What does the term *Messiah* mean in Islam anyways?

[BillyHW]

Greetings Heathen Barbarians

So I was just reading this essay entitled Being a Muslim at Christmas, and besides getting the date of the fall of the Byzantine Empire wrong by eight centuries, confusing the doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Jesus with the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and writing at the intellectual and literary level of a 10-year-old, the Ph.D student (they sure don’t make 'em like they used to) author fails to adequately describe what she means when she calls Jesus the “Messiah.”

I would like to know just what, exactly, Muslims mean when they say that Jesus was The Messiah. They seem to hold that he was just a prophet like all the others, who brought the same Koranic message that all the other prophets brought. So what, in their view, makes Jesus so special that they give this title to him that they give to no other prophet, not even Mohammed?

It seems to me that they haven’t really thought this whole Messiah thing through.

 

[SteveVH]

Never read the book but have always wondered why they would even call Jesus a prophet. A prophet is one who speaks truth. If Jesus speaks truth then it follows that you would believe what He said. If you believe what He said then you must follow Him. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” To call Him Messiah is even a stronger term. Yeah, its a mystery to me how a Muslim can hold Jesus in such regard and not become Christian.

 

[BillyHW]

Never read the book but have always wondered why they would even call Jesus a prophet. A prophet is one who speaks truth. If Jesus speaks truth then it follows that you would believe what He said. If you believe what He said then you must follow Him. “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” To call Him Messiah is even a stronger term. Yeah, its a mystery to me how a Muslim can hold Jesus in such regard and not become Christian.

The solution for them is that they simply don’t believe that Jesus said that, but those are words put into his mouth by corrupt Christians. As far as I know they believe, without any historical evidence whatsoever, that every prophet brought the same Koranic message of Islam.

This is why my question to them poses a dilemma for them. If Jesus was just a prophet that brought the same message as all the others, what makes him the special Messiah, a title they don’t attribute to any of the other prophets?

 

[Usbek_de_Perse]

Greetings Heathen Barbarians

So I was just reading this essay entitled Being a Muslim at Christmas, and besides getting the date of the fall of the Byzantine Empire wrong by eight centuries, confusing the doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Jesus with the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and writing at the intellectual and literary level of a 10-year-old, the Ph.D student (they sure don’t make 'em like they used to) author fails to adequately describe what she means when she calls Jesus the “Messiah.”

I would like to know just what, exactly, Muslims mean when they say that Jesus was The Messiah. They seem to hold that he was just a prophet like all the others, who brought the same Koranic message that all the other prophets brought. So what, in their view, makes Jesus so special that they give this title to him that they give to no other prophet, not even Mohammed?

It seems to me that they haven’t really thought this whole Messiah thing through.

Jesus is called al-Masih 'Isa, literally “Jesus Christ” in Surah 3, verse 45. The word Masih appears to be a loan word in Arabic, that is, not a word that derives from Arabic roots, but is imported. The name Musa or Moses is a loan word, as is Ibrahim or Abraham. Mariam (Mary) is also a loan word; Plato is Aflatun. Interestingly enough, Muslims call John the Baptist “Yahya”, and Christian Arabs call him “Yohanna”. I bring this up because being a loan word means it has no Arabic root from which to derive its meaning. It may be related to masaha (to wipe) but that is really unlikely.

In the Qur’an, Jesus is referred to as both a rasul (messenger) and a nabi (lesser prophet). The distinction between these two positions also exists in the Old Testament in Hebrew. In the Qur’an, Moses is a Rasul and Aaron, his brother, a Nabi. Jesus refers to himself as a Nabi in Surah 19, verses 22-33 in which he speaks as a child and rebukes those who chastise his mother. The Qur’an seems to say that he was not crucified, but also in Surah 19, he says blessed is the day I was born, blessed is the day I shall die, and blessed the day I shall arise, suggesting the resurrection.

With all deference to the sensitivities of Muslims, I believe most of the Jesus lore in the Qur’an was developed after the time of Muhammad (may God grant him peace).

I regret that this answer is not very complete, but the topic is complex. I suggest the Encyclopedia of Islam, which I shall consult next time I am near one.

 

[meedo]

Jesus is called al-Masih 'Isa, literally “Jesus Christ” in Surah 3, verse 45. The word Masih appears to be a loan word in Arabic, that is, not a word that derives from Arabic roots, but is imported. The name Musa or Moses is a loan word, as is Ibrahim or Abraham. Mariam (Mary) is also a loan word; Plato is Aflatun. Interestingly enough, Muslims call John the Baptist “Yahya”, and Christian Arabs call him “Yohanna”. I bring this up because being a loan word means it has no Arabic root from which to derive its meaning. It may be related to masaha (to wipe) but that is really unlikely.

In the Qur’an, Jesus is referred to as both a rasul (messenger) and a nabi (lesser prophet). The distinction between these two positions also exists in the Old Testament in Hebrew. In the Qur’an, Moses is a Rasul and Aaron, his brother, a Nabi. Jesus refers to himself as a Nabi in Surah 19, verses 22-33 in which he speaks as a child and rebukes those who chastise his mother. The Qur’an seems to say that he was not crucified, but also in Surah 19, he says blessed is the day I was born, blessed is the day I shall die, and blessed the day I shall arise, suggesting the resurrection.

With all deference to the sensitivities of Muslims, I believe most of the Jesus lore in the Qur’an was developed after the time of Muhammad (may God grant him peace).

I regret that this answer is not very complete, but the topic is complex. I suggest the Encyclopedia of Islam, which I shall consult next time I am near one.

Hello,

Al Masih is not a loan word i arabic . And you are correct in terms that it ay mean Masaha ‘’ to wipe or to brush ‘’

But this is the literal meaning of the word. It can also be a title with a functional meaning .

Take the word ‘’ Al Raees’’ in arabic. Currently if you mention this word to any arab he will tell you that it means ‘‘the president’’ . But the word ‘‘al Raees’’ itself has a root that does not mean ‘’ a president’’ . The root is ‘‘Ras ‘’ which means ‘’ head’’

1- Now Jesus would wipe his hand on people and heal them from their sickness . He would perform ‘‘Masaha’’ or wiping on them.

2- In the old jewish tradition, kings would be annointed or appointed to their posts , by wiping their heads with holy oil . Jesus is also the last messenger to the jews and appointed to reform the understanding of their faith. He brings them relief from very harsh punishments and rules previously obligated upon them. The people who believe in him and his message believe that he is this ‘‘appointed one’’ that their scriptures foretell. He is the one annointed by God to be the last messenger to the jews .

Now we have 2 meanings for the word , one is the literal meaning ‘‘1’’ and the other is the funtional meaning ‘’ 2’’

As time go by and after 2000 years of Christian theology the 1st meaning is now in the back seat while the second meaning evolves from the ‘‘appointed one to perform a specific duty ‘’ to the ‘’ king’’ and later comes ‘’ saviour’’

As you see from the above , it is very easy for a simple term to evolve out of its original meaning . The word Messiah became somthing Holy. While although it gives the holder of the title importance of some sort. It doesn’t mean holiness and it doesnt negate the possibilities of somebody else bieng a Messiah .

best regards

 

[schaick]

The Jewish understanding of the Messiah is a bit more then just an annointed king but that he will be the “deliverer” of the Jewish people out of opression.