on earth. And after his death the people will forget the righteous path and deviate and go back to their evil and corrupt ways. The Quran states peace upon Isa the Day he was born and the day that he will die and the day he will be raised up.

CONCLUSION:

The Quran states that:"The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate . See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!"⁵¹ The Quran exalts Jesus pbuh to a great degree of reverence. The personality of Jesus that one draws from the several narrations in the Bible aremixed-up. Jesus with contrary characteristic. Mark has given contradictory qualities to Jesus in the same book. Mark states in 14 :62 that Jesus is powerful and in 13:26 he says he is suffering and10:45 that he is a servant. He states in 2:10 that Jesus is present on Earth and in 8:38 he will come, in 10:33 he will be rejected by men and yet he is stated to be a judge over the people in 14:62.

Reza Aslan concludes that it is difficult to place Jesus of Nazareth squarely within any of the known religiopolitical movements of his time. He was a man of profound contradictions, one day preaching a message of racial exclusion as he is reported to have said in Matthew 15:24, “ I was sent solely to the lost sheep of Israel”; and in the next, Matthew 28:19 as a benevolent universalism, “Go and make disciples of all nations”; and sometimes calling for unconditional peace as stated in Matthew 5:9 “ Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God”, and at other times promoting violence and conflict as in Luke 22:36 “If you do not have a sword, go sell your cloak and buy one”⁵²

The Pope Leo X (1513-21), of an early Catholic Church, made a profound statement: “It has served us well, this myth of Christ”⁵³. The Pope lay doubt on the fundamental doctrine of Christianity. In the reign of Antonius Pius, a dialogue was held between Justin Martyr with the Jew Tryphon, Justin was pressed to declare the sentiment of the Christ, church regarding a man who sincerely accepted Jesus as the Messiah but still continue to observe law of Moses. Though Justin affirmed their salvation but regarded them imperfect Christians and reinstated that there were many of the orthodox Christians who excluded Jewish cherished from the hope of salvation and declined any officers of friendship, hospitality and social life. Ebonites who formed the foremost adherents of Jesus were gradually became scurrilously apostates for Jews and heretics for Christians.⁵⁴

Thomson rehearses St. Paul asserted that the requirement of the Law of Moses was unnecessary, and it contradicted to what had been revealed to him from God. Reza Aslan writes that only three scenes from the life of Jesus pbuhare mentioned in Paul’s epistles : the Last Supper ( 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) , the crucifixion ( 1 Corinthians 2:2 ), the resurrection ( 1 Corinthians 15:4). He says, “Paul may be an excellent source for those interested in the early formation of Christianity, but he is a poor guide for uncovering the historical Jesus”⁵⁵

Karen asserts that St. Paul and the author of the Hebrew showed future generations of Christians how to interpret the Hebrew Bible and make it their own. St. Paul asserted that he was the Law himself. In the Bible 1 Corinthians 7:12 he states “All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any”⁵⁶

Albert Schweitzer in his book ‘Paul and His Interpreters says that “Paul never appealed to the sayings and commands of the master”. Heinz Zahrnt calls Paul a ‘a corrupter of the Gospel of Jesus’ and Warde describes him ‘the second founder of Christianity.

The Quran unequivocally accuses the People of Scripture, the Jews and the Christians, of deliberately falsifying their account of the sacred Books - the Torah and the Gospels. It frequently corrects and polemicize the understanding of the Bible by the Jews and Christians of that era.

The Jesus pbuh known and understood to Christians and Muslims are contradictory figures; either Jesus pbuh is the begotten son of God or he is the servant of God and cannot have the both the qualities merged in the same personality. The historical Prophet Jesus pbuh understood by the Muslims – Jesus of Nazareth is unlike the Jesus Christ of the Christians. The only way to reconcile both the personality is an analytical and critical view of the real life stated and existed of Jesus pbuh. The life of Jesus pbuh as narrated by the Quran and the Christians is filled with contradiction. Therefore, Jesus Christ of the Christians and Isa the son of Mary of the Quran could be deduced as distinct personalities based on the life narratives in the Bible and the Quran.

REFERENCE

1. Min K. A. S.S., Ali Moch “Discovering the Hebraic Roots of Islamic Messiah”, 2009 Pub A.S. Noordeen

2. The Holy Book of Numbers 12:6-7“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.”

3. The Quran Surah ash-Shoora 28:51-52 “And it is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by revelation; from behind a veil, or by sending a Messenger to reveal by His Permission, what He pleases; surely He is the High, Wise.”

4. (Siddiqui, 2013)

5. (Armstrong, The History of God, 1993)

6. The Quran Surah Maryam 19:16-21

7. TheQuran Surah al-i-Imran 3:45-49

8. The Quran Surah Maryam 19:29-30

9. On December 8, 1854 Pope Pius IX declared this doctrine of Immaculate Conception which the Church teaches was revealed by God Himself. It refers to the condition that Mary was free from Original Sin at the time of conception of Jesus.

10. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013, Harper Collins Publications

11. Holy Bible Gospel of John 7:24

12. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013, Harper Collins Pubications

13. Clement, Stromateis 1.21.145.

14. Al-Quran Surah Al-i-Imran 3:49-51

15. Holy Bible Gospel of Luke 11:20

16. Gospel of Mark 6:3

17. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013 ,Harper Collins Publications

18. Matthew 12 27, Like 11: 17, Mark 9:38-40, Acts 19:11-17

19. Acts 16:16-18, 19:12

20. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013 ,Harper Collins Publications

21. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013 ,Harper Collins Publications

22. Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 5: 17

23. The Quran Surah Al-i-Imran 3:49-51

24. Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 22: 37-40

25. Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 23: 2-3

26. Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 4: 10

27. Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 6 :10

28. Holy Bible Gospel of Luke 13: 33

29. Holy Bible Gospel of Luke 19: 38-40

30. The Holy Bible Gospel of Matthew 11: 28-30

31. The Holy Bible Gospel of Mark 7 : 6-13

32. The Quran Surah AL-i-Imran3:54-57

33. The Quran Surah an-Nisa 4:157-158

34. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8587838.stm

35. The Quran Surah Al-i-Imran 3:58-60

36. 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalms 2:7, 89:26, Isaiah 42:1

37. The Holy Bible Book of Acts 7:56

38. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013, Harper Collins Publications

39. The Quran Surah at-Taubah 9:30

40. Al-Quran Surah Maidah 5:116; 72-75 Surah Kahf 18:4-5, and Surah Maryam 19:30

41. Surah an-Nisa 4:171

42. Surah an-Nisa 4:171

43. Surah az-Zukhruf 43:61

44. (Aslan, Zealot The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)

45. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013, Harper Collins Publications

46. The Holy Bible Leviticus 24:16

47. Aslan, Reza “Zealot-The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth”, 2013, Harper Collins Publications

48. The Holy Bible Book of Deuteronomy 21:23

49. The Holy Bible Galatians 3: 13

50. The Quran Surah an-Nisa verses 156-157

51. The Quran Surah al-Maidah 5:75

52. (Aslan, Zealot The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, 2013 )

53. (Brocklehurst, 2008)

54. (Gibbon, 1998; Gibbon, 1998)

55. (Aslan, Zealot The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, 2013)

56. The Holy Bible 1 Corinthians 7:12

Received on 29.09.2018 Modified on 20.10.2018

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(4): 935-943.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00158.4