# Does Qur’an 5:75 Mean Jesus Is Not God? > Qur’an 5:75 says Jesus and Mary ate food. Eating shows a body. Genesis 18 says the LORD ate with Abraham. The Son took flesh and remained God. - Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/islam/jesus-ate-food-quran-5-75 - Religions: Islam - Denominations: none - Beliefs: none - Tags: islam, jesus, incarnation, quran - Updated: 2026-10-14 [Qur’an 5:75](https://quran.com/5/75) [(1)](#ref-1) says the Messiah and his mother used to eat food. Eating shows a real body that needs food. It does not show that the Son is not God. [Genesis 18:1–8](/bible/genesis/18) [(5)](#ref-5) says the LORD ate with Abraham. [Luke 24:42–43](/bible/luke/24) [(6)](#ref-6) says the risen Jesus ate. [John 1:14](/bible/john/1/14) [(8)](#ref-8) says the Word was made flesh, and the Word was God. ## Key Points - [Qur’an 5:75](https://quran.com/5/75) [(1)](#ref-1), Saheeh International, says the Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger, his mother was a supporter of truth, and they both used to eat food. - Ibn Kathir’s abridgment on that verse says they ate because they needed nourishment, and therefore they are servants, not gods. That is the Muslim reading of the meal. - [Genesis 18:8](/bible/genesis/18/8) [(5)](#ref-5) says the LORD, who had appeared to Abraham, ate butter, milk, and a calf with him. The meal is in the text. - [Luke 24:39](/bible/luke/24/39) [(6)](#ref-6) has the risen Jesus say a spirit does not have flesh and bones as he has, and verses 42–43 say he ate broiled fish. The resurrection meal is food in a body that had died. - [Philippians 2:6–8](/bible/philippians/2) [(7)](#ref-7) says he was in the form of God and took the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. - Jesus is God. [What Is the Incarnation?](/christianity/what-is-the-incarnation) is the Son taking a human nature and remaining God. [Is Jesus God?](/christianity/is-jesus-god) ## What Does Qur’an 5:75 Say? [Qur’an 5:75](https://quran.com/5/75) [(1)](#ref-1), Saheeh International: > The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded. The verse answers people who take Jesus and Mary as more than a messenger and his mother. Eating is the sign it offers. The same surah, at [Qur’an 5:72](https://quran.com/5/72) [(1)](#ref-1), says they have disbelieved who say Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. [Qur’an 5:116](https://quran.com/5/116) [(1)](#ref-1) has Allah ask Jesus whether he told people to take him and his mother as two gods besides Allah. [Qur’an 19:30](https://quran.com/19/30) [(1)](#ref-1) has the child say he is the servant of Allah. Ibn Kathir’s abridgment on 5:75 says they both used to eat food, needing nourishment and to relieve the call of nature, and therefore they are servants like other servants, not gods. [(4)](#ref-4) That commentary states the argument in full: a body that eats is a body that depends, and a god, on this reading, does not depend. The sentence about eating is in the Qur’an. The conclusion that the Son cannot be God is the commentary’s step. ## What Does Sūrah al-Ma’idah Talk About? Sūrah 5 is al-Ma’idah, the table spread. It is a long Medinan surah of food laws, the People of the Book, and Jesus. [Qur’an 5:3](https://quran.com/5/3) [(9)](#ref-9) prohibits the flesh of swine, among other foods, and says this day the religion has been perfected. [Qur’an 5:27](https://quran.com/5/27) [(3)](#ref-3) begins the story of Adam’s two sons. Verse 75 sits in the section on what Christians say about the Messiah and his mother, not in the food-law list. The meal in 5:75 is evidence in that argument, not a menu. Mary is named in the Qur’an, including in this verse. [Qur’an 3:42](https://quran.com/3/42) [(10)](#ref-10) says the angels called her chosen. The claim that she is the only woman the book names is a separate question. This verse names her as the mother who ate. ## The Lord Ate With Abraham [Genesis 18:1](/bible/genesis/18/1) [(5)](#ref-5) says the LORD appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre. Abraham looks up and sees three men. He asks the LORD not to pass by, brings water, and sets bread, butter, milk, and a calf before them. Verse 8 says they did eat. The text calls the one who appeared the LORD, and it says the food was eaten. A meal in the tent is not, in this chapter, a proof that the LORD is only a creature. The Christian reading of that visit is not an Islamic tafsir, and it is not needed to make the smaller point. The smaller point is the one Qur’an 5:75 needs: the Scriptures already speak of the LORD in a scene where food is eaten. Eating is not a sentence that says this one is not God. ## The Risen Jesus Ate [Luke 24:39–43](/bible/luke/24) [(6)](#ref-6) is after the crucifixion and the empty tomb. Jesus says, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” They give him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. He took it and did eat before them. The meal is the evidence that the raised Jesus is not a ghost. [Did Jesus Die on the Cross?](/islam/did-jesus-die-on-the-cross) is the Qur’an’s denial of that death. The Gospel’s meal assumes the death and the body. [John 20:27–28](/bible/john/20) [(8)](#ref-8) is Thomas, touching the wounds and saying, “My LORD and my God.” The one who eats in Luke 24 is the one Thomas calls God. Jesus is God. ## The Son Took Flesh [John 1:1](/bible/john/1/1) [(8)](#ref-8) says the Word was with God and the Word was God. [John 1:14](/bible/john/1/14) [(8)](#ref-8) says the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Flesh that dwells is flesh that can hunger. [Philippians 2:6–8](/bible/philippians/2) [(7)](#ref-7) says he was in the form of God, did not treat equality with God as a thing to be seized from him, and took the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. That is the incarnation. The Son did not stop being God when he took a human nature. Hunger, thirst, sleep, and a meal belong to that nature. [What Is the Incarnation?](/christianity/what-is-the-incarnation) [If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Pray?](/islam/if-jesus-is-god-why-did-he-pray) is the same kind of argument from a human act. Prayer and food are acts of the man Jesus is. They are not a resignation of the God he is. Ibn Kathir’s step is that a being who needs food cannot be divine. Genesis 18 and Luke 24 are the texts that step has to read. Both of them put food in front of the one the passage calls LORD, or the one the Gospel calls God. [Can God Have a Son?](/islam/can-god-have-a-son) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What Does Qur’an 3:55 Say About Jesus? [Qur’an 3:55](https://quran.com/3/55) [(2)](#ref-2), Saheeh International, says Allah will take Jesus, raise him to himself, and purify him from those who disbelieve, and that those who follow him will be superior until the Day of Resurrection. The verse is about being taken and raised. It does not mention food. The return is [What Will Jesus Do When He Returns?](/islam/what-will-jesus-do-when-he-returns). ### Does God Eat? [Genesis 18:8](/bible/genesis/18/8) [(5)](#ref-5) says they did eat, in the visit where the LORD appeared to Abraham. [Luke 24:43](/bible/luke/24/43) [(6)](#ref-6) says the risen Jesus ate. The Qur’an treats that kind of meal as proof against deity. The Gospel treats the meal as proof the Son really took flesh. ### What Is Verse 6:8 in the Qur’an? [Qur’an 6:8](https://quran.com/6/8) [(11)](#ref-11) asks why an angel was not sent down to him. It is a different surah and a different argument from the meal in 5:75. [Was Muhammad Illiterate?](/islam/was-muhammad-illiterate) is not that verse either. The verse this page is for is 5:75. ## Keep Reading - [Is Jesus God?](/christianity/is-jesus-god) - [What Is the Incarnation?](/christianity/what-is-the-incarnation) - [Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels](/islam/jesus-in-the-quran-and-the-gospels) - [Jesus and Muhammad Compared](/islam/jesus-and-muhammad-compared) - [Can God Have a Son?](/islam/can-god-have-a-son) - [If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Pray?](/islam/if-jesus-is-god-why-did-he-pray) - [Did Jesus Die on the Cross?](/islam/did-jesus-die-on-the-cross) ## Passages Quoted on This Page ### Genesis 18:1–8 King James Version. > [18:1] And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; [18:2] And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, [18:3] And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: [18:4] Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: [18:5] And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. [18:6] And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. [18:7] And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. [18:8] And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. ### Luke 24:42–43 King James Version. > [24:42] And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. [24:43] And he took it, and did eat before them. ### John 1:14 King James Version. > And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ### Genesis 18:8 King James Version. > And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. ### Philippians 2:6–8 King James Version. > [2:6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [2:7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [2:8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ### Qur’an 5:72 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/al-maidah/72) > They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers. ### Qur’an 5:116 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/5/116) > And [beware the Day] when Allāh will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allāh?'" He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. ### Qur’an 19:30 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/19/30) > [Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allāh. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. ### Qur’an 5:3 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/5/3) > Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful. ### Qur’an 3:42 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/3/42) > And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allāh has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. ### Genesis 18:1 King James Version. > And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; ### Luke 24:39–43 King James Version. > [24:39] Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. [24:40] And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. [24:41] And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? [24:42] And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. [24:43] And he took it, and did eat before them. ### John 20:27–28 King James Version. > [20:27] Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. [20:28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. ### John 1:1 King James Version. > In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ### Qur’an 3:55 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/3/55) > [Mention] when Allāh said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [i.e., free] you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allāh alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to differ. ### Luke 24:43 King James Version. > And he took it, and did eat before them. ### Qur’an 6:8 Saheeh International. [Open on quran.com](https://quran.com/6/8) > And they say, "Why was there not sent down to him an angel?" But if We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided; then they would not be reprieved. ## Sources Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site. 1. [Qur’an, 5:75; 5:116; 5:72; 19:30](https://quran.com/5/75) (Saheeh International. The Messiah and his mother used to eat food.) 2. [Qur’an, 3:55](https://quran.com/3/55) (Saheeh International. Allah will take Jesus, raise him, and purify him from those who disbelieve.) 3. [Qur’an, 5:27](https://quran.com/5/27) (Saheeh International. The story of Adam’s two sons, in the same surah as 5:75.) 4. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), 5:75](https://quran.com/5/75/tafsirs/en-tafisr-ibn-kathir) (Quran.com abridgment. They ate food, needing nourishment, and so are servants, not gods.) 5. [Book of Genesis, 18:1–8](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/genesis/18). King James Version 6. [Gospel of Luke, 24:39–43](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/luke/24). King James Version 7. [Letter to the Philippians, 2:6–8](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/philippians/2). King James Version 8. [Gospel of John, 1:1; 1:14; 20:28](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/john/1/1). King James Version 9. [Qur’an, 5:3](https://quran.com/5/3) (Saheeh International. The flesh of swine is prohibited, and the religion is said to be perfected.) 10. [Qur’an, 3:42](https://quran.com/3/42) (Saheeh International. The angels call Mary chosen.) 11. [Qur’an, 6:8](https://quran.com/6/8) (Saheeh International. They ask why an angel was not sent down to him.) ## See Also - [Did Jesus Die on the Cross?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/did-jesus-die-on-the-cross) — The Qur'an is widely read as saying Jesus was not crucified. The Gospels, Paul, and two Roman-era historians say he was. - [Did Jesus Pray Like a Muslim?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/did-jesus-pray-like-a-muslim) — No. Jesus fell on his face and prayed to the Father. That is not the five daily prayers, toward the Sacred Mosque, that the Qur’an times. - [Do Muslims Believe in Jesus?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/jesus-in-the-quran-and-the-gospels) — Yes. Muslims believe Jesus was born of Mary and is the Messiah. They do not believe he is God or that he died on the cross. Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels is that comparison. - [Does Jesus Do What Only God Does?](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/does-jesus-do-what-only-god-does) — The Qur'an says God gives life to the dead, is the First and the Last, and comes with the angels. The Gospel says Jesus does those things. - [Jesus and Muhammad Compared](https://apologetics.wiki/islam/jesus-and-muhammad-compared) — The Qur’an calls both messengers, and calls Jesus the Messiah, born of Mary. The Gospels say the Word was God, crucified and raised.