CHRISTIANS
CHRISTIANITY

Gk: christianos ()

In the Qur'an:
Ar: Nasran, pl. Nasrana: Christians.
Nasraniyah: Christianity.

Together with the Jews, Christians are at times given the honorable title "People of the Book", at other times they are on the same level as UNBELIEVERS.

For a detailed discussion see the articles: The Quranic View of Christians - Fellow Believers or Unbelieving Polytheists?, Are Jews and Christians Mushriks according to the Quran?

The discussion in the article, Did God want Christ's followers to be called Christians?, is particularly relevant when one observes that the Qur'an calls Christians (derisively?) "nasrana" (i.e. Nazarenes) instead of "masihi" (derived from masih = the Messiah = the Christ), the term that Arab Christians use for themselves.

- and Jews, see JEWS

- appealed to accept Muhammad, Âl 'Imran 3:64-71; al-`Ankabut 29:46

- asked not to deify Jesus, an-Nisa' 4:171

- asked to judge by/observe the Scriptures, al-Ma'idah 5:43-44,47,68

- come closest to feeling affection to Muslims, al-Ma'idah 5:82

- critical of, al-Ma'idah 5:14,51; at-Taubah 9:29-31; al-Hadid 57:27

- enjoined not to follow errant old beliefs and customs, al-Ma'idah 5:77

- enmity among them, al-Ma'idah 5:17

- exalted and will exist till Day of Resurrection, Âl 'Imran 3:55

  This verse implies that the Christians have existed from the time of Jesus, through the time of Muhammad, till the Day of resurrection, and are exalted above unbelievers.

  Ibn Garir reported on the authority of Ibn Yazid:

  > The Christians are above the Jews until the day of the resurrection, for there is not a country in the world but the Christians are above the Jews, in east and west, in every country the Jews are downtrodden. (al-Suyuti commenting on 3:55)

  > By Him who sent me by the Truth, son of Mary will find in my nation successors to his disciples. (Nawader Al-Osool, quoted by Al-Tirmizi, Kitab Khatm Al-Awliya, Edited by Othman I. Yahya, Imperial Catholique, Beirut, P.431)

- habitually read Scriptures, Yunus 10:94

- ignorant (ummiun) and does not know Scripture but foolish stories, al-Baqarah 2:78

- most have forgotten what they've been told to bear in mind, al-Ma'idah 5:14,17

- nearest to the Believers, al-Ma'idah 5:82; at-Taubah 9:30; al-Hajj 22:17

- now comes to you an apostle, al-Ma'idah 5:15,19

- reward with the Lord, al-Baqarah 2:62

- righteous will be rewarded, al-Baqarah 2:62; al-Ma'idah 5:65,69

- say "Jesus is God's son", at-Taubah 9:30

- studied Scriptures, al-Baqarah 2:113

- sympathetic to, al-Baqarah 2:62,136-137; al-Ma'idah 5:82,169; al-Hajj 22:40

- al-Baqarah 2:62,111,113,120,135,140; al-Ma'idah 5:14,18-19,50,64-65,69; al-Hajj 22:17

Further reading:

- Christianity in South Arabia

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