What does Islam say about the beliefs of the first followers of Jesus?

Sunnih muslim scholars through history  have taught that the true followers of Jesus believed he was only a man; just a prophet; not divine at all. They also teach that later a dissident  group rose teaching Jesus was divine. Some of those scholars assert that Paul of Tarsus was the one who misguided the large majority. 

Some of these Muslim scholars taught the followers of Jesus had disputes all along about his deity.  Those scholars argue this is evident by the many theological controversies which persisted during the first three or four centuries of the Christian era. They argue that the true followers of Jesus remained in the shadows until the arrival of the Qur’an through the prophet Muhammad. 

 History evidence plays a decisive role on supporting or disproving the claims of the Qur'an, at least in this case. However, one would have to challenge the claim that the Qur'an is the word of God if it is misaligned with historical facts.

My question to Muslim and Non Muslims is,  is there any evidence of controversies about Jesus deity in the first century? I have found evidence of disputes about it from the second century onwards, but not from the first century.  Wouldn't it be obvious that this would have been a hot topic, like the topic abou circumcision for new believers documented in the book of Acts? Why didn't the early Christians believing in a divine Jesus  document of any of those disputes?

 If you are a Muslim reader, I only would like you to read this article knowing that I don't want to put my beliefs as a stumbling block for judgment. My desire is to document facts leaving aside bias. 

In my experience living with Muslims, their way of life is appealing by their devotion. There are some Muslims who wholeheartedly try living their lives according to what they have been thought God wants them to do.

Nonetheless, a religion can’t solely be considered true based on how some of the followers of that religion behave. This is true for all worldviews. A worldview such as Islam can’t solely be evaluated based on the behavior of its followers.

The Qur'an and Islam make multiple claims about how several events occurred in history. It is therefore important to check how well aligned are these claims with historical evidence. Islam's historical claims Have sparked controversy with Christians and Rabbinical Jews. The Qur'an claims being a confirmation of Christan and Jewish writings. However, the acquainted person with Christian, Jewish and Muslim writings would realize that many statements made by the Qur’an differ from traditional historical views commonly accepted. The Qur'an is also misaligned in several areas with Christian and Rabbinical Jewish writings.

When it comes down to Jesus, muslims in general state that he was a historical figure, a man. In that they concur with the Rabbinical Jewish and widespread Christian views. However, Islam states for example that Jesus is the messiah and a prophet of God, challenging the Rabbinical Jewish view (even though the muslim understanding of Messiah's office is quite different to what Christian and Rabbinical Judaism understands). Also Islam clearly states Jesus was only a man, unlike what mainstream Christianity preaches, that Jesus held two natures: human and divine.

In this article, I want to summarize some details about a historical event documented in the Qur'an. During the earthly time of Jesus, he was not alone. He managed to convince few people. He had some followers. Islam’s perspective of what happened to the apostles of Jesus differs on what is traditionally thought. Surah 61:14-16 is the verse in the Qur’an which presents a view of what occurred to the first followers of Jesus:

 

O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the cause) of Allah as said `Isa, son of Maryam, to the Hawariyyin (the disciples): "Who are my helpers (in the cause) of Allah''. The Hawariyyun said: "We are Allah's helpers'' (i.e., we will strive in His cause!). Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So, We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the victorious (uppermost). (Surah 61:14 - Translation to English found in the English translation of the Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

How have Muslim Authors interpreted this verse? - Tafsirs

In order to fairly represent the sunnih muslim view, I would like to highlight the commentaries of respected muslim commentators, both classic and modern.

1. Tasfsir Al Miqnas Min Tafsir Ibn Abbas

(O ye who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (Be Allah's helpers) be helpers to Muhammad (pbuh) against his enemies; it is also said this means: be Allah's helpers against His enemies, (even as Jesus son of Mary said unto the disciples: Who are my helpers for Allah) who are my helpers, along with Allah, against His enemies? (They said) his disciples said: (We are Allah's helpers) we are your helpers, along with Allah, against His enemies. They were 12 male disciples, the first to believe in him and help him against his enemies. All of these men were believers. (And a party of the Children of Israel believed) in Jesus the son of Mary, (while a party disbelieved) in Jesus son of Mary. This is the party that was led astray by Paul and did not believe in him. (Then We strengthened) We helped and fortified (those who believed) in Jesus the son of Mary and did not oppose his religion (against their foe) those who opposed the religion of Jesus, (and they became the uppermost) in argument against their foes because of their prayer to Allah, and it is also said because they were among those who glorified Allah'.

