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We have heard claims that the Quran is stupid because it says "Sister of Aaron" in refference to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. And that the Quran confuses Aaron's biological sister, Mary, with Jesus' mother. However, this is untrue and a clear misunderstanding. The people who make this claim are usually the Christians. It should be pointed out to them that the Israelites called people by the hollies of their people. The reason they are saying "Sister of Aaron" is that Aaron and his linage are "holy" in Israelite culture and held the Priesthood. If an Israelite was seen as a coward, the Israelites would say; "Oh, Brother of David, why are you a coward?" They would say that because David is the Holy "hero" and "brave" man in Israelite culture. With that said, lets turn to the Bible; in Luke 1:5, Elisabeth, the wife of Zacharias, is said to be one of the daughters of Aaron. Like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Elisabeth was not one of the biological daughters of Aaron ... but she is one of the daughters of Aaron.
So What Does it Mean to Be the Messiah?
The Messiah is a Messenger of God; annointed by God to save the House of Israel and also to save the world. In the Quran, the Israelites are told the following;
The last promise made to Israelites is HaMashiach or the Messiah. The one annointed by God would be from the house of David. He would bring Israelites from all corners of the earth and would bring them all into Land of Israel. He would save them from themselves and would bring peace to the Gentiles. Actually, according to the Israelites, he would be so much peace to the earth that the wolf and the sheep would lie next to one another and would gaze together, peacefully.
But Jesus of Nazareth Did Not Do Any of This!
Yes, and there is a reason for that. Israel did not accept the Messiah. Why? Because at that time, Israel's religious leaders were corrupt. The temple were turned into a market. Money changers and animal sellers were brought to the Israelites by their own religious leaders. When Jesus protested against the corrupt leaders for duping the people against God and goodness, they wanted him out of the way. They collobrated with the foreign rulling party, the Romans, and asked for him to be killed because he "blasephemed." It was done. Or was it? The Quran says;
Then Why Did God Bother Sending a Messiah?
Because Jesus was not just a Messiah. Jesus in Islam has three roles to be;
Prophet,
As a prophet, Jesus brought a message: That people should serve God, his LORD and their LORD, and said that was the right path(3.51.) After that, Jesus came to allow to Israelites some of what has been prohibited to them(3.50.) After that, Jesus brought to the Israelites another Holy Book, the Gospel;
Word,
The phrase kalimati minhu means; a Word from Him(3.45) A phrase which most Muslims and Christians don't understand. We have met Muslims who think the "word" mentioned is the saying of God when He wants something done He says "BE". Laughable! On the other hand, we have met Christians who think to be a Word means to be God. Again, laughable!
To be a Word of God means to be a Satellite for God. For example, Jesus would stand up to preach and God would just take over. This is why many of the things said in the Gospels sound "blasephemous" because people assume Jesus says those things. And this is not true. Those things are said through Jesus. Because of misunderstanding this fact, most Muslims have long bad mouthed the Gospels. Saying the Gospels are making Jesus "God". And, on the other hand, most Christians have long worshipped Jesus thinking he is "God".
In the Quran, we are told that Jesus revived the dead, created beings right the people's very own eyes, healed the blind and the leprous, and told people what they were going to eat and what they weren't going to eat beforehand(3.49!) All of this are not done by Jesus the person but, as He says, "with God's permission". In other words, God has done and said things through him that if people misunderstand, may seem blasephemous!
Messiah,
We have met many Christians who think to be the Messiah meant to being a Lamb of God; Being slaughtered for the sake and sins of Man. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Why don't people ask those before them what certain things mean? For a long time, a reason why many Jews rejected Jesus is because of the misunderstanding of the most of Christians' of the Hebrew Bible. And the farther they got from the meaning of the basics, the farther Jews got from Christianity. This is sad.
And the Muslims, while God makes sure they understand that Jesus is the Messiah and puts the title before his name most of the time the Quran mentions this man, most Muslims have no clue what it means to be a Messiah. Of all the things the 'Arabs have asked Muhammad, they never really asked what to be a Messiah means. So, God just left it for them to figure out! Of course, God had put so many hints of what it means in the Quran, for those who would want to know.
