# Why doesn't the Quran clearly deny the virgin birth?

*Why the Quran did not openly refute the virgin birth: building bridges*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/s/12/
- Date: 2020-10-13 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Discussion on Miracles: A fallacy against God | Mufti Abu Layth (55:00–57:31)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIU1GJSzg1E&t=3300s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/

**Topics:** Jesus in the Quran; Christians and other faiths

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** To build bridges with the Christians: the Quran used their terms and left room for their belief without affirming it, compromising only not on the Trinity.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the Quran did not affirm the virgin birth but gave Christians the space to infer it, as a middle ground.

**Evidence, his words at 56:52:** “the quran did not affirm it but it gave them the space to infer it because it allowed that middle ground” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIU1GJSzg1E&t=3412s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth returns to why the Quran did not openly reject the virgin birth. He says it was not because the Christians held the truth but so that Muslims and Christians could build a bridge, which is why the Quran uses Christian terms for Jesus, such as the Holy Spirit and the word of God, and compares Jesus to Adam. He says the Christians were make or break for Islam's spread, through the Byzantines, the Aksumites and the Christian Arabs of the north, and that the Quran invited the People of the Book to a middle ground: it did not compromise on the Trinity, and it did not affirm the virgin birth but gave them space to infer it.

## Sources and names cited

- Isa (Jesus)
- Quran 3:59 (the likeness of Jesus is that of Adam): https://quran.com/3/59
- Quran 4:171 (the Messiah, His word): https://quran.com/4/171
- Quran 3:64 (People of the Book, come to a common word): https://quran.com/3/64
- ruh al-qudus (the Holy Spirit)
- the Trinity
- the Byzantine Empire
- the Aksumite kingdom
- the virgin birth

## Transcript (machine tier, 55:00–57:31)

[54:21] adam that he mentions that you see he says that about kun fayakun but he says he first of all created him then said kun fayakum why why create him why not just say kung fu so the uh in this verse the creation is it talking about the soul or is it talking about the physical body no it seems to be talking about the physical body because this is where they are saying well what about jesus then they're trying to and and by the way

[54:59] this was where i began i was going to explain why the quran did not immediately dis disbelief it didn't diss it it did not refuse not refuse but it did not it seems to circumvent dissing the christians now the question is is that because islam felt it was true so that's obviously what you're arguing you're arguing that when islam circumvents not openly refuting the virgin birth or not openly refuting that adam was created from you know when they asked what about jesus then says

[55:38] mataluka adam you know jesus is like adam so you're assuming from this this is because they hold the truth the christians do this was simply so that the muslims and christians could build a bridge and they would have some it would grow in proximity to one another hence allah whenever speaking about jesus or speaking about the christian narrative uses certain terms like for example the holy spirit this term isn't really used for other prophets even when allah says that

[56:17] jesus was the word of god the word of god what does that even mean the word of god these were christian words that the quran did employ it does use it to build bridges between the muslim communities and the christians because the christians were a make or break deal they were the byzantines they were the axomites they were surrounded around eastern arabia you if if if muslims were to make any attempt for islam to spread it was going to be through the christian arabs of the northern kingdoms so

[56:52] it created bridges it says you people of scripture come to a middle ground between us meaning we will give up some things like we're being accommodating you be somewhat accommodating the thing that they weren't islam didn't accommodate on was the trinity but it kind of allowed them to entertain these other beliefs it didn't have a huge issue it said you know if you want to believe in the virgin birth we're not going to the quran did not affirm it but it gave them the space to infer it because it allowed that middle ground

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment HIU1GJSzg1E/s/12. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/s/12/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.