Church of the Nativity

This church in Bethlehem, one of the oldest in

the world has been built over the place where

tradition holds that Isa (upon him be peace)

[Jesus] was born. A marble floor (inset) denotes

the exact spot. A stone block marks the spot

where a palm tree once stood which Maryam

(upon him be peace) [Mary] shook during the

pains of labour.

Isa (upon him be peace) is mentioned very

often in the Quran. He is mentioned by name

25 times, by the title Al-Masih 11 times, and

by the name Ibn Maryam (the son of Mary) 23

times.

The Quran states that Isa (upon him be peace)

was the result of a virgin birth. The most

detailed account of the annunciation and birth

of Isa (upon him be peace) is provided in

Surahs 3 and 19 wherein it is written that Allah

sent an angel to announce that she could

shortly expect to bear a son, despite being a

virgin:

“(Remember) When the angels said O Mary!

Allah gives thee good news of a son through a

Word from Him! His name shall be the

Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honoured in this

world and in the next, and of those who are

granted nearness to Allah! And he shall speak

to the people in the cradle, and when of middle

age, and he shall be of the Righteous She said

My Lord! How shall I have a son when no man

has touched me? He said, That is as it shall

be. Allah creates what He pleases. When He

decrees a thing He says to it “Be” and it

is!” [3:45-47]

Muslims do not accept the virgin birth of Jesus

as evidence of Jesus being God. The Quran

further states:

“The similitude of Jesus before God is as that

of Adam; He created him from dust, then said

to him: ‘Be.’ And he was.” [3:59]

An anti-war protest was held in front of the

church on 30th March 2003 in which Father

Pancratius, the residing parish priest banned

George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair

and Jack Straw forever from entering the

church for their role in the Iraq war. He

described them as child-killers, who would

tarnish the church if they entered it.

References: Wikipedia, Atlas of the Quran –Dr.

Shauqi Abu Khalili

An illustration from 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica

depicting the plan of Church of the Nativity,

Bethlehem. (1) Narthex; (2) nave; (3) aisles.

Constantine's 4th century mosaic floor

rediscovered in 1934

The Door of Humility, main entrance into the

Church