Quranic Visions of the Annunciation to Mary and the Birth of Jesus Christ according to Sura Nineteen

Abstract

The article presents the Quranic visions of the Annunciation to Mary and the birth of Jesus Christ according to sura nineteen. Their presence in the Quran and the quoted details mean that Muhammad knew the Christian contents in the beginnings of his activity and that they had an important meaning for his prognostication. Both scenes, composed together, were a kind of communication with the believers of Christianity in order to come closer and attract potential believers.

This text includes lots of details and all characters shown. It gives the dialogue’s content, which took place between them. The message of Mary and Jesus proclaims their exceptionality, the distinction by God and endowment of many graces and privileges, which don’t have their precedent. On the other side it denies to the essential Christian truth about the incarnation of the Son of God, because it presents Jesus as a miraculously created human. His father isn’t Allah, or “Spirit- messenger”, or any other man.

Jesus can boast only a mother, but a pure mother, innocent and perfect handmaid of God whose life was marked by great suffering, worn in some ways for her son, but also “for” and “because” of Israel. The award for her faith and obedience was the exceptional son, God’s servant and a prophet, who had a book and who, from the beginning of his life, was showing goodness for his mother, just like Allah wanted.

Sura nineteen of Mecca includes many important terms and theological titles of Jesus which also Mary participates in. They emphasize their dignity, vocation and endowment.

The Muslim identity of these two special characters show lots of similarities, but also significant differences from the message of the Gospel proclaimed by Christians.