Deliverance from the Cross — Page 9
Thus, so far as the event of the birth itself is concerned, the Gospel and the Quran are in accord that the birth of Jesus was a holy event brought about through divine decree and designed as a mercy and a blessing. There are also striking similarities on certain matters of detail. For instance, the Biblical account says that the angel greeted Mary with: 'Hail, thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women'; and the Quran affirms that the angel said to Mary: 'God has exalted thee and purified thee and chosen thee from among all the women of thy time. Then the Gospel account sets forth the natural reaction of Mary to the tidings that the angel conveyed to her: 'How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" While according to the Quran, Mary said: 'Lord, how shall I have a son, when no man has touched me?" The response in the Gospel is: 'With God nothing shall be impossible' (Luke 1:37); and the response in the Quran is: 'So it is, but thy Lord sayeth: It is easy for Me. Such is the power of God, He creates what He pleases. ' The Gospel affirms that the child whose birth is prophecied would be given the throne of his father David and shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and the Quran affirms that God will teach him the Book, and the Wisdom, and the Torah, and the Gospel, and will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel. Thus both accounts confirm the scope of his ministry to the house of Jacob, though the Biblical account adds that he shall be called the 9