Did Jesus Pray Like a Muslim?

No. Jesus fell on his face in Gethsemane and prayed, “O my Father.” That posture is not the five daily prayers Muhammad named among the pillars of Islam, at the times the Qur’an sets, toward the Sacred Mosque.

Key Points

• Matthew 26:39Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionAnd he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionOpen source says he fell on his face and prayed, “O my Father,” about the cup of his death.
• Luke 22:41Luke 22:41 · King James VersionAnd he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,Luke 22:41 · King James VersionOpen source says he kneeled. Mark 14:36Mark 14:36 · King James VersionAnd he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.Mark 14:36 · King James VersionOpen source addresses “Abba, Father.”
• Matthew 6:9Matthew 6:9 · King James VersionAfter this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Matthew 6:9 · King James VersionOpen source begins the prayer he taught with “Our Father.” Matthew 6:5Matthew 6:5 · King James VersionAnd when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.Matthew 6:5 · King James VersionOpen source speaks of standing in synagogues.
• Qur’an 19:31Qur’an 19:31 · Saheeh InternationalAnd He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakāh as long as I remain aliveQur’an 19:31 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (6) says prayer and zakah were enjoined on Jesus for as long as he lived. It does not list five times or a direction.
• Qur’an 4:103Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allāh standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, Qur’an 17:78Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalEstablish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, and Qur’an 11:114Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalAnd establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source set prayer at specified times through the day and night.
• Qur’an 2:144Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalWe have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces [i.e., yourselves] toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and the Christians] well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what they do.Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source turns Muhammad’s face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. Sahih al-Bukhari 8Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (7) puts that prayer beside a testimony that names Muhammad.
• Daniel 6:10Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionNow when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionOpen source is kneeling three times a day toward Jerusalem. It is Daniel’s practice, not five prayers toward Mecca.

He Fell on His Face

Matthew 26:39Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionAnd he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionOpen source, King James Version:

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Matthew 26:39 · King James Version

The face is on the ground. The words are to the Father, about the cup. Luke 22:41Luke 22:41 · King James VersionAnd he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,Luke 22:41 · King James VersionOpen source says he was withdrawn about a stone’s cast and kneeled down. Mark 14:36Mark 14:36 · King James VersionAnd he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.Mark 14:36 · King James VersionOpen source says, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee.” A reader who knows Islamic prayer can see a body lowered. The sentence still names the Father and asks that this cup pass. If Jesus is God, why did he pray? stays with that address. The Son speaking to the Father is the Christian confession, not a denial that the Son is God. Is Jesus God?

Prayer and Zakah in the Qur’an

Qur’an 19:31Qur’an 19:31 · Saheeh InternationalAnd He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakāh as long as I remain aliveQur’an 19:31 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, Saheeh International, in words the Qur’an gives to Jesus:

And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakāh as long as I remain alive

Qur’an 19:31 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

The line before it, Qur’an 19:30Qur’an 19:30 · Saheeh International[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allāh. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.Qur’an 19:30 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, has him say he is the servant of God, given the Scripture, and made a prophet. Prayer and zakah are commanded. The verse does not list five daily cycles, a month of fasting, or a testimony that Muhammad is God’s messenger. Was Jesus a Muslim? is the wider claim that the word muslim already places him in that later religion.

Qur’an 3:43Qur’an 3:43 · Saheeh InternationalO Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer]."Qur’an 3:43 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source tells Mary to prostrate and bow with those who bow. Qur’an 19:58Qur’an 19:58 · Saheeh InternationalThose were the ones upon whom Allāh bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel [i.e., Jacob], and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping.Qur’an 19:58 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says that when the verses of the Most Merciful were recited, prophets fell in prostration and weeping. Prostration is in those lines. The people in them are Mary and the prophets of Israel.

