Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah;
Quran 3:45
The Quran bestows on Jesus the identity of “Word from Him.” Jesus alone has the unique title of “Kalimatullah” in Islam, which means “Word of God.” No other prophet or human being is called by this name.
Your word reveals who you are. Your word communicates and expresses who you are.
Similarly, Word of God is a revelation of who God is. You cannot separate God from His Word. His Word is not independent from Him. His Word is not a separate entity.
If the Quran says that Jesus is the Word of Allah, how can you separate Allah and His Word?
The Speaker is not separate or independent from His Word.
If there is no Speaker, there is no Word!
If there is no Word, there is no Speaker either, UNLESS… the Speaker is dumb mute (i.e. unable to speak) OR he is silent (i.e. chosen not to speak). Is that what Allah was before His Word?
If Jesus is Kalimatullah, Word of God, then you cannot separate His identity with that of God and you cannot deny He is divine and uncreated. If Muslims claim that Jesus was created, what they’re saying and believing is that before Allah “created” His Word, Allah existed for eons as either dumb mute, or silent, without any avenue for revelation to communicate who he was. This would be blasphemy in Islam and Muslims who subscribe to such arguments are no longer Muslims but apostates. If Muslims agree that Jesus is Word of God, then they must also agree that as long as God exists, His Word exists with Him. And as long as God exists, Jesus exists with Him, being His Word and that makes Him divine and eternal.
This is exactly what the Gospel of John says in the very first verses:
“In the beginning was the Word,
John 1:1-3
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
Muslims’ counter-argument is to say that Allah created everything with the command “Be”, and that is what makes Jesus the Word. That makes no sense because if Allah created everything with the word “Be”. does that mean everything is kalimatullah? Is Muhammad kalimatullah too? No, Sura 3:45 specifically identifies the Word as a person whose name will be Christ Jesus!
The following translations of 3:45 make that clear, i.e. the Word is named Jesus!
When the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, distinguished in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought near [to Allah]. (Ali Qarai)
And remember when the angels said, “O Maryam! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Eisa the son of Maryam – he will be honourable in this world and in the Hereafter, and among the close ones (to Allah).” (Ahmad Khan)
When the angels said, ‘Mary, God gives thee good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; high honoured shall he be in this world and the next, near stationed to God. (Arberry)
[And mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]. (Sahih International)
Look carefully again at Sura 3:45. It doesn’t say the Word was created.
Where was the Word prior to being sent down to Mary? The Word was evidently with/in God in heaven. This confirms what Jesus said; that He had come down from heaven. (cf John 3:13. 6:38)
Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23
The Quran puts Jesus on a higher pedestal than Muhammad.
While Muhammad is identified as a sinner in the Quran, this isn’t the case with Jesus.
Allah repeatedly commands Muhammad to seek forgiveness.
Sura 40:55
So be patient, [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.
Sura Muhammad 47:19
So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allah knows of your movement and your resting place.
Sura 48:2
That Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path
Sura 94:2
And We removed from you your burden
[Tafsir Ibn Abbas: He said again: (And eased thee of the burden) We lifted your sins from you]
(One authentic hadith has Aisha narrating that Muhammad used to ask forgiveness for his sins 70 times a day!)
Although Jesus’ name is mentioned many times more in the Quran than Muhammad, Jesus is never told to ask for forgiveness. Muhammad, whose name is mentioned only 4 times gets told repeatedly to ask for forgiveness for his sins.
In Sura 19:19 Jesus is described as زَكِيًّا, zakiyyan, an adjective translated as pure, righteous, faultless, holy, good. No one else is described in this way in the Quran. Not even Muhammad.
Sura 19:19
He said, ‘I am only a messenger of your Lord that I may give you a pure son.’ (Ali Qarai)
(The angel) said: “I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.” (Hilali & Khan)
He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. (Pickthall)
He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son. (Yusuf Ali)
The ultimate revelation of God is not a book. The ultimate revelation of God is Jesus.