Infancy Gospel of Thomas and the Arabic Infancy Gospel.
Comparative Table: Quran and Infancy Gospels
| Narrative Event | Quranic Verses | Infancy Gospel Parallels |
| Creating Birds from Clay | Surah 3:49 "...I create for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with God’s permission..." Surah 5:110 "...and when you created out of clay the likeness of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it and it became a bird with My permission..." | Infancy Gospel of Thomas (2:2–5) "And having made some soft clay, he [Jesus, age 5] fashioned out of it twelve sparrows... Jesus clapped his hands and cried out to the sparrows and said to them: 'Off you go!' And the sparrows flew and went off crying." |
| Jesus Speaking in the Cradle | Surah 19:29–33 "But she pointed to him. They said, 'How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?' [Jesus] said, 'Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet...'" | Arabic Infancy Gospel (v. 2) "He has said that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother: 'I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought forth...'" |
Critical Comments & Analysis
While the narrative events are strikingly similar, the theological intent and characterization of Jesus differ fundamentally between the texts.
Theological Divergence (Clay Birds):
Quran: Emphasizes that the miracle occurs strictly "by God's permission" (bi-idhnillah). The text reinforces Jesus's dependence on God, countering any claim of independent divinity.
Infancy Gospel: Portrays Jesus as a divine child exercising inherent power. In the full text, Jesus creates the birds on the Sabbath and is rebuked by a Jew for breaking Sabbath laws; the miracle serves as a retort to religious authority.
Theological Divergence (Speaking in the Cradle):
Quran: The infant Jesus speaks to defend his mother's chastity and declare his servitude: "I am the servant of Allah" (abdullah). He outlines Islamic duties (prayer, charity).
Arabic Infancy Gospel: The infant Jesus declares his high Christology: "I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos."
Comparison: Both texts use the miracle of the speaking infant to establish Jesus's supernatural nature immediately after birth, but they put opposing theological declarations into his mouth (Servant vs. Son/Logos).
Historical & Literary Context
To understand why these parallels exist, one must look at the literary environment of Late Antiquity in the Near East.
1. The Apocryphal Texts
Infancy Gospel of Thomas (2nd Century): A popular text detailing Jesus's childhood (ages 5–12). It was widely circulated and translated into Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Latin. It fills the "silent years" of Jesus left blank by the canonical New Testament.
Arabic Infancy Gospel (5th–6th Century): Likely compiled from earlier Syriac sources (and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas). It was prevalent among Christians in the Arabian Peninsula.
2. Transmission via Oral Tradition
By the 7th century (the time of the Quran's revelation), these stories were not just written texts but part of the popular oral folklore ("Gospel folklore") among Middle Eastern Christians. They were likely the primary way many common people understood the life of Jesus, rather than through the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) which were restricted largely to liturgical use.
3. Islamic Perspective
Islamic theology does not view these parallels as "borrowing." Rather, it views the Quran as a corrective revelation. From this viewpoint, the events (clay birds, speaking in the cradle) are historical facts preserved by God in the Quran, confirming that Jesus did perform these miracles, but correcting the Christian theological interpretation of why and how they happened.
4. Scholarly Perspective
Academic scholars view the presence of these stories in the Quran as evidence of the "intertextual" relationship between the Quran and the religious milieu of Late Antiquity. The Quran engages with, edits, and re-interprets the stories circulating in its environment to articulate its own strict monotheism.
Comparative Table: Quran and Additional Apocrypha
| Narrative Event | Quranic Verses | Apocryphal/Legendary Parallels |
| The Seven Sleepers (Companions of the Cave) | Surah 18:9–26 (Al-Kahf) "...They were youths who believed in their Lord... We made them sleep in the cave for a number of years... They remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine." | Syriac Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus Popularized by Jacob of Serugh (d. 521 CE). Describes Christian youths hiding in a cave to escape the persecution of Roman Emperor Decius (c. 250 CE), sleeping for centuries, and waking during the reign of Theodosius II to refute heresy regarding the resurrection. |
| Casting Lots for Mary’s Guardian | Surah 3:44 (Al-Imran) "...You were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed." | Protoevangelium of James (c. 145 CE) The High Priest gathers widowers to the Temple. They give up their rods (staffs). A dove flies out of Joseph's rod, signaling he is chosen to guard the virgin Mary. |
| Mary, the Palm Tree, and the Stream | Surah 19:23–26 (Maryam) During labor pains: "And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you fresh, ripe dates. So eat and drink and be contented..." (A voice calls from below providing a stream). | Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (c. 600–800 CE) During the flight to Egypt (not birth): The infant Jesus commands a palm tree: "Bend thy branches... that my mother may eat of thy fruit." He then commands water to flow from its roots to quench their thirst. |
Critical Comments & Analysis
1. The Seven Sleepers (Ashab al-Kahf)
Narrative Shift: The core story (youths, cave, dog, long sleep) is identical.
