'Isa ibn Maryam: The Prophet and Messenger of Allah

The account of 'Isa ibn Maryam occupies a position of unique theological sensitivity in Ibn Kathir's universal history, given the Islamic position that Jesus was a noble prophet and messenger whose true nature and mission were distorted by subsequent Christian doctrine. Ibn Kathir begins with Maryam herself, her birth from the family of 'Imran, her upbringing in the Temple under the care of Zakariyya, and the miraculous provision of food that appeared to her from Allah. The annunciation to Maryam by the angel Jibril, who appeared to her in the form of a man, is narrated from the Quran with theological commentary: the creation of 'Isa without a human father was a direct divine act, Allah commanding 'Be' and it was, comparable to the creation of Adam without either father or mother. Ibn Kathir cites the Quranic verse that presents 'Isa's likeness before Allah as the likeness of Adam, establishing the theological principle that the miraculous birth does not confer divine nature.

The birth of 'Isa, the speaking of the newborn infant in defense of his mother against her community's accusation, and the subsequent miracles of his ministry are presented from the Quran and supplemented by hadith. The miracles of 'Isa include healing the blind and the leper, raising the dead by divine permission, and creating the form of a bird from clay and breathing into it so it flew, all performed 'bi-idhniLlah' (by Allah's permission), a Quranic qualifier that Ibn Kathir highlights as emphasizing the distinction between the miracle-worker and the One who grants miracles. The table spread from heaven (al-ma'idah) that descended at the disciples' request is the subject of the final full surah named after Jesus, and Ibn Kathir notes that 'Isa warned his companions that denial after such a sign would bring severe punishment. The disciples (al-hawariyyun) are presented as his faithful followers who submitted to Allah.

The Islamic position on the crucifixion is presented by Ibn Kathir as unambiguous Quranic doctrine: the Jews who plotted against 'Isa did not kill him or crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them, and Allah raised 'Isa to Himself alive. Ibn Kathir acknowledges that Christian tradition holds the crucifixion and resurrection as the central theological facts of their religion, but he presents the Islamic position as correcting a misperception: what the Jews and those present witnessed was the crucifixion of another person, and 'Isa was raised by Allah before they could lay hands on him. He notes that the Quran's statement that 'Allah raised him to Himself' indicates that 'Isa is alive in the heavens, a belief confirmed by numerous hadith describing his eventual descent before the Day of Judgment. Ibn Kathir engages respectfully but clearly with the Christian theological position, noting that Islamic doctrine does not diminish 'Isa but rather honors him as a great prophet while refusing the exaggeration that attributes divine nature to him.

The descent of 'Isa before the Hour, one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment, is treated by Ibn Kathir in this section with a reference to the detailed eschatological discussion that closes the Bidayah. He notes that 'Isa will descend near a white minaret in Damascus, will break the cross and kill the pig, will abolish the jizya (indicating that all remaining humanity will enter Islam), will kill the Dajjal, and will live on earth as a just ruler before eventually dying a natural death and being buried near the Prophet in Madinah. This eschatological destiny connects 'Isa directly to the final prophetic era and makes him a participant in the completion of the Islamic message. Ibn Kathir's treatment of 'Isa thus bridges the prophetic history section and the eschatological conclusion of the Bidayah, demonstrating that the universal history from creation to the Hour is a unified narrative of divine guidance, human response, and ultimate divine justice.