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Beliefs 3 min read

do muslims believe in Jesus?

Short answer

Yes. Muslims believe in Jesus (Isa in Arabic) as one of God's greatest messengers, born miraculously to the virgin Mary. Belief in him is required, not optional. Muslims do not worship him or consider him divine: in Islam, worship belongs to God alone.

Scholars agree Curated by Amina Hassan · 15 Aug 2026

Jesus is named 25 times in the Quran (more often than Muhammad) and always with honor. The Quran affirms his virgin birth, his miracles by God's permission, and his title al-Masih, the Messiah. His mother Mary is the only woman named in the Quran, with chapter 19 named after her. Where Islam and Christianity part is on his nature: the Quran presents Jesus as a created human messenger, not divine and not God's son, and states that he was not crucified but raised by God. Muslims await his return before the end of time. Denying Jesus would take a person outside Islam; belief in him is an article of faith.

what the Quran says about him

The Quran devotes long passages to Jesus: the annunciation to Mary, his cradle speech, healing the blind and the leper by God's permission, and his steadfast call to worship God alone. Chapter 19 (Maryam) carries much of the story.

where the two faiths meet and part

Shared: virgin birth, miracles, the Messiah title, a second coming. Different: Islam rejects the incarnation, the trinity, and the crucifixion, holding that God raised Jesus to Himself. The disagreement is stated in the Quran itself, respectfully and clearly.

where this comes from

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
“When the angels said: Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him: his name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the next, and among those brought near.”
Aal Imran 3:45 ↗

Sources

AlAnswer curates and links established scholarship; we do not issue original rulings. Read the full sources for complete context. General education, not a personal ruling. For your specific situation, ask a local scholar.

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people also ask

Do Muslims believe Jesus will return?

Yes. Mainstream Islamic teaching, based on authentic hadith, holds that Jesus will return before the end of time.

What does the Quran say about Mary?

She is honored as the truthful, chosen above the women of the worlds, and is the only woman named in the Quran.

Why don't Muslims worship Jesus?

Because in Islam worship belongs to God alone, and the Quran presents Jesus himself as calling to exactly that.

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Amina Hassan Curation editor Amina reads the source answers in Arabic and English, verifies every Hadith grading against Dorar's encyclopedia, and writes the plain-language synthesis you read here. MA in Islamic Studies; based in Amman. She does not issue rulings; she maps and clarifies what credible sources say. All answers by Amina Spotted an error? Tell us
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