Jesus, Mary and the Qur'an
Listen now
Description
The birth of Jesus is an important even for both Muslims and Christians, but there are some key differences in how the nativity story is told. For any Christians expecting to hear about donkeys and asses, innkeepers and shepherds there's disappointment in store: these do not feature in the Islamic nativity story, although Mary and the Angel Gabriel do enjoy a key role! Azim Ahmed explores the Islamic traditions of Jesus, who is regarded not as the Son of God, but as an important prophet. For some critical scholars such as Professor Gabriel Said Reynolds the Islamic narrative derives from earlier Christian sources, sometimes from texts that were banned by the mainstream church. For Muslims such as Ahmad Thomson, however, the version contained within the Qur'an is the definitive one, revealed to the Prophet by the Angel Gabriel. Both traditions, however, are united in their belief in the virgin birth, and the eventual return of Jesus at the Second Coming. Rana Kahn, the Church in Wales' representative on interfaith matters, takes an even handed view of both the Biblical and the Quranic versions, whilst for Amanda Morris the story of Mary giving birth alone to Jesus is a story of immense emotional power. Producer: Geoff Ballinger
More Episodes
Azim Ahmed and guests shine a light on a collection of ‘Lost Hymns’; long forgotten Welsh-language folk hymns recorded by oral historians at St. Fagan’s National Museum of History in the 1960s. When musician and composer Lleuwen Steffan came across these recordings she immediately realised that...
Published 06/16/24
Published 06/16/24
Roy Jenkins reflects further on his broadcast career, and recounts some memorable moments in such diverse places as Russia, South America, South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel.
Published 06/09/24