According to this commentary, Ibn Abbas thought

• Jesus had 12 disciples, which believed on what he preached.
• There were 2 groups that formed afterwards, who were disputing. One lead by Paul and one lead by the disciples.
• There was argumentation between the followers of Paul and the claimed followers of the disciples and Jesus.
• The followers of the apostles were uppermost in argumentation.

 

2. Tafsir Al Jalalayn

O you who believe, be helpers of God, of His religion (a variant reading [of ansāran li’Llāhi] has the genitive annexation ansāra’Llāhi) just as said (kamā qāla to the end [of the statement] means ‘just as the disciples were so’, as is indicated by [what follows]) Jesus son of Mary to the disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers unto God?’, that is to say, who [of you] will be helpers alongside me turning to help God? The disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers!’ [These] al-hawāriyyūn [were] the intimates of Jesus, for they were the first to believe in him. They were twelve men of pure white complexion (hawar); but it is also said that [their epithet derives from the fact that] they were bleachers (qassārūn) who bleached (yuhawwirūna) clothes. So a group of the Children of Israel believed, in Jesus, saying: ‘He is [indeed] the servant of God, [who has been] raised to heaven’, while a group disbelieved, because they said that he was the son of God, whom He had raised unto Himself. Thus the two groups waged war against one another. Then We strengthened those who believed, of the two groups, against their enemy, the disbelieving groups, and so they became the triumphant, the victors.

 

The Jalal’s in their commentary portray:

• There were 12 initial disciples of Jesus.
• They (the Jalal’s) believed there were two groups derived from Jesus’ followers. Some who believed he was a servant of God (i.e. human) while others didn’t believe because they thought of him as the son of God whom He raised to heaven.
• The two groups engaged in war, and God strengthened those who thought Jesus was just a man (servant). And so they became the victors.

 

3. Tafsir Ibn Kathir

In the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir of Surah 61:14 is found the following comments:

We are Allah's helpers. Meaning, `we will support you with regards to the Message you have been sent with and will help you convey it.' Whereby, `Isa sent the disciples to the various areas of Ash-Sham to call the Greeks and the Israelites to Islam.

Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. When `Isa, peace be on him, conveyed the Message of his Lord to his people and the disciples supported him, a group from the Children of Israel believed. They accepted the guidance that `Isa brought to them, while another group, was led astray. This group rejected what `Isa brought them, denied his Prophethood and invented terrible lies about him and his mother. They are the Jews, may Allah curse them until the Day of Judgement. Another group exaggerated over `Isa, until they elevated him to more than the level of Prophethood that Allah gave him. They divided into sects and factions, some saying that `Isa was the son of Allah, while others said that he was one in a trinity, and this is why they invoke the father, the son and the holy ghost! Some of them said that `Isa was Allah, as we mentioned in the Tafsir of Surah An-Nisa'.

Some of them disbelieved in `Isa twelve times, after they had believedin him. They divided into three groups.

• One group, Al-Ya`qubiyyah (the Jacobites), said, `Allah remained with us as much as He willed and then ascended to heaven.'
• Another group, An-Nasturiyyah (the Nestorians), said, `Allah's son remained with us as much as Allah willed and He then raised him up to heaven.'
• A third group said, `Allah's servant and Messenger remained with us as much as Allah willed and then Allah raised him up to Him.' The last group was the Muslim group.

The two disbelieving groups collaborated against the Muslim group and annihilated it. Islam remained unjustly concealed until Allah sent Muhammad.

Ibn Kathir’s view is the following:

• Jesus had some close followers called the disciples.
• The disciples were sent to preach Islam to Syria to the greeks and the Jews.
• From their preaching there were 3 groups:
  • The Jacobites who thought Jesus was God
  • The Nestorians  who though Jesus was the Son of God
  • And the Muslims (true believers in his view) who thought Jesus was just a man.
     

4. Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A portion of the Children of Israel-the one that really cared for Truth-believed in Jesus and followed his guidance. But the greater portion of them were hard hearted, and remained in their beaten track of formalism and false racial pride. The majority seemed at first to have the upper hand when they thought they had crucified Jesus and killed his Message. But they were soon brought to their senses. Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in A.D. 70 and the Jews have been scattered ever since. "The Wandering Jew" has become a bye-word in many literatures. On the other hand, those who followed Jesus permeated the Roman Empire, brought many new races within their circle, and through the Roman Empire, Christianity became the predominant religion of the world until the advent of Islam. So is it promised to the people of Islam: they must prevail if they adhere to the Truth. Badr (A.H. 2) was a landmark against Pagan Arabia; Qadisiya (A.H. 14) and Madain (A.H. 16) against the might of Persia: Yarmuk (A.H. 15) against the might of the Byzantine Empire in Christian Syria; and Heliopolis (A.H. 19) against the same Empire in Christian Egypt and Africa. These were symbols in external events. The moral and spiritual landmarks are less tangible, and more gradual, but none the less real. Mark how the arrogance and power of Priesthood have been quelled; how superstition and a belief in blind Fate have been checked; how the freedom of human individuals has been reconciled with the sanctity of marriage in the law of Divorce; how the civil position of women has been raised; how temperance and sobriety have been identified with religion; what impetus has been given to knowledge and experimental science; and how economic reconstruction has been pioneered by rational schemes for the expenditure and distribution of wealth.

For Yusuf Ali in his commentary of this verse the believers of Jesus are those who founded the Christian church which later on became the Roman Empire Religion, and the disbelievers were the Jews (i.e. today's Rabbinical Jews). Then God made triumphant the Muslims over the Christians.

5. The Message of The Qur'an - Muhammad Assad

I.e., some of them recognized him as a prophet – and, therefore, as no more than a created, human being – whereas others denied this truth in the course of time by regarding him as “the son of God” – and, therefore, as “God incarnate” – while still others rejected him and his message altogether. The fact that the earliest followers of Jesus regarded him as purely human is evident from the many theological controversies which persisted during the first three or four centuries of the Christian era. Thus, some renowned theologians, like Theodotus of Byzantium, who lived towards the end of the second century, and his followers – among them Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch in the year 260 – maintained that the “sonship of God” mentioned in the then-existing texts of the Gospels was purely symbolic, denoting no more than that Jesus was a human being exalted by God. The originally widespread teachings of Bishop Arius (280-326) centred in the concept of Jesus as a mortal man chosen by God for a specific task, and in the concept of God as absolutely One, unknowable, and separate from every created being; this doctrine, however, was ultimately condemned by the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), and gradually ceased to have any influence on the Christian masses.

* I.e., all who truly believe in Jesus as God’s Apostle and, thus, as a forerunner of the Last Prophet, Muhammad, whose message confirms and expands the true message of Jesus.

The following statements can be extracted in summary from Mohammad Assad’s commentary:

• There were three groups:
  • The believers who thought Jesus was just a man.
  • Some disbelievers who exaggerated calling him the Son of God and therefore the incarnate God.
  • Some disbelievers who rejected him altogether.

 

What does the Hadith say?

Last but not least, I’d like to gather what the Hadith documents about the believers of Jesus. There is not specific Hadith for Surah 61:14, but there is the following Hadith about those who worshipped Jesus:

On the Day of Resurrection, a call-maker will announce, "Let every nation follow that which they used to worship." Then none of those who used to worship anything other than Allah like idols and other deities but will fall in Hell (Fire), till there will remain none but those who used to worship Allah, both those who were obedient (i.e. good) and those who were disobedient (i.e. bad) and the remaining party of the people of the Scripture. . . Afterwards the Christians will be called upon and it will be said to them, 'Who do you use to worship?' They will say, 'We used to worship Jesus, the son of Allah.' It will be said to them, 'You are liars, for Allah has never taken anyone as a wife or a son,' . . .  Allah will say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say twice or thrice, 'We do not worship any besides Allah,'" (Sahih Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith  #105) (http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/97/65)

According to Bukhari, the traditions of the prophet of Islam document that the Christians use to worship the Son of God, but the true believers were those who believe Jesus was a man only, for God doesn’t have a wife nor a son.

 

Summary and Conclusion

What can we say in summary? Though there are some slight differences on some details, the muslim view of who the first believers were and what they believed is clear. The muslim view overall is that the true followers of Jesus thought he was a man, just a prophet, not divine at all. It’s also believed that a later group arose, and they became larger than the true believers. Some believe that Paul was the culprit who misguided the large majority. They had disputes all along about Jesus deity, and this is evident by the many theological controversies which persisted during the first three or four centuries of the Christian era. The true followers of Jesus remained in the shadows until the arrival of the Qur’an through the prophet Muhammad.

The question to answer now, is this view aligned with historical evidence? This, I think, it's a critical question to proof the veracity of the Qur'an and Islam. History evidence plays a decisive role on supporting or disproving the claims of the Qur'an, at least in this case. However, one would have to challenge the claim that the Qur'an is the word of God if it is misaligned with historical facts.