Jesus in the Heart of Islam
Updated: Aug 14
A Treasure to Share with Our Brothers and Sisters
“Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you; but do this with gentleness and respect.” (First Letter of Peter 3:15–16)
We live in a time when Christians and Muslims meet every day. Our cities, schools, workplaces, and even our families have become places of encounter, dialogue, and sometimes genuine friendship. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to approach these encounters with an evangelical outlook: not with fear, not with a sense of superiority, nor with naivety, but with the charity that springs from truth.
Muslims are our brothers and sisters in humanity, created, like us, by the one God and loved by Him. For this reason, they deserve our respect, our attentive listening, and our friendship.
At the same time, we cannot jealously keep to ourselves the greatest gift we have received: Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, the Saviour of the world.
Our mission is not to conquer people, but to share a treasure. A treasure is offered, not imposed. And we leave the Holy Spirit free to make it blossom in each person’s heart.
1. Muslims Are Our Brothers and Sisters
The Second Vatican Council, in the declaration Nostra Aetate, number 3, states:
The Church also regards with esteem the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself, merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth.
These words show us the way we should act. We are not called to build walls. We are called to build bridges. An encounter with a Muslim is not primarily a theological debate. It is an encounter with a person loved by God. It is love itself that makes the Gospel credible.
2. Our Mission Is Not to Convert, but to Bear Witness
Sometimes people think that evangelising means convincing someone to change their religion. The Gospel teaches us something far deeper.
Conversion belongs to the Holy Spirit. No human being can convert another human being. We can only bear witness:
We can tell others what Jesus has done in our lives.
We can love.
We can serve.
We can pray.
We can share the Gospel.
When someone discovers a treasure, they naturally want to share it with those they love. So it is with Christ. We do not impose Jesus. We propose Him with respect, freedom, and love.
3. Jesus Holds a Unique Place in Islam
Many Christians are unaware that Jesus is one of the most important figures in the Quran. He is called:
the Messiah (al-Masīḥ) (Quran 3:45);
the Messenger of Allah (Quran 5:75);
the Word of Allah (Kalimatullah) (Quran 4:171);
a Spirit proceeding from Allah (Rūḥun minhu) (Quran 4:171).
The Quran also recounts that Jesus:
was miraculously born of the Virgin Mary;
healed the blind and lepers;
raised the dead;
fashioned a bird out of clay and gave it life, as recounted in the apocryphal gospels;
always specifying that these miracles took place by Allah’s permission (Quran 3:49; 5:110).
According to authentic hadiths, Jesus will return at the end of time, defeat the Dajjāl, the false messiah, restore justice, and rule as a just judge (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448; Sahih Muslim 155).
It is interesting to observe that, although final judgement belongs to Allah, it is Jesus Himself who receives the mission of judging with justice at the end of time. Jesus therefore holds a unique position even within the Islamic tradition.
4. The Differences Between Jesus and Muhammad
For Muslims, Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets (Quran 33:40), the final messenger sent by God. Yet it is significant that the Quran does not attribute to Muhammad the titles and prerogatives attributed to Jesus. Jesus:
is the Word of Allah;
is a Spirit proceeding from Allah;
is the Messiah;
is born of a virgin;
performs extraordinary miracles;
gives life to the dead;
will return at the end of time;
will exercise the role of a just judge.
The Quran does not attribute these characteristics to Muhammad. This observation is not intended to fuel controversy. On the contrary, it helps us understand that Jesus is already deeply present in the religious consciousness of many Muslims.
5. Mary, a Mother Loved by Muslims Too
There is another wonderful bridge: Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Maryam is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran, and an entire surah bears her name.
She is honoured as a pure woman, chosen by God and the virgin mother of Jesus. For us Christians, Mary is the Mother of the Lord, the Immaculate Conception, and the Mother of the Church. At the foot of the Cross, Jesus entrusted her to all His disciples (Gospel according to John 19:26–27).
