John B Part 03 Page 29: Mary's Visitor

Qur'an Versus the Gospels

THE HOLY QURAN

16. ' And mention in the Book, Mary, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place.
17. And she took a veil apart from them; then we sent unto her Our spirit (Ruhanna)* that presented himself to her, a man without fault.
18. She said: I take refuge in the All-Merciful from thee! If thou fearest God
19. He said: I am but a messenger come from thy Lord , to give thee a boy most pure.'

Chapter 19 verses 16-19 as interpreted by :

Arthur J. Arberry.

* Many interpreters of the Qur'an translate the word ruhanaa to be "Our Spirit" because the 'Naa' at the end of the word generally means showing possession as "our" or "belonging to us". The Arabic word for John is Hannaa or Yuhannaa (see Elias' Modern Dictionary. English - Arabic. Cairo 1986). The word Hanaa is used in verse 13 and 17 in Chapter 19 of the Qur'an. The word is used again in 49:3 and is generally intrepeted as being dutifull or to have tenderness or sympathy.

THE Gospel of St. Luke Chapter 1:

26. Gabriel was sent from God to Mary, with the news ...

31. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son , and shall call his name Jesus.

32. Jesus will be Son of the Highest, of the line of David of the House of Jacob.

HOW?

35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee .

Luke 1:26-35

THE NAZARENE GOSPEL:

15. " And John, the messenger of the Lord, in the likeness of the Angel Gabriel, came filled with the Holy spirit to Jerusalem unto a Virgin named Mary, a daughter of Aaron.

16. Now it came to past, when the virgins which braided the veil were athirst, that Mary took a pitcher and went out to fill it with water. And John standing by the well, saluted her, saying : 'Hail, Mary, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women!'

But Mary , when she heard his words , was troubled, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be and she set down the pitcher.

And John said unto her: 'Fear not Mary for thou hast found favor with God. Behold, not many days shall past and thou shall bring fort a son and thou shall call his name the Branch. He shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the House of Jacob until this world hath ended.'

Chapter 3 :15-16

COMMENTARY

Muslims say that the being who went to Mary was Angel Gabriel but in the form of a man.

Christians say that the being who went to Mary was John the Baptist but in the spirit and power of Angel Gabriel (Nazarene version of the Gospel), other Christians say it was Gabriel.

SUMMARY

The agent who will act on Mary cannot be God, nor Gabriel, nor the Holy Ghost. It was the power of the highest that overshadowed Mary, hence the outcome of that action (Jesus) was called Son of the Highest.

WHO?

John alone bears the appellation of 'Highest' - 'Prophet of the Highest'.