Theological Divergence:
Christian Legend: Specifically contextualized to the Decian persecution and the theological debate on the physical resurrection of the body during the 5th century.
Quran: Strips away specific proper names (Decius, Ephesus) and precise dates. It focuses on the metaphysical implication: God’s absolute power over time and life. It explicitly discourages debating the exact number of sleepers ("Say, 'My Lord is most knowing of their number'"), framing such details as irrelevant trivia compared to the moral lesson.
2. Casting Lots (The Pens)
Narrative Shift: Both texts describe a group of priests/men competing for the honor of caring for Mary, settled by a divine lottery involving writing implements or staffs.
Theological Divergence:
Protoevangelium: The lottery selects Joseph to be Mary's husband/guardian, setting up the narrative for the virgin birth within a betrothal.
Quran: The lottery selects Zakariya (Zechariah), the father of John the Baptist, to be her guardian in the sanctuary (Mihrab). This emphasizes the continuity of prophethood and places Mary under the tutelage of a Prophet, rather than focusing on Joseph (who is not mentioned by name in the Quran).
3. The Palm Tree
Narrative Shift: The imagery of the bending palm and the miraculous stream is nearly identical, but the timing is transposed.
Theological Divergence:
Pseudo-Matthew: The miracle happens after birth, during the flight to Egypt. Jesus commands the tree, highlighting his authority over nature as a divine child.
Quran: The miracle happens during labor pains. The voice calling out is ambiguous (either Gabriel or Jesus). The focus is on God's sustenance for Mary in her moment of vulnerability and pain ("Would that I had died before this"). It humanizes Mary’s struggle rather than focusing solely on the child’s power.
Historical Context: The "Gospel Folklore"
The presence of these stories confirms that the Protoevangelium of James and Pseudo-Matthew were the dominant "biographies" of Mary in the Near East.
Protoevangelium of James: Despite being non-canonical, this text is the source of almost all traditional Mariology (names of her parents Joachim and Anne, her dedication to the Temple). The Quranic account of Mary draws heavily from the traditions established in this specific text, validating its narrative framework while stripping it of Christological implications incompatible with strict monotheism.
Comparative Table: The Table Spread vs. Biblical Traditions
| Narrative Event | Quranic Verses | Biblical Parallels |
| The Request for the Table | Surah 5:112 "[And remember] when the disciples said, 'O Jesus, Son of Mary, can your Lord send down to us a table spread with food from the heaven?' [Jesus] said, 'Fear Allah, if you should be believers.'" | Psalm 78:19 (Old Testament Parallel) "They spoke against God; they said, 'Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?'" John 6:30–31 "So they asked him, 'What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?... Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness...'" |
| The Purpose: A Festival & Sign | Surah 5:114 "Jesus, Son of Mary, said, 'O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table spread with food from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us and a sign from You...'" | Luke 22:19 (The Last Supper) "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'" |
| The Warning | Surah 5:115 "Allah said, 'Indeed, I will send it down to you, but whoever disbelieves afterwards from among you - then indeed will I punish him with a punishment by which I have not punished anyone among the worlds.'" | 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 "So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord... For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves." |
"Table from Heaven" and "Sacred Meal"
TEXT SOURCE IDENTIFICATION
Theme: The Table in the Wilderness / The Eucharist / Al-Ma'idah
References:
Psalm 78:19 (Hebrew Bible - MT)
John 6:30–31 (New Testament - NA28)
Luke 22:19 (New Testament - NA28)
1 Corinthians 11:27–29 (New Testament - NA28)
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:112–115 (Qur'an - Hafs)
Psalm 78:19: The Doubt in the Wilderness
[78:19.a] And they spoke against God (וַיְדַבְּרוּ בֵּאלֹהִים, ভায়্দাব্ব্রু বেলোহিম, D-B-R, To speak/order)
[78:19.b] they said: Can God be able (אָמְרוּ הֲיוּכַל אֵל, আম্রু হায়ুখাল এল, Y-K-L, To be able/prevail)
[78:19.c] to arrange a table (לַעֲרֹךְ שֻׁלְחָן, লা'আরোধ্ শুল্খান, '-R-K / SH-L-CH, To set in order / Table)
[78:19.d] in the wilderness? (בַּמִּדְבָּר, বাম্মিদবার, D-B-R, Desert/Pasture)
John 6:30–31: The Demand for Manna
[6:30.a] They said therefore to him: What sign doest thou (εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Τί οὖν ποιεῖς σὺ σημεῖον, এইপন উন আউতো: তি উন পইয়েইস সু সেমেইয়ন, Sēmeion, Sign/Mark)
[6:30.b] that we may see and believe thee? (ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμέν σοι;, হিনা ইদোমেন কাই পিস্তিউসোমেন সই, Pistis, Trust/Faith)
[6:31.a] Our fathers ate the manna in the desert (Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τὸ μάννα ἔφαγον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, হই পাতেরেস হেমোন তো মান্না এফাগন এন তে এরেমো, Manna, Manna/What is it?)