To be a messiah means to be annointed to be a Saviour. Saviour unto the House of Israel. To deliver them from bondage and destruction. To redeem them unto the Kingdom of God. Why Israel? Because Israel was the chosen nation and yet the most unstable one of all Nations. Regardless of what God gave them of blessings and favor in life, Israelites always seemed to be doomed. More or less, froms self destruction. The Messiah would be the one to free them from that. It is said, when the Messiah comes, Israel would disregard ego and would come under the tent of HaShem(God.)
End Times,
But, also, Mankind in general has the same trait. And therefore, after fulfilling the last promise unto Israel, the Messiah would save the world. There is a mythical story in the Islamic World that a one-eyed man, dajjal, would come at the End of Time. This one-eyed man would have such powerful powers as reviving the dead, creating life before the people, and would have with him a river of heaven and a river of hell, to reward or punish those who believe or disbelieve in him. There are also many mythical stories in this story.
However, in the Quran, the End of Times are supposed to be a time of turmoil and confussion. There will be great earthquakes, floods, tornados, so on and so forth. The Quran, however, never mentions of the stories mentioned by Christianity and in the hadiths as the Anti-Christ, etc. So will leave them at that!
The Arabic word for Messiah is Masihi which many Muslims fully never understand. The word comes from masah which literally means; to annoint. Therefore, masihi becomes; annointed. The word masihi or Messiah up in the Quran 11 times. All of which are connected to Jesus - most which say; el masihi, `eisa, ibn maryam or the Messiah, Jesus, Son of Mary. Therefore, in Islaam, the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary. The Quran tells the Story;
And mention Mary in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place; So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: "Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil)." He said: "I am only a messenger from your LORD That I will give you a pure boy." She said: "When shall I have a boy and no human has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste?" He said: "'Even so, your LORD says, 'it is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from Us,' and it is a matter which has been decreed." So she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. And the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten!" Then (the child) called out to her from beneath her: "Grieve not, surely your LORD has made a stream to flow beneath you; And shake towards you the trunk of the palmtree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates: So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: 'Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent God, so I shall not speak to any man today.'" And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: "O Marium, surely you have done a strange thing. O sister of Aaron, your father was not a bad man, nor, was your mother an unchaste woman." But she pointed to him. They said: "How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle?" He said: "Surely I am a servant of God; He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet; And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and alms so long as I live; And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed; And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life." Such is Jesus, son of Mary; (this is) the saying of truth about which they dispute. It beseems not God that He should take to Himself a son, glory to be Him; when He has decreed a matter He only says to it "Be," and it is. "And surely God is my LORD and your LORD, therefore serve Him; this is the right path." But parties from among them disagreed with each other, so woe to those who disbelieve, because of presence on a great. How clearly shall they hear and how clearly shall they see on the day when they come to Us; but the unjust this day are in manifest error. Surrat ul Maryam, 19:16-38
And certainly We gave Mose nine clear signs; so ask the children of Israel. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: "Most surely I deem you, O Moses, to be a man deprived of reason." He said: "Truly you know that none but the LORD of the Heavens and the Earth has sent down these as clear proof and most surely I believe you, O Pharaoh, to be given over to perdition." So he desired to destroy them(Israelites) out of the earth, but We drowned him and those with him all together; And We said to the Israelites after him: "Dwell in the land: and when the last promise comes to pass, we will bring you all together." Surrat ul Isra'a, 17:101-104.
And their saying: "Surely we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, Son of Mary, the Messenger of God;" and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. No, Good took him up to Himself; and God is Mighty, Wise. And there is not one of the followers of the Book but most certainly believes in this before his death, and on the day of resurrection he shall be a witness against them. Surrat ul Nisa'a, 4:157-159.
Prophet(19.30)
Word(3.45)
Messiah(3.45)And We sent after them in their footsteps Jesus, Son of Mary, verifying what was before him of the Torah and We gave him the Gospel in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of Torah and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard (against evil). Surrat ul Ma'idah, 5:46