Is Essa called Mesaiah in the Quran?

[Mufeedah Mubarak]

If so, does it have the same reference as the Christians accept?

Salam and peace to all of you. 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Walaikum Salam and peace to you too. 

The term Messiah is mentioned in the Noble Quran for Prophet Essa, son of Virgin Maryam, but it does NOT have the same reference nor the same definition as in Christianity. 

First let me quote the Quran Verses containing the word “Messiah.”

“And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Maryam, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them;”  4:157 An-Nissa.

"(And remember) when the angels said: O Maryam! Indeed, Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Maryam, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah)."  3:45  Al-Imran.

"O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Maryam, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Maryam, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender."  4:171 An-Nissa.


According to altered Christianity, the connotation within the word ‘Messiah’ is to be “anointed” (smear or rub with aromatic oil, typically in a religious ritual).  In olden times, priests and kings were anointed as part of the consecration ceremony (the action of making or declaring an individual or entity as sacred).  This is NOT the concept in the Noble Quran at all. To be anointed or to be an anointer in Islamic concept does not refer to the worldly ceremony of rubbing oil on the body of a saint.  That is nonsense.  Messiah in the Quran has a very simple and straight reference.  It means a special person chosen by The Almighty for a special mission (Monotheism or Tawheed).  Though Essa, son of Virgin Maryam, is specifically called the Messiah by the people, generally and by definition all Prophets were “anointed” by The Almighty in the sense that they were all specially chosen by The Almighty for a specific and special purpose, that is, to deliver the message of Tawheed (Monotheism).   

Thus, as a Quran reader you will also observe that as symbolic of Essa's (son of Virgin Maryam) prophethood chosen by The Almighty as His messenger, Allah Almighty mentions the word "Messiah" but never the word "Christ" which is typically used by the Christians because of their very different approach alluding to the practice of anointing according to non-Islamic traditions.

But the biggest violation of Christianity in regard to the use of the word “messiah” is their association of this word with the concept of trinity which is shirk and a very serious violation in the Sight of Allah Almighty to be completely rejected by all true believers.  This is a transgression that will NOT be forgiven on the Day of Judgement, if a person dies with the burden of this sin without rejecting it and repenting.

Hadith scholars are of the view that the Quran has referred to Essa, son of Virgin Maryam, by the name Messiah because this was the name commonly used for Essa in pre-Islamic Arabia.  This view is wholly wrong.  Regaradless of whether or not the people of pre-Islamic Arabia used the term ‘messiah,’  the Noble Quran stands independently for the Truth regardless of what the people say.  The Quran does NOT mention any word as a jargon, which is being misconstrued by the people, without correcting it. 

To conclude, the Noble Quran addresses Essa, son of Virgin Maryam, as Messiah because of the privileges bestowed on him by The Almighty.


Related posts:

-  Origin of the name Christ
-  How Christianity drifted away from Monotheism
-  Complete rejection of crucifixion of Essa son of Virgin Maryam as confirmed in the Noble Quran
-  Total rejection of Christian polytheism in the Words of The Almighty
-  Origin of the name Jesus

[Mufeedah Mubarak]

Thank u sister,, very well spoken.  your perception and summing up matters is very good. 

I was waiting for a reply since this morning.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

You're welcome sister.  Apology for the late response.  As you may know our MV is run by just the four of us and often we run short of time because of the crunch in our own daily schedules.  But Insh'Allah, will try to be as prompt with our responses.

[Mufeedah]

no problem

[Safiye Assad]

Is Musa also called Messiah in the Quran as someone told me?

[Ruhi_Rose]

No, Prophet Musa is not called Messiah. He is referred to as “mukh’lasan” in V.19:51 of Surah Maryam which means the “chosen” person.  But the reference of both these terms are the same in the Noble Quran.


"And mention in the Book, Musa.  Indeed, he was chosen, and he was a messenger and a prophet." 19:51 Maryam.

[Safiye Assad]

Christians say “Jesus” is the Greek transliteration of the name “Joshua” because the new testament which the people changed and wrote with their hands was in Greek.  We know all bibles, whatever testaments they are called, are all human-written.  But is that about ‘Joshua’ changing to ‘Jesus’ true?

[Ruhi_Rose]

.. We know all bibles, whatever testaments they are called, are all human-written. 

Yes correct, these have all been changed by human hands.

But is that about ‘Joshua’ changing to ‘Jesus’ true?

Well, the original Arabic as well as Aramaic is “Essa.”  It was Arabic and Aramaic which the people largely spoke in the region of Prophet Essa, son of Virgin Maryam.  Therefore ‘Jesus’ can be viewed as the universally Latinized variant of the original Arabic name ‘Essa.’   Many proper nouns that begin with ‘y’ and ‘e’ in Arabic are given the ‘j’ sound in English.   

Moreover, the name ‘Jesus’ is not exactly Greek.  It is basically derived from Hebrew, “Yeshua” (which is likely the contortion of "Essa") changed to Joshua in English and then to Jesus because one of the many versions of the altered new testaments was written by the Greeks who were not acquainted with the “sh” sound of English alphabets; so, they removed the “sh” from ‘Yeshua’ replacing it with ‘s’ only and to make it sound masculine, they also substituted the ‘a’ at the end with another ‘s.’  Thus they changed it into ‘Yesus.’   And with that ‘y’ being substituted with ‘j’ rule in English, it became ‘Jesus.’   However, just as the man-written scriptures of all other religions keep changing with time, so do the stories of human invented names of their spiritualists.  Needless to say, the person the Christians follow today is not the same and authentic Essa (son of Virgin Maryam) sent by Allah Almighty.  The “Jesus” which the Christians follow presently is just a concocted image they created themselves which also keeps changing.

[armchair traveller]

So when did Christians start with the use of the word Christ?

[Ruhi_Rose]

Presently the title “Christ” is used by Christians randomly as both a title as well as a given name for ‘Jesus’  (Prophet Essa, son of Virgin Maryam).   Much earlier when the Christians used the word ‘messiah’ the concept came from the Jewish bibles in which, the Christians claim, that Jesus is mentioned as the future messiah (or savior) and then the Christians also mixed the idea of trinity with it.  The Noble Quran confirms (V.4:171 An-Nissa) that by the 7th century the Christians had deviated enough to invent the falsehood of trinity.  The term “Christ” (with the definition ‘anointed’)  likely came later from the Greeks.  It was supposedly attested in English as late as the 14th century. 

[armchair traveller]

JAzekAllah khairan for the info.