[6:31.b] as it is written: Bread out of heaven he gave them to eat (καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον· Ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν, কাথোস এস্তিন গেগ্রাম্মেনন: আর্তোস এক তু উরানু এদোকেন আউতোইস ফাগেইন, Artos, Leavened bread)
Luke 22:19: The Institution
[22:19.a] And having taken bread, having given thanks (καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσας, কাই লাবোন আর্তোস ইউখারিস্তেসাস, Charis, Grace/Thanks)
[22:19.b] he broke [it] and gave to them saying (ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων, এক্লাসেন কাই এদোকেন আউতোইস লেগোন, Klaō, To break)
[22:19.c] This is my body which is given for you (Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διδόμενον, তুত এস্তিন তো সোমা মু তো হুপের হুমোন দিদোমেনন, Sōma, Body/Corporeality)
[22:19.d] Do this in remembrance of me (τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν, তুত পইয়েইতে এইস তেন এমেন আনাম্নেসিন, Mnēmē, Memorial/Recall)
1 Corinthians 11:27–29: The Warning
[11:27.a] So that whoever eats the bread (ὥστε ὃς ἂν ἐσθίῃ τὸν ἄρτον, হোস্তে হস আন এস্থিয়ে তন আর্তোস, Esthiō, To eat)
[11:27.b] or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily (ἢ πίνῃ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ κυρίου ἀναξίως, এ পিনে তো পতেরিয়ন তু কুরিইউ আনাক্সিওস, Axiōs, Worthily/Weighing enough)
[11:27.c] shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (ἔνοχος ἔσται τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου, এনখস এস্তাই তু সোমাতস কাই তু হাইমাতস তু কুরিইউ, Enochos, Held within/Liable)
[11:29.a] For he that eats and drinks without discerning the body (ὁ γὰρ ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων... μὴ διακρίνων τὸ σῶμα, হ গার এস্থিওন কাই পিনোন... মে দিয়াক্রিনোন তো সোমা, Krinō, To judge/separate)
Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:112–115: The Heavenly Table
[5:112.a] When the Disciples said: O Jesus, Son of Mary (إِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ, ইয ক্বালা আল-হাওয়ারিয়্যুনা ইয়া 'ঈসা ইবনে মারইয়াম, Ḥ-W-R, Whitener/Disciple)
[5:112.b] Is your Lord able to send down to us (هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَن يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا, হাল ইয়াসতাত্বি'উ রাব্বুকা আন ইউনায্যিলা 'আলাইনা, Ṭ-W-ʿ, To obey/be capable)
[5:112.c] a table [spread with food] from the heaven? (مَائِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ, মায়িদাতান মিনা আস-সামা'ই, M-Y-D, Table/Provision)
[5:114.a] Said Jesus, Son of Mary: O Allah, our Lord (قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا, ক্বালা 'ঈসা ইবনে মারইয়াম আল্লাহুম্মা রাব্বানা, R-B-B, Lord/Sustainer)
[5:114.b] Send down to us a table from the heaven (أَنزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ, আনযিল 'আলাইনা মায়িদাতান মিনা আস-সামা'ই, N-Z-L, Descent)
[5:114.c] to be for us a festival, for the first of us and the last of us (تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِّأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا, তাকুনু লানা 'ঈদান লি-আউওয়ালিনা ওয়া-আখিরিনা, ʿ-W-D, Return/Recurring fest)
[5:115.a] Allah said: Indeed I am sending it down to you (قَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ, ক্বালা আল্লাহু ইন্নি মুনায্যিলুহা 'আলাইকুম, N-Z-L, Sending down)
NOTE
Note Comparative:Theology: Table from Heaven: [Classical commentators] Ibn Kathīr, Augustine, and Rashi establish the "Table" as a locus of divine testing and provision. Connects to Exodus 16 (Manna), Psalm 23 (Table prepared in presence of enemies), and The Last Supper.