For this reason, we believe that her maternal heart continues to love every man and every woman, including our Muslim brothers and sisters.
6. Ground Already Prepared for the Gospel
When we meet a Muslim, we are not starting from nothing. We do not need to convince them that Jesus truly existed. We do not need to explain that Mary was a virgin. We do not need to prove that Jesus performed miracles. Many of these truths are already accepted within the Islamic tradition.
The question then becomes: Who is Jesus, truly?
For Christians, the One whom the Quran calls the “Word of God” is the eternal Word who:
“was with God, and the Word was God.” (Gospel according to John 1:1)
The One who gives life declares:
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (Gospel according to John 11:25)
The One who will judge the world says:
“The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son.” (Gospel according to John 5:22)
It is here that the Gospel fully reveals the mystery of Christ.
7. When Jesus Himself Evangelises
In my ministry, I accompanied a Muslim woman who was experiencing profound spiritual suffering. During her journey of prayer and liberation, she said that she had experienced the presence of Jesus several times.
No one tried to convince her. No one asked her to change her religion. Jesus Himself came to meet her. At the end of this journey, she was set free, and it was she who freely asked to receive Baptism.
This reminded me of a fundamental truth: Jesus is always the first missionary.
8. Father Paolo Dall’Oglio: When a Thirst for Christ Is Born
Another testimony that deeply moved me is that of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, a Jesuit priest and founder of the monastic community of Deir Mar Musa in Syria, who devoted much of his life to dialogue with Muslims.
In a wonderful interview conducted by the anthropologist Manoël Pénicaud, who was one of my university professors, Father Paolo recounts an unforgettable episode. You can watch the video in French with subtitles on his channel.
A young Muslim woman had been visiting the monastery for some time with her mother and grandmother. With great respect, she participated in the life of the community and in the celebration of Mass. When the time came for Holy Communion, she approached Father Paolo and, with eyes filled with tears of hope, asked whether she too could receive Jesus in the Eucharist.
Father Paolo knew that he could not give her Holy Communion, because the Eucharist is the sign of full communion in faith and within the Church. Looking up, he saw that the young woman was completely in tears. Tears streamed down her face and even soaked her clothes. They were not tears of rebellion. They were tears of longing. She longed for Jesus.
This scene reminds us that the Holy Spirit can awaken a profound thirst for Christ in people’s hearts long before they have completed their entire journey of faith.
Father Paolo believed to the very end that it was possible to live in genuine fraternity with Muslims without renouncing one’s Christian identity. Because of this commitment to dialogue and peace, he travelled to Raqqa, Syria, in 2013, where he was abducted by ISIS fundamentalists. Since then, there has been no reliable news of him. His life remains a radiant witness to dialogue, evangelical courage, and love for Christ.
9. Our Witness and Our Prayer
Many Muslims will never read a theological treatise. But they will read our lives, which can become a shared treasure. They will see how we forgive, how we live as a family, how we face suffering, how we love, and how we pray.
Our life is the first Gospel.
Alongside our witness, there is prayer.
Let us pray every day for our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Let us pray that the Lord may bless them.
That the Holy Spirit may illuminate their path.
That they may encounter Jesus Christ ever more deeply.
That Mary may accompany them.
Before speaking to people about God, let us learn to speak to God about people.
10. Sharing the Treasure with Love
We do not possess Jesus. We have encountered Him. And this is why we desire to share Him—not to prove that others are wrong and must change according to our ideas, and not to make ourselves feel superior. But because love, when it is genuine, desires to be given.
Let us therefore continue to love our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Let us continue to dialogue with them.
Let us continue to serve them.
Let us continue to pray for them.
And with respect, humility, and joy, let us continue to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Let us leave to the Holy Spirit what belongs to Him alone:
To offer the treasure of our witness and lead every person to an encounter with Jesus, the Lord of life.
Comments