Understanding Christianity and Islam - Part 3 (Son of God or Son of Mary?)

One of the most profound theological differences between Christianity and Islam lies in what each believes about Jesus’ identity as “Son.” Both faiths honour Him deeply, but they define His nature and His relationship to God very differently.

The Islamic View: Jesus, Son of Mary

Son of God or Son of Mary?

In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is highly revered as the son of Mary (Isa ibn Maryam). The Qur’an affirms His miraculous virgin birth, His role as a prophet to the Children of Israel, and even calls Him “al-Masih” (Messiah) and “a Word from God” (Surah 3:45). However, Islamic theology strongly rejects any notion of Jesus being the “Son of God” in a divine sense.

  • Qur’an 112:3 says: “He begets not, nor is He begotten.”

  • Surah 5:116 records a rebuke of the idea that Jesus and Mary are to be worshipped alongside Allah.

  • The concept of divine sonship is considered blasphemous (shirk), associating partners with God.

In this view, “Son of God” is misunderstood as implying biological procreation, which Islam rightly rejects. But is this what Christians mean?

The Christian View: Son of God Not by Biology, but by Nature

The Christian faith affirms Jesus as “Son of God” not in a physical or carnal sense, but in a relational and ontological one. This title expresses Jesus’ eternal relationship with the Father within the Trinity.

  • John 1:1-3, 14: “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God… and the Word became flesh.”

  • Luke 1:35: The angel tells Mary that her child will be called the Son of God because of His divine origin through the Holy Spirit.

  • Hebrews 1:3: Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature.”

To say Jesus is the Son of God is to say He shares the same divine essence as the Father, eternally begotten, not created.

 “Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father” — Nicene Creed (A.D. 325)

Key Theological Distinction

Christianity

Islam

Jesus is the eternal Son of God, divine and one with the Father

Jesus is a created servant of God, a prophet

Sonship is relational, not physical

Sonship implies biological origins; thus is rejected

Jesus is worshipped

Jesus is honoured but not worshipped

The misunderstanding arises when the metaphorical or theological meaning of “Son” in Christianity is taken literally or biologically, which Christianity never intended.

Why This Matters

Understanding Jesus as the Son of God is central to the gospel. It is through the Son that we come to know the Father.

  • John 14:6: “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

  • 1 John 2:23: “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

Without the Son, there is no revelation of God in human form, no incarnation, and no redemption.

The Son Who Reveals the Father

In Christianity, Jesus as Son is not just a title; it’s the key to knowing God personally. Through Him, we see the Father’s heart, hear His voice, and receive His life.

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus (John 14:9)

The Son of God is the bridge between heaven and earth. He is not a created prophet showing the way; He is the way (John 14:6).

Final Thought

To reduce Jesus to merely “the son of Mary” is to miss His full identity and mission. He is both Son of Mary (in His humanity) and Son of God (in His divinity). As such, He is the perfect mediator, fully God, fully man and the only One who can reconcile us to the Father.

He is the Son who came to make us sons and daughters of God.

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