Reference to the season’s greeting with good news sent to me from Mr. Oskar, the saying, ‘In middle eastern culture a woman’s greatness was mainly measured by the importance of her children. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, the most blessed of all women. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the most influential person in history according to the Quran and the Bible’!

From time immemorial till date majority of Middle Eastern culture is Islamic, their belief is dominated by Islam and Allah was their Lord. Such were what Mary was dedicated to by her parents as a devout servant of Allah. And that is what Islam commands, yet she is not mother of God as Christian sect holds her.But then the claim undoubtedly re-echos and reminds us of the book written by that Christian scientist Michael H. Hart titled: “The 100: A Ranking of the most influential Persons in History”. In the book, Hart rated Prophet Muhammad, 1st position and the most influential of all men that has lived on earth in history, while he rated his own personal lord and savior Jesus Christ 3rd rank! The premise on which he made his ranking was stated: “My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential person may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both religious and secular levels”!

Therefore the claim cannot hold water, because the way of man most times is not that of God. Allah’s will and deed does not used to follow any people’s culture or tribe’s norms and it needs not to! God says: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways…said the Lord…”Isaiah 55: 8-9 (Q23:68-71). So the issue of culture did not materialize in this case. Allah limits the message of Jesus solely to his tribe –Q3: 49; Matthew 15: 24-26, but instead made Muhammad the son of lowly born the greatest man in the world and made his message universal- Q21:107; John 16: 7-14. His mother was also pious never accused of infidelity.

Christians believe Jesus came to set pace for man to life and be saved, but he laid no preset to life based on both religious and secular which Christians like other men are found today. The fact that Hart says ‘Muhammad was the only man who was supremely successful on both’ shows that Jesus failed in either or both and we all know what. Could it be the reason why his father did not saddle him with universal responsibility of salvation but of his Jewish people only - Matthew 10:5-6; 15: 24-26?

If Jesus is praised of Mary, then why not Mary of her mother? Therefore the prestige of Mary and her honor is limited to her for keeping her chastity and as a submissive servant. And that does not make her child Jesus most influential person or super-being. Allah says: “…Christ the son of Mary was no more than a messenger, many messenger has passed away before him, his mother was a woman of truth…”Q5: 75. “And surely Christ will never disdain to be slave of Allah… or to worship Him”. Q4: 172. If Jesus so fell in the same shoe like other slaves of Allah, what then made him the most influential person, when he laid no precept on vital life requirements? When almost all his teachings has been bastardized by the acclaimed followers? And when himself humbly submitted: “I can of mine own self do nothing…” John5:30; and asserted his un-uniqueness: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am come not to destroy but to fulfill” Matthew 5:17?

To the Question, “Why does the Quran agree that Mary was the greatest woman in the world? She is the only one mentioned in the Quran by name!” We would say the Quranic verse –Surah Imran 3: 42 quoted above and the question itself, reveal the beauty of Islam! Quran did not ‘agree’ but ‘establish’ the fact for Bible writers because what is found in the Bible is far inferior to that of the Quran! For example, the King James Version reads: “…blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”-Luke 1: 42 (KJV). The Revised Standard Version reads: “…blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Luke 1: 42 (RSV). It is the recent versions of the Bible that uses superlative words like “You are the most blessed ‘of all women’…” which they copied from the Quran.

Aside, it did happen to Mary like that as Allah wants it. But primarily Allah answered Mary’s mother prayer and permitted her vow to be fulfilled as contained in the Quran 3:35. In addition Mary’s spiritual status merited what Allah wanted to bring to the children of Israel by then. “And Mary the daughter of Imran who guided her chastity, and We breathed into her body Our spirit and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His revelation and she was one of the devout servants” Q66:12. Mary was not like many Christian ladies of today or the then Jewish ladies who expose their bodies and belittled righteousness. More importantly she believed in One God not Trinity which she never heard and of course the salvation she hoped for was not anchored to the sacrifice of her child, she would not have dreamt of that let alone believing it.

And the concluding part of the question that: “…could it be that Jesus was more than just an important prophet among other?” No! We would say. Jesus may be born of virgin or even fell from heaven and full of miracles, but his miracle has little or no impact on the lives of his people even his immediate disciples. For example, his miracle and unique birth did not heal the evil trait of betrayal in Judas Iscariot who sold him off to enemies- Matthew 26:48-49. Likewise his miracle did not heal Simon Peter of cowardice that made him deny Jesus trice – Matthew 26: 69-75, and neither did sacrificial nature of Jesus give the two sons of Zebedee the ticket to Paradise requested from Jesus-Matthew 20: 20! So is this what made him more than just an important prophet among others and If not what else?