The texts present a progression of the "Sacred Meal":
Skepticism: In Psalm 78, Israel doubts God's ability to "arrange a table" (laʿarōk shulḥan) in the chaos of the wilderness.
Incarnation/Sign: In John 6, the crowd demands a repeat of the Manna miracle; Jesus reframes the bread not as shulḥan (object) but as sōma (person/subject).
Realization: In Luke 22, the table is set, but the food is the body itself, offered in anamnēsis (cultic recall).
Dangers: 1 Cor 11 warns that treating this table as common food brings judgment (krima), mirroring the plague that followed the quail in Num 11.
Confirming the Sign: In Surah 5, the Ḥawāriyyūn (Disciples) ask for a Māʾidah (Table). Unlike the skeptical Israelites of Ps 78, Jesus ('Isa) prays for it as an ʿĪd (Festival/Sign). Allah grants it but attaches a severe warning for disbelief, paralleling the Pauline warning of "eating unworthily."
Context: The Qur'anic Māʾidah is often viewed by exegetes (Tabari) as a response to or varying perspective on the Last Supper, emphasizing the miracle of provision and the gravity of the covenant over the sacrificial death.
ETYMOLOGY
1. shulḥan (שֻׁלְחָן) ‹S-L-Ḥ›
= Proto-Afroasiatic *sal- “to send, extend” (~10,000 BCE)
→ Proto-Semitic *šalaḥ- “to send forth, stretch out” (v., ~4,500 BCE)
→ Hebrew √Š-L-Ḥ “to send, stretch out” + nominal suffix -ān
· Anchor: A skin or mat stretched out on the ground for food (pre-furniture).
· Chain: Stretching out (hand/skin) → skin spread for dining → low table/mat → furniture for display (Showbread) → Altar/Table of God.
· Attest: Exod 25:23 (Table of Showbread); Ps 23:5 (Table before enemies); Ps 78:19.
· Cog: Ugaritic ṯlḥn; Arabic salakha (to strip off skin/spread? - disputed); Aram. paṯūrā (different root).
· Cf.: Mizbeaḥ (Altar - for sacrifice) vs Shulḥan (Table - for communion/display).
· ∴ A table is not defined by legs, but by the act of "spreading out" provision.
2. māʾidah (مَائِدَة) ‹M-Y-D›
= Proto-Semitic *mayd- “to move, shake, sway” (~4,000 BCE)
→ Arabic √M-Y-D “to be moved, to sway, to provide”
· Anchor: Motion/Swaying OR The tray itself.
· Chain: Swaying (motion of a hanging tray/sustenance being brought?) → A tray of food → A table spread with food → The meal/banquet itself.
· Attest: Qur'an 5:112, 5:114.
· Cog: Ethiopic mayd (table - likely loan into Arabic); Heb. m-w-d (to shake/measure?).
· Note: Philologists argue Māʾidah strictly means "a table with food," whereas khiwān is a table without food.
· ∴ A Māʾidah is not empty furniture; it is the event of provision itself, swaying with abundance.
3. anamnēsis (ἀνάμνησις) ‹M-N-A›
= PIE *men- “to think, mind, spiritual activity” (~4,500 BCE)
→ Proto-Hellenic *mnā- “memory”
→ Greek √Mnaomai “to remember, be mindful” + ana (up/again)
· Anchor: Mind/Thought.
· Chain: Mental grasp → Recalling to present → Ana-mnēsis (re-calling/making present effectively) → Cultic/Liturgical actualization (not just psychological memory).
· Attest: Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24; Heb 10:3.
· Cog: Lat. mens (mind); Skt. manas (mind); Eng. mind/memory.
· Cf.: Mnēmē (passive memory) vs Anamnēsis (active, ritual re-enactment).
· ∴ Not a "fading echo" of the past, but the active "summoning up" of a reality into the present.
Critical Comments & Analysis
The Quranic narrative of Al-Ma'idah appears to condense elements from three distinct Biblical events: the Last Supper, the Feeding of the Multitudes, and the Israelites' demand for Manna.
The Nature of the Request (Skepticism vs. Sustenance):
Quran: The disciples (Al-Hawariyyun) ask for the table to "satisfy their hearts" and "know that you have told us the truth." This portrays the disciples as requiring empirical proof (a sign) to solidify their faith, similar to the Israelites in the desert (Psalm 78:19). Jesus initially rebukes them ("Fear Allah") for needing physical proof.
