Jesus in Islam: The Shared Roots of Christianity and Islam

For centuries, Islam and Christianity have often been portrayed as mortal enemies, locked in a conflict that supposedly won't end until the Day of Judgment, when God declares a winner.

From the Crusades to the modern-day War on Terror, this narrative has fueled distrust and division between people who are taught to see each other as enemies.

But here's something many people overlook: Jesus is not exclusive to Christianity. He's a central figure in Islam.

That's right. Muslims believe in Jesus. In fact, believing in Jesus is a fundamental part of being Muslim. The difference is that Muslims and Christians disagree about certain aspects of his identity and role.

So before accepting the idea that these two religions are complete opposites, let's look at what the Quran actually says.

Jesus in the Quran

In the Quran, Jesus is called Isa, son of Mary. He is honored as the Messiah, described as a Word from God, and referred to as a Spirit from Him. Muslims believe in his miraculous birth, the miracles God enabled him to perform, and his role in the events leading up to the Day of Judgment.

Think about that. A religion that many people are taught to view as Christianity's mortal enemy makes belief in Jesus an essential part of its faith.

And Jesus isn't the only familiar figure you'll find in the Quran.

The Quran mentions Adam, Cain and Abel, Zachariah, Mary, Moses, Abraham, and many other figures familiar to readers of the Bible. There's even an entire chapter named after Mary: Surah Maryam, Chapter 19.

Muslims hold Mary in great respect, and the Quran devotes significant attention to her and the miraculous birth of Jesus.

The Quran also recognizes earlier revelations, including the Torah given to Moses and the Gospel associated with Jesus.

In Quran 3:84, Muslims are instructed to believe in what was revealed to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the other prophets. The message is that God's prophets belong to a shared prophetic tradition.

The point is simple: Muslims believe in many of the same prophets Christians recognize, and Jesus holds a major place in Islamic teachings.

So Why Are We Taught to See Each Other as Enemies?

If Muslims believe in Jesus, honor Mary, recognize Moses, and believe in many of the same prophets found in the Bible, why are Islam and Christianity so often portrayed as though their followers are destined to hate each other?

Look at history. Religious differences became entangled with political power, competing empires, territorial struggles, and wars. From the Crusades to modern conflicts, religious identity has often been used to draw lines between people.

And here's something worth asking: who benefits when ordinary people are encouraged to see one another as enemies rather than trying to understand one another?

When people focus entirely on their differences, they can overlook what their traditions share. They may spend years arguing about religious labels without ever opening the other religion's scripture to see what it actually says.

Many Christians are surprised to discover how much attention the Quran gives to Jesus and Mary. Likewise, people who have never studied the Bible closely may not understand where Christian beliefs come from.

Understanding another faith doesn't require you to abandon your own. It requires you to be willing to learn what the other side actually believes.

Prophet Muhammad in the Bible

Let's look at Song of Solomon 5:16, because the original Hebrew contains a word that raises an important question about the relationship between the Bible and the Quran.

The King James Version reads:

“His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

Now look at the Hebrew word translated as “altogether lovely”: מַחֲמַדִּים — Machmadim.

Read it carefully: Machmadim. The word contains the consonants M, Ḥ, M, and D—the same core consonants found in the name Muhammad.

The name Muhammad comes from an Arabic root associated with praise and means “the praised one” or “one who is praised.” The Hebrew root ḥ-m-d is related in meaning to desire, delight, and something precious or desirable.

This is where the distinction matters. When readers encounter the Hebrew word Machmadim, the English phrase “altogether lovely” gives them a description rather than the original Hebrew wording. An English reader who encounters only that translation may never think to compare the word with Muhammad's name.

A name is not the same thing as a description.

Consider someone who spends years studying the Bible, searching for prophetic connections and trying to understand how God's revelations relate to one another. If that person never encounters the Hebrew word or learns why it is compared with Muhammad's name, the connection between the Bible and the Quran may never even occur to them.

How could a reader investigate the Quran as a continuation of divine revelation if they have never considered whether the earlier scriptures contain a reference connected to Prophet Muhammad?

That is why examining the original language matters. The ending -im is commonly used to mark masculine plurals in Hebrew, and Machmadim appears in that form in this verse. Its spelling, its relationship to the Hebrew root ḥ-m-d, and its resemblance to Muhammad's name are all worth examining when investigating this interpretation.

The standard Hebrew reading understands machmadim as a descriptive word for something desirable, precious, or lovely, rather than an explicit naming of Muhammad. But understanding that conventional interpretation does not prevent readers from investigating the linguistic comparison and considering the religious significance it may hold for them.

The important question is what readers might discover when they look beyond the English translation and examine the original Hebrew for themselves.

Read Song of Solomon 5:16. Look at the word Machmadim. Compare its consonants with Muhammad's name, examine the shared root, and consider how this passage fits—or does not fit—into your understanding of the relationship between the Bible and the Quran.

Don't stop at the English translation when the original language is available for examination.

What Do These Faiths Actually Share?

Let's bring this back to the bigger picture.

Christianity and Islam have genuine theological differences, particularly concerning Jesus. Christians traditionally affirm his divinity, while Muslims honor him as the Messiah and a mighty messenger of God but do not regard him as God.

Those differences matter. But they don't erase the connections between the two traditions.

Both recognize many of the same prophetic figures. Both place importance on devotion to God. Both preserve teachings and stories concerning people such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mary.

The Quran explicitly recognizes earlier prophets and revelations, and it calls upon the People of the Book to come together around the worship of one God (Quran 3:64).

So why begin every conversation with hostility?

Before deciding that another religion is your enemy, read its scripture. Before repeating what you've been told about its followers, find out what they actually believe. And when someone makes a claim about a religious text, go back to the text and examine it yourself.

The goal isn't to pretend that Islam and Christianity are identical. The goal is to understand what they teach, where they differ, and what their scriptures actually say.

Perhaps the starting point isn't deciding which faith wins on the Day of Judgment. Perhaps it's putting aside inherited hostility long enough to open the books, examine the words, and search for the truth.

Because you cannot honestly judge a teaching you have never taken the time to understand.