Jesus miracle and as sacrificial material can only heal limbs and organs but fails to heal souls or restore morals, it gives temporary worldly joy to the clients but did not provide them everlasting reward of perfect worship which Muhammad established. Jesus opened eyes but Muhammad opens minds. Who does not know that blind mind is worst than blind eyes? Reason why hundreds of traitors like Judas and cowards like Peter among the companions of Muhammad were all perfectly healed of their diseases, and dozens of companion got tickets of Paradise form him right from this world! –An ordinary man accomplished his mission successfully but son of god- Jesus was not all that fortunate! Muhammad universal message of salvation is confirmed- Q21:107; John 16: 7-14. Whithout him like Hart above you cannot be forgiven of your sins or get salvation in the hereafter. “Say if you love Allah, follow me, then Allah will love you and forgive you your sins…”Q3:31

The claim that “From the first occurrence of sin God provided a way for cleansing and restoration of honor through animal sacrifices – with reference to Genesis 3: 7,21, Q7:26; Genesis 4: 3-7, Q5: 27; Genesis 22, Q37: 107; Number 19 : 1-10, Q2: 67-74; Q17: 1-7 and Q5: 44”. Is never applicable to Allah of Islam when all these verses are critically examined, it will be seen that they have nothing to do with cleansing of sin especially in Islam.

First of all the references: Gen 3: 21 and Quran 7: 26 of course are not the same. The God became a butcher making animal skin –(Genesis 3: 21), garment to cover Adam’s shame which he has done by himself using leaves instead of addressing the real issue, whereas Q7:26 addresses moral dressing of mankind in general and commands righteousness in everything.

The act in Genesis 4: 3-7 and Quran 5:27 never addressed any sin of the children of Adam but what they offered as the thanksgiving and worship of their God!

Genesis 22 did not at once mention that Abraham sinned. And Quran 37: 107 only reveals what (ram) with which Allah provide in replacement of his son who Abraham wanted to kill, yet not for any sin but as an attempt to fulfill the test of faith before him.

In Number 19: 1-10, Jesus father may be and is alleged to have ordered the load of sacrifice for the removal of sin but Q2: 67-71 was only a call to test their obedience to Allah. It is not even related to Verse 72-74 at the chapter which Allah miraculously awaken a dead by the part of heifer put on a slain body that caused dispute among the people. And Q5: 44 and Q17: 1-7 are irrelevant to any animal sacrifice especially in Islam.

Allah did not provide different solution to the first occurrence of sin in Islam, other than what is obtainable today. He is unchanging God. What He required of Adam was repentance and he was forgiven. Allah of Islam is more merciful than the biblical God as He clears Adam of intentional disobedience and promised forgiveness without any sacrifice: “We had made a covenant with Adam beforehand, but he forgot, and We found in him no determination to disobey… Then his Lord chose him and turned to him with mercy and guided him” Q20: 115, 123. He guided him to repentance and words of forgiveness: “They (Adam and Eve) said: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves and if Thou forgive us not and have not mercy on us, we shall surely be of the lost” Q7: 23. This remains till date as Allah calls: “O my servants who have committed excesses against their own souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives all sins. Verily He is Most Forgiving , Merciful. And turn to your Lord and submit yourselves to Him before there comes unto you the punishment, for then you shall not be helped” Q39: 53-54. And “For those who repent, and believe and do good deeds; for as to these Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds, and Allah is most Forgiving, Merciful” Q25: 70. That is it! No need to kill son of god or shedding innocent blood of animal or man. Islam never requires blood of an animal or son of god, because Allah is capable to forgive sins. Nowhere in the Bible says that Jesus’ father showed mercy to Adam, forgave him or guided him towards repentance.

How can Allah who said, “…Their (animals) flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your righteousness that reaches Him”Q22: 37, now turn around and find interest in blood of his son or servant? One wonders the nature of biblical God who sent Jesus his own son as the material of sacrifice. He is certainly incapable to truly forgive sins of His creatures if at all He is their true creator. Upon all this exposition, the season’s greeting with good news is nothing but false message and unacceptable particularity.