June 02, 2002
Apropos Of No One In Particular

A friend (call him 'Fr. D') claims that that there is an Islamic hadith (commentary on the Koran) that goes like this:

Our Lord Jesus said: "It was not impossible for me to raise the dead, but it was impossible for me to cure the stupid."

This sounds too good to be true. One detail is particularly suspicious: do Muslims really call Jesus 'Our Lord'?

Posted by Dr. Weevil at June 02, 2002 08:01 PM
Comments

No, Muslims do not call Jesus "Lord". They regard Him as a sort of prophet or messenger, from what I understand, but the Koran makes explicit that Jesus does Allah's will, not that those wills are the same or at least intertwined.

From The Cow: [2.253] We have made some of these apostles to excel the others among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Isa son of Marium, and strengthened him with the holy spirit.

From The Women: [4.171] O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.

Found at:
http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/k/koran/koran-idx?type=simple&q1=Isa&size=First+100

Posted by: Geoffrey Barto on June 3, 2002 02:39 AM

There's a verse in the Qu'ran that speaks somewhat to this:

In sura 3:49 Jesus is heard to say: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave."

So, Muslims do recognize that Jesus, with the permission of Allah, can raise the dead and heal the blind and leperous, and turn a clay bird into a real one.

As for the hadith, I did a quick check of the on-line collections and turned up nothing that says anything of the sort. Now I'm interested in where this one comes from.

Posted by: H.D. Miller on June 3, 2002 08:40 PM

Doesn't that (turning a clay bird into a real one) originally come from one of the Apocryphal books? Nicodemus, I think.

Interesting

Posted by: Jeremy on June 7, 2002 05:08 AM