By Bin Isah
In the last couple of days, social media platforms were inundated with discussions about a banner posted in front of Lekki mosque with this message: “Jesus Christ is not God! He is a prophet and messenger of God!”
It appears this simple and clear message from the Qur’an does not sit well with some Nigerian Christians who see it as an attack on their religion or in other words, a provocation and, a blasphemy.
This misunderstanding is either rooted from the ignorance of other religions, Islam for example, or some people want to shout fire while there’s no even smoke. This reminds me to ask of what use are all those interfaith gatherings between Nigerian Christians and Muslims?
Is it a new thing to Nigerian Christians that Jesus is not God in Islamic religion? Or saying that in a banner in front of a mosque (not church) is what makes it a sin? A provocation? A blasphemy?
The problem is that Muslims have Jesus Christ in their Islamic faith, but a Jesus Christ with a mission as a Messenger of God. Not like the Christians that claim to have no Muhammad SAW in Christianity, which means they have little to say about him.
For this reason, Muslims have a set of beliefs about Jesus Christ as one of the prophets of Allah in whom we believe. And the beliefs are diametrically not in sync with the mainstream concept of Jesus Christ in Christianity. So, whenever we portray Jesus Christ the way he is conceived in Islam, it would be a problem to them. It’s offensive, and nobody actually intended to offend them.
The thing is that, the Muslim community have an obligation to convey the message of Islam, and to declare its proclamations with no fear or compromise. Its plain truth! Our religion requires us to declare Jesus as a prophet and messenger of God, not as a God himself. Jesus is not God is a message of Islam to the world. In no time or place, Muslims are asked to state otherwise.
The trouble is that, Christians will never settle with the Islamic concept of Jesus Christ. In the same vein, however, Muslims seem to tolerate Christians that declare Jesus as God, because it’s offensive to Islam and Muslims to declare Jesus as such, because it’s part and parcel of Islamic core beliefs to believe and declare that Jesus is not God, but a prophet sent by God SWT.
In fact, the Christians write “JESUS IS LORD” with total freedom on banners at different places of worships and even on the main roads on billboards, yet Muslims cannot state their own belief in Jesus Christ in like manner. In fact, it’s offensive to Muslims and Islam, but we accept this is what Christians believe. So, if according to Christian faith, Christians can write Jesus is God, then Muslims should have the right to write Jesus is not God, according to their faith.
I blame the Nigerian clergy people for not properly teaching their congregants knowledge of other religions and their scriptures. It is a clear mischief which leads to interreligious conflicts.
Indeed, Jesus is not God but a revered prophet and great servant of God.