The Isa Illusion: Why Islam Needs Jesus — But Not the Real One

April 15, 2025

Muslims often say they “believe in Jesus.” But the Jesus of the Qur’an — ‘Isa ibn Maryam — is not the same as the historical Jesus of the New Testament or the Jewish teacher of the 1st century. He is a carefully constructed figure, stripped of crucifixion, divinity, and resurrection — and inserted into the Islamic narrative not for his own sake, but for Muhammad’s.

Islam needs Jesus.
But not the real one.

1. The Qur’an’s Isa: A Theological Facade

Islam affirms that ‘Isa was born of a virgin (Surah 3:45-47), that he performed miracles (Surah 5:110), and that he was a prophet and messenger of God. But beyond the surface similarities, the Qur’an rewrites the core of who Jesus is:

• He explicitly denies being divine (Surah 5:116).

• He is not the Son of God.

• He is not crucified (Surah 4:157).

• He brings no atonement, no salvation, no Gospel of grace.

Instead, ‘Isa becomes a mouthpiece for Islamic monotheism — a prophet who preaches tawhid, not the Kingdom of God.

This is not historical remembrance.
This is theological reinvention.

2. Why Islam Cannot Ignore Jesus

The Qur’an repeatedly claims to confirm previous revelations (Surah 2:41, 5:48). It names 25 prophets, and none are emphasized more than Moses and Jesus.

Why?

Because without Jesus, Islam’s claim to continuity with the Abrahamic tradition collapses. Christianity’s influence was too dominant in 7th-century Arabia to ignore. So Islam co-opts Jesus — but only on its terms.

To borrow Jesus’ authority, Islam had to rebrand him.

3. The Isa of the Hadith: A Tool of Islamic Supremacy

In the Hadith and Islamic eschatology, Isa returns to:

• Break all crosses (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448)

• Kill the pigs

• Abolish the jizya (implying conversion is mandatory)

• Rule by Muhammad’s Sharia

• Pray behind the Mahdi

• Die and be buried next to Muhammad

In other words: Isa comes back, not as Savior, but as a soldier for Islam.

He doesn’t return to finish the mission of Christ.
He returns to complete the mission of Muhammad.

4. The Core Contradiction: Affirmation or Erasure?

Islamic apologists claim to “honor” Jesus. But how is it honoring someone to:

• Deny their identity?

• Reject their central message?

• Rewrite their story to fit another’s agenda?

If Jesus didn’t die, wasn’t raised, and didn’t offer redemption, then he is no longer the Jesus of history, theology, or faith. Islam’s Isa is an empty shell — filled with Islamic ideology and repurposed to retroactively validate Muhammad’s claims.

5. Why the Isa Illusion Matters

This isn’t a minor detail.
This is central to Islam’s legitimacy.

By presenting a version of Jesus that submits to Islam, the Qur’an tries to position Muhammad as the final seal of a prophetic line. But this only works by distorting the very figure it claims to confirm.

Jesus becomes a pawn — not a prophet in his own right.

Conclusion: The Jesus Islam Can’t Afford to Acknowledge

Islam needs Jesus to legitimize its narrative — but only a version of him that denies the Gospel, rejects the cross, and bows to Muhammad.

This Isa is not a bridge between Islam and Christianity.
He’s a replacement.

And that raises the ultimate question:

If the Qur’an rewrites the most influential religious figure in history to fit its own theology — what else has it rewritten?