the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him

Jesus of Nazareth is the most widely revered religious figure in the World. Many in the West do not know that he is not only central to Christianity, World's largest religion; he is also revered throughout Islam, the world's second largest faith. Islam places Jesus Christ as one of the greatest messengers of God and Qur'an addresses him as The Messiah. Many Christians may be surprised to learn that Muslims believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus and in his miracles. But this shared interest in his message goes much further. Jesus is the only prophet addressed by God in Qur'an as Ruhullah, meaning a spirit from God. Muslims believe that he was a symbol of austerity and humbleness and was extremely pious. He prayed to God in complete humility with his forehead touching the ground, asking His help and forgiveness. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has described in great details the second coming of Jesus, prior to the destruction of the World. At that time, he will save the World from the excesses of Dajjal, commonly known in the west as Anti-Christ. Muslims in the World today are waiting anxiously for the coming back of the Messiah as several of Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) prophecies about the end of the World (and Jesus' return) have already been fulfilled. Among the miracles of Jesus, according to Qur'an, is the curing of those born blind, healing the lepers and even bringing the dead back to life. Muslims believe in the chastity of Mary who as virgin gave birth to Jesus. Qur'an describes the miracle of Jesus who, as a newly born infant in the cradle, spoke out for the glory of his Lord and in defense of his mother to the people accusing her. And at another place in Qur'an, God addresses him: "O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you of blaspheme. I will make your followers superior to those who reject faith until the Day of Resurrection, then you will all return to Me & I will judge in matters you differed" (Qur'an 3:55) Muslims revere Jesus as can be seen by the name Issa (Jesus) common among the Muslims. When the name of Jesus or of any other Prophet is mentioned in a conversation, you will see that many devout Muslims would quietly say, "Peace and blessings of God be upon him". When a film "Jesus Christ Superstar" was shown in a theatre in Karachi (Pakistan), the show had to be stopped due to protest by the Muslim audience, who in reverence to the great Prophet did not want that film to run in a Muslim country. It is not permitted in Islam to make pictures and statues of Jesus, as it is not permitted of any other prophets and saintly figures. A companion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Dharr, once an extremely rich man who had given up all his wealth to poor after embracing Islam and totally devoted his life in pursuit of God, was compared by the Prophet to the likeness of Jesus. The Prophet said to other companions, "If you want to see the image of Jesus, look at Abu Dharr." Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran describes the Annunciation as follows: 'Behold!' the Angel said, 'God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.' She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: 'Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is.' (Quran, 3:42-7) Qur'an describes the birth of Jesus in the following words: Surah (Chapter): Maryam 19:16. "And mention in the Book (The Qur'an, O Muhammad) about Mary when withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place in the East (Bethlehem). She placed a screen to hide herself from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (Angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said," I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you if you do fear Allah". (The Angel) said," I am only a messenger from your Lord (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son." She said," How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said," So it will be. Your Lord said: That is easy for Me: and We wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a mercy from Us. It is a matter so decreed". So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to a trunk of a palm tree: She cried in her anguish " Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" But a voice cried to her from beneath the Palm Tree," Grieve not! For your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you. And shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm tree; it will let fall Fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and cool your eye. And if you do see any man, say " I have vowed a fast to Allah Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into no talk with any human being". At length she brought the babe to her people, carrying him in her arms. They said: " O Maryam, truly an amazing thing have you brought! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a man of evil, nor your mother is a woman unchaste!" But she pointed to the Babe. They said," How can we talk to someone who is a child in the cradle?" He (Jesus) said," I am indeed a servant of Allah(the God): He has given me revelation and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing and miserable. So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I will die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again!" SUCH WAS JESUS, the son of Mary. It is a statement of truth about which they vainly dispute. It is not befitting to the Majesty of Allah (The God) that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When he determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be" -- and it is. Jesus said" Verily Allah (The God) is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him alone. That is the straight path". --God has spoken the Truth. During his prophetic mission Jesus performed many miracles. The Qur'an tells us that he said: "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." (Qur'an, 3:49) The miraculous side of Jesus' story has greatly obscured his role as a prophet and a messenger of God, although there are more important questions for Muslims and Christians to ponder from the life of Jesus than whether he walked on water or raised the dead. In the Muslim view, Jesus' essential work was not to replicate magic bread or to test our credulity, but to complement the legalism of the Torah with a leavening compassion rarely expressed in the older testament. His actions and words introduce something new to monotheism: They develop the merciful spirit of God's nature. Jesus confirmed the Torah, stressing the continuity of his lineage, but he also developed the importance of compassion and self-purification as crucial links between learning the words of God's message and possessing the wisdom to carry it out. Qur'an says Jesus came... "To attest the law which was before me (Torah), And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me." (Qur'an, 3:50) (by Owais Bayunus, source)