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JESUS' SUPERIOR CHARACTER
The hadith literature
reveals many important truths about Jesus. Some
hadiths inform us that he was of medium height,
had white skin with a hue of red, straight hair,
and was very handsome. He had shoulder-length
hair and wore a woolen cloak and sandals made
of bark. He often removed himself from this world,
had a strong desire for the Hereafter, and spent
much time worshipping God.1
Other hadiths describe this astonishingly handsome
and holy man as follows:
While I was asleep,
I saw myself (in a dream) making tawaf (circling)
around the Ka`bah. I saw a brown-skinned man with
straight hair being supported by two men, and
with water dripping from his head. I asked: "Who
is this?" They said: "The son of Mary." (Sahih
Bukhari)
When you see him,
you will recognize him. He is of medium height,
and his coloring is reddish-white. He will be
wearing two garments, and his hair will look wet
although no water will have wet it. (Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, Musnad)
Like every chosen and sent Prophet,
Jesus had the highest form of character. One of
his most distinguishing features was his high
standard of morals and noble personality, which
had an immediate effect on people. In addition,
he had a strong personality due to his complete
trust, reliance, and faith in God; was decisive
and courageous; and could not be manipulated by
society. The following verses reveal his superiority:
This is the argument
We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise
in rank anyone We will. Your Lord is All-Wise,
All-Knowing. We gave him Isaac and Jacob, each
of whom We guided. And before him We had guided
Noah. And among his descendants were David, Solomon,
Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. That is how We
recompense the good-doers. And Zechariah, John,
Jesus, and Elias. All of them were among the righteous.
And Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot. All of them
We favored over all beings. And some of their
forebears, descendants, and brothers; We chose
them and guided them to a straight path. That
is God's guidance. He guides by it those of His
servants He wills ... (Qur'an, 6:83-88)
Jesus was also a just, modest,
compassionate, sincere, honest, selfless person
and a chosen Prophet. In one verse, God says the
following about him:
These Messengers:
We favored some of them over others. God spoke
directly to some of them and raised up some of
them in rank. We gave Clear Signs to Jesus, son
of Mary, and reinforced him with the Purest Spirit.
(Qur'an, 2:253)
When we look at Jesus' life,
we can see his high morality. First of all, he
was a discerning leader who taught the true religion
to his people. He was the most obedient to God's
commandments and recommendations, and was a guide
who rid people of myths. The Qur'an reveals that
Jesus was diligently fulfilling all of the requirements
of worship and morality:
He [Jesus] said:
"I am the servant of God. He has given me the
Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed
wherever I am, directed me to perform prayer and
give alms as long as I live, and to show devotion
to my mother." (Qur'an, 19:30-32)
Throughout his life, Jesus spoke
wisely and effectively and knew right from wrong.
He replied with insight and reason to all of his
enemies' questions posed to catch him and defeated
all of their attempts. He remained true to God,
irrespective of his people's attitude toward him,
drew strength from his strong faith and devotion,
and explained God's existence in the most effective
way.
Like all other Prophets, Jesus
used plain, clear, and intelligible language when
preaching. His allegories moved people's conscience,
and encouraged them to reflect deeply and to behave
according to God's good pleasure. Jesus' love
for God, as well as his exuberant faith and diligence
in following God's orders, is evident from his
teachings. His method of preaching shows clearly
that God chose him above all other people.
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1- M. Asim Koksal, Peygamberler Tarihi (The History
of Prophets), (Ankara:Koksal Yayincilik, 1990),
pp. 334-35.
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