Specified Times

Qur’an 2:144Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalWe have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces [i.e., yourselves] toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and the Christians] well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what they do.Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source is addressed to Muhammad: turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram, and wherever the believers are, turn their faces toward it in prayer. Qur’an 4:103Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allāh standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says that when the believers are secure they re-establish regular prayer, and that prayer has been decreed upon them at specified times. Qur’an 17:78Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalEstablish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source sets prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the recitation of dawn. Qur’an 11:114Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalAnd establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source names the two ends of the day and the approach of the night. Qur’an 30:17–18Qur’an 30:17-18 · Saheeh International¹⁷ So exalted is Allāh when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. ¹⁸ And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.Qur’an 30:17-18 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source names evening, morning, night, and noon.

Those are the Qur’an’s times and direction. The Gospels do not arrange Jesus’ prayers on that clock. John 17 is one long prayer to the Father on the night he was betrayed. Matthew 6:5Matthew 6:5 · King James VersionAnd when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.Matthew 6:5 · King James VersionOpen source describes people who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners, and tells the disciples to pray in the closet. Luke 4:16Luke 4:16 · King James VersionAnd he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.Luke 4:16 · King James VersionOpen source says the synagogue on the Sabbath was his custom. What Religion Was Jesus? follows that custom.

Daniel 6:10Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionNow when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionOpen source is the nearest scene of repeated daily kneeling in the earlier scriptures: three times a day, windows open toward Jerusalem. Three is not five, and Jerusalem is not Mecca. The verse is about Daniel in exile.

Five Pillars

Sahih al-Bukhari 8Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source, Muhammad Muhsin Khan:

Narrated Ibn ’Umar: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Sunni hadith

The prayer in that list sits beside a testimony that names Muhammad, beside zakat, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the fast of Ramadan. Jesus did not recite a testimony about a messenger born centuries later. Who Was Muhammad? places Muhammad’s death in 632. What Is a Mosque? is the later house of that prayer. This report is Sunni hadith. Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith?

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Jesus a Muslim According to the Bible?

The Bible presents him as a Jew. Luke 4:16Luke 4:16 · King James VersionAnd he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.Luke 4:16 · King James VersionOpen source says the synagogue on the Sabbath was his custom. Mark 12:29Mark 12:29 · King James VersionAnd Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:Mark 12:29 · King James VersionOpen source has him recite, “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” The Qur’an can call his disciples people who submit. Qur’an 3:52Qur’an 3:52 · Saheeh InternationalBut when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, "Who are my supporters for [the cause of] Allāh?" The disciples said, "We are supporters for Allāh. We have believed in Allāh and testify that we are Muslims [submitting to Him].Qur’an 3:52 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source is that sentence. It is not the five pillars in Sahih al-Bukhari 8Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) . 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.Sahih al-Bukhari 8 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source.

Did Jesus Pray to Allah?

He prayed to the Father. Matthew 26:39Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionAnd he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.Matthew 26:39 · King James VersionOpen source says “O my Father.” Mark 14:36Mark 14:36 · King James VersionAnd he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.Mark 14:36 · King James VersionOpen source says “Abba, Father.” Muslims use Allah for the one God. Who Is Allah? asks whether that name is the God of the Bible. The prayer in Gethsemane is still the Son speaking to the Father. The Trinity is that confession: one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

How Did Jesus Pray?

He prayed aloud to the Father, sometimes kneeling, and in Gethsemane with his face to the ground. He taught the disciples to begin “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9Matthew 6:9 · King James VersionAfter this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Matthew 6:9 · King James VersionOpen source). John 17 prays for the people the Father had given him.

Did Jesus Pray Five Times a Day?

The Gospels do not say that he did. Daniel 6:10Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionNow when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Daniel 6:10 · King James VersionOpen source is three times, toward Jerusalem, and it is Daniel’s practice. The specified times in Qur’an 17:78Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalEstablish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.Qur’an 17:78 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, Qur’an 11:114Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalAnd establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.Qur’an 11:114 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source, and Qur’an 4:103Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allāh standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.Qur’an 4:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source belong to the believers those verses address, with the direction in Qur’an 2:144Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalWe have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muḥammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [i.e., yourself] toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces [i.e., yourselves] toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and the Christians] well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what they do.Qur’an 2:144 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source.

Keep Reading

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• If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Pray?
• What Religion Was Jesus?
• Do Muslims Believe in Jesus?
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