Bible: In the Gospels, the Last Supper is initiated by Jesus, not requested by the disciples. However, in John 6, the crowd explicitly demands a sign like the Manna to believe, parallel to the Quranic disciples' request.
The Terminology (Table vs. Eucharist):
Quran: The word Ma'idah refers to a table with food. It is conceptually linked to the Eucharist (the Lord's Table). Jesus prays that it becomes an "Eid" (recurring festival) for "the first and last of us."
Christianity: The Last Supper established the central Christian rite (Eucharist/Mass), which is indeed a recurring "remembrance" celebrated by Christians historically. The Quranic "first and last" aligns with the liturgical concept of the Communion uniting all believers across time.1
The Conflation of Imagery:
Scholars suggest the Quranic scene merges the liturgical significance of the Last Supper (a recurring feast sent from God) with the physical miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000 (actual food satisfying hunger).
It also evokes the imagery of Peter's Vision in Acts 10:11, where a "great sheet" (like a table spread) is let down from heaven by four corners containing food.
Theological Warning:
Both traditions attach grave danger to treating this "Table" lightly. In the Quran, God warns of a unique punishment for disbelieving after the sign. In the New Testament (1 Corinthians), Paul warns that eating the "Table of the Lord" unworthily brings "judgment" upon oneself.
Summary
The Quranic Al-Ma'idah serves as a confirmation of the Gospel tradition of a divine meal (Eucharist), but reframes it. Instead of a sacrificial meal about the "body and blood" (atonement), it becomes a sign of provision and a covenantal test of monotheism. It validates the ritual of the feast while removing the Christian theology of passion and sacrifice.
Here is the comparative analysis of the Prophecy of Ahmad and the Biblical Paraclete.
Comparative Table: The Prophecy of Ahmad vs. The Paraclete
| Narrative Event | Quranic Verse | Biblical Parallels (Gospel of John) |
| Prediction of a Successor | Surah 61:6 (As-Saff) "And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel... I am the messenger of Allah to you... giving good tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.'" | John 14:16 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Parakletos) to help you and be with you forever." John 16:7 "...Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." |
| The Nature of the Message | Surah 53:3–4 (An-Najm) Context: Describing Muhammad "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed." | John 16:13 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." |
Critical Comments & Analysis
This is one of the most significant theological dispute points between Islam and Christianity, centering on linguistics and the nature of the predicted entity.
1. The Linguistic Debate: Parakletos vs. Periklytos
Christian Text (Greek): The Greek word used in the earliest extant manuscripts of John is Parakletos, meaning "Advocate," "Helper," or "Comforter." Christians identify this as the Holy Spirit.
Islamic Argument: Many Islamic scholars suggest the original word spoken by Jesus (in Aramaic) or the original Greek text was Periklytos, which translates to "The Praised One" or " The Celebrated One."
Connection to "Ahmad": The name "Ahmad" is an Arabic superlative derived from the root H-M-D (praise), meaning "The Most Praised." It is linguistically equivalent to the meaning of Periklytos.
Conclusion: From an Islamic perspective, the Quran confirms the meaning of the name Jesus actually used, even if the extant Greek texts read Parakletos.
2. The Nature of the Successor (Spirit vs. Human)
Christian Exegesis: The Paraclete is defined in John 14:17 as the "Spirit of truth," whom the world "cannot accept because it neither sees him nor knows him." This supports the view that the entity is an invisible spiritual presence (the Holy Spirit) dwelling within the disciples, not a human being.
Islamic Exegesis: Muslims argue the description in John 16 fits a human prophet better than a spirit:
"He will not speak on his own": A spirit is part of the Trinity and speaks by nature; a Prophet must wait for Gabriel/Revelation (he speaks "only what he hears").
"He will guide you into all truth": Muhammad brought the final, complete law (Sharia), fulfilling the "much more to say" that the disciples could not bear at the time (John 16:12).
"Another" Advocate: The use of "another" implies the successor is of the same nature as the first advocate (Jesus). Since Jesus was a human prophet (in Islamic view) and a tangible teacher, the successor must also be a human teacher.
3. "Be With You Forever"
Christian: The Spirit is eternally present in the Church.
Islamic: Muhammad is "present forever" through his final, uncorrupted message (the Quran) and Sunnah, which will never be superseded by another prophet.
Summary
The Quranic verse asserts that Jesus explicitly named his successor "Ahmad." The Biblical text promises a "Paraclete." The conflict arises from whether this Paraclete is the Third Person of the Trinity (Holy Spirit) or a final human Prophet. The Quranic narrative views the "Paraclete" passages as remnants of the original prophecy about Muhammad, interpreted by the Church as the Holy Spirit