The Muslim Jesus

The Muslim Jesus
File:The Muslim Jesus.jpg Title card
Genre	Documentary
Directed by	Irshad Ashraf
Narrated by	Melvyn Bragg
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
Production
Executive producer(s)	Gillian Greenwood
Producer(s)	Irshad Ashraf
Production location(s)	London, United Kingdom
Editor(s)	Tim Pearce
Camera setup	Colin Butler Pete Coley
Running time	47 minutes
Production company(s)	ITV Productions
Release
Original network	ITV
Original release	19 August 2007 (2007-08-19)

The Muslim Jesus is a 2007 British documentary directed and produced by Irshad Ashraf, and commissioned and narrated by Melvyn Bragg. The documentary is about the Islamic view of Jesus. It was broadcast by ITV on 19 August 2007.

Overview

The one-hour special uses the Quran as its main source, and draws on interviews with scholars and historians. It features commentary from Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, who was filmed quite extensively for this documentary. The documentary is the first time the subject has been dealt with on British television.

The Muslim Jesus explores the similarities and differences between the Jesus of the Gospels and in the Quran. It explores how Islam honours Jesus Christ as a prophet but not as the son of God. According to the Quran the crucifixion was a divine illusion. Instead of dying on the cross, Jesus was rescued by angels and raised to heaven. It concludes that the two faiths have more in common than most people realise. The doctrinal differences are crucial and need to be pointed out lest either religion be misrepresented. The Muslim Jesus is a human Messiah whose Ascension alive to heaven is central. The Christian Jesus is the Savior who takes away sin and intercedes with God for his people. The Muslim Jesus is cast as Sufi saint who heals the sick, raises the dead, and has compassion on humanity. The Christian Jesus does the same but as a divine/human person he establishes a new covenant as both Priest and Victim of his self-Offering on the Cross the result of which rescues his followers from eternal death by their partaking of his sacrifice, an event which is denied in Islam. Indeed in the Quran Jesus is the only prophet who distances himself from mistaken views of his followers, Sura 3:55. Jesus denies tritheism; God denies the crucifixion. "The legacy Jesus is gentleness, compassion and humility," not "the Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Redemption," p. 15. Jesus of the Eschaton and works of piety, asceticism, miracle working, healing and his roles as social and ethical model and living moral force are in the Quran and other writings, but not his biblical teachings, ministry and passion (cf. Tarif Khalidi, Director of the Centre of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge University, The Muslim Jesus, 2001, pp.3-45.ISBN 0-674-00477-9) Despite the differences Jesus has very special place in Islam. The Prophet Mohammed ordered all the idols and images in Ka'ba in Mecca to be destroyed except one, a picture of the Virgin and Child which he covered with his cloak.

Background

The narrator Melvyn Bragg said, "I was fascinated by the idea ... Jesus was such a prominent figure in Islam but most people don't know that." He added: "I hope it will provoke among Muslims the feeling they are included in television."

The director and producer Irshad Ashraf said, the film was an attempt to shift the focus away from extremism to the spiritual side of Islam. He added, "Jesus is loved and respected by Muslims and he's one of the most important prophets in our religion."

Hamza Yusuf said, "In the Christian narrative the most central and fundamental point of Christianity is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but Islam basically denies that. The Quran states that it was made to appear that Jesus was crucified as when the Romans captured Jesus God organised a rescue operation."

Appearances

• Hamza Yusuf (Muslim scholar of Zaytuna Institute, California)
• Ajmal Masroor (Imam)
• Usama Hasan (Imam of Al-Tawhid Masjid, London)
• Ahmad Thomson (Co-author of Jesus Prophet of Islam)
• Karen Armstrong (Religion historian)
• Ahmed Babikir (Imam of Islamia Primary School, London)
• Sarah Joseph OBE (Editor of Emel)
• Mohammed Saeed Bahmanpour (Writer of Saint Mary)
• Ismael Lea South (Rapper)
• Sukina Douglas (Poetic Pilgrimage)
• Muneera Williams (Poetic Pilgrimage)
• Ibrahim Mogra (Chair, interfaith relations Muslim Council of Britain)
• Abdur Raheem Green (Visit Administrator of London Central Mosque)

Reception

Philip Lewis, the Bishop of Bradford's aide on inter-faith matters, urged believers on both sides to take advantage of a "worthwhile contribution to understanding a complex issue". However, Patrick Sookhdeo, an Anglican canon and spokesman for the Barnabas Fund, which works with persecuted Christians, accused broadcasters of double standards. Sookhdeo said, "How would the Muslim community respond if ITV made a programme challenging Muhammad as the last prophet?"

See also

• Jesus in Islam

External links

• The Muslim Jesus on YouTube