Saint John the Baptist is, along with Saint Mary, the Mother of God, one of the most important holy figures who lived in the time of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, the Church celebrates many occasions for him during the religious year, such as his conception, birth, martyrdom, and the finding of his head, and a collective memorial for him falls on January 7. The Gospels tell us about his deeds and sayings calling for repentance and preparation for the coming of the Lord Christ. Here, we will present what the Qur’an says about Saint John and his message (see What the Gospels Say About Saint John the Baptist in My Parish, 2002, No. 25).

John the Baptist is mentioned several times in the Qur’an under the name “Prophet Yahya,” which was the name used for John in the Arabian Peninsula during the Muhammadan mission. In Surah Al-An’am, verses 83-86, the name Yahya appears in the list of biblical prophets along with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Zechariah, Jesus, Elijah, Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot. The Qur’an considers all of these righteous prophets to have been chosen by God to spread His message, guided them to the straight path, and favored them over the worlds, so God raised them in degrees above all other human beings.

The Qur’an mentions in three places the story of the conception of John, in connection with the story of the Virgin Mary and her conception of her son Jesus. In Surah Al Imran (verses 38-41), after talking about Zachariah’s guardianship of Mary and his raising of her after she lost her parents, Zachariah asks God to grant him a son with these words: “There (i.e. in the sanctuary) Zachariah called upon his Lord. He said, ‘My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.’” So the angels called out to him with these words: “Indeed, God gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from God and a master, chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous.” The Quranic interpreter says regarding these two verses that God gives Zachariah good tidings of a son, John, who will be a herald of the coming of a word from God, who is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary. According to the same interpreter, John will be a master who will rule his people with knowledge and virtue, chaste, meaning “he will not come to women out of asceticism,” and a righteous prophet who will fulfill the rights of God and people, and will be infallible from sins.

Then the Qur’an mentions Zechariah’s astonished question: “He said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?’” God’s answer is: “Thus does God do what He wills.” When Zechariah asked his Lord for a sign to confirm his faith, God said to him: “Your sign is that you shall not speak to people for three days except by gesture, and remember your Lord often.” Of course, the sign of Zechariah’s muteness is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (1:18-22), but not just for three days, but for the entire period of John’s pregnancy. The Gospel of Luke does not mention that Zechariah asked his Lord to grant him a son as in the Qur’anic account. In Surah Al-Anbiya, 89-90, the Qur’an recalls the incident of John’s pregnancy, saying: “And Zechariah, when he cried to his Lord, ‘My Lord, leave me not alone, though You are the Best of inheritors. So We responded to him and gave him John and made his wife good for him (i.e., We made his wife fertile after she had been barren).

Surah Maryam is the surah that devotes the largest section to talking about John, i.e. fourteen verses (verses 2-15). Here, Zechariah asks God to grant him a “guardian,” i.e. a righteous son, “who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, pleasing (in his morals and actions).” The intended inheritance in the verse is not money, but rather prophecy and righteousness. Then the divine word comes to him: “O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not given him any namesake before,” meaning, as the interpreter says: “We have not given anyone this name before him, nor is there anyone like him in righteousness and piety.” Then, as in the aforementioned sections, Zechariah asks for a sign, and the sign of muteness comes to him. Then the divine command came to John after his birth: “O John, take the Book with strength (i.e. with diligence and effort) and We gave him wisdom while he was a boy (i.e. We gave him the ability to understand the secrets of the Torah while he was a boy before reaching the age of manhood).”

Then Surah Maryam continues to describe the character of John as follows: “And compassion from Us and purity. And he was righteous and dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant.” This means that God made John compassionate (here we must remember that the name “John” in Hebrew means “God is compassionate”), merciful and kind to people, and pure of soul free from sin. He was obedient and sincere in worship, and was very dutiful and kind to his parents. He was not arrogant, nor disobedient to his Lord. Surah Maryam concludes the discussion of John by saying: “And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he is raised alive” (verse 15). This is the same verse that Surah Maryam later mentions on the tongue of the Lord Jesus Christ, saying about himself: “And peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I die and the day I am raised alive” (verse 33). This means, for Muslim commentators, that God is telling John and Jesus that they will rise on the Day of Judgment. Here emerges the fundamental disagreement between Christians and Muslims about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Christians believe really happened. We will not address this disagreement today in this article.

There is no doubt that there are many common points between the Qur’anic account of John and what the Christian heritage says about him. Even if the Qur’an omits the incident of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John, his good news of the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven, and many other things, the Qur’an does not present a picture of John that differs from what we know about him. What can be said, in conclusion, is that the Qur’an presents an incomplete and fragmentary picture of John, despite its recognition of him as a great prophet.

About My Parish Newsletter 2004