Questions Other faiths and new Muslims

What miracles did Jesus perform in Islam?

Checked by our team

Short answer

Muslims believe Jesus performed many miracles, all by Allah's permission. The Quran says he spoke as a newborn, made a bird from clay that came to life, healed the blind and the leper, raised the dead, told people what they ate and stored in their houses, and that, at his disciples' request, Allah sent down a table of food from heaven.

Hanafi position

Belief in the miracles (mu'jizat) of the prophets mentioned in the Quran is obligatory, and denying them is denying the Quran. They happened by Allah's power as proofs of prophethood, not as signs that the prophet himself is divine.

The four schools agree on this.

Explanation

The Quran lists the miracles of Jesus in two places, in Surah Al Imran and Surah al-Ma'idah:

  • Speaking in the cradle: when Mary's people accused her, the newborn spoke and defended her.
  • The clay bird: he shaped a bird from clay, breathed into it, and it became a living bird.
  • Healing: he cured the blind from birth and the leper.
  • Raising the dead: he brought the dead back to life.
  • Knowledge of the unseen: he told people what they had eaten and what they kept in their homes.
  • The table spread: the disciples asked for a table of food from heaven, and Allah said He would send it down; most commentators say it came. Surah al-Ma'idah, "the Table", takes its name from this.

Every one of these comes with the words "by permission of Allah" or "with My permission". The Quran is making a point: the power was Allah's, and Jesus was His messenger. Other prophets had miracles too: Moses' staff, Abraham saved from the fire, and the Quran itself given to Muhammad ﷺ.

Some of these miracles are also in the Gospels, such as healing the blind and raising the dead. Others, like the clay bird and speaking in the cradle, are not in the Bible but appear in some early Christian writings outside it. Muslims believe the Quran confirms what truly happened. See is Jesus God in Islam? and Prophet Isa.

The evidence

Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:49

وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾

And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

The Quran lists his miracles, each by Allah's permission.

Quran 3:49, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:110

إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًۭا ۖ وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ ۖ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَتُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ﴿١١٠﴾

[The Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said, "This is not but obvious magic."

Allah reminds Jesus of the miracles He granted him.

Quran 5:110, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:112

إِذْ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَن يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَآئِدَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ قَالَ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١١٢﴾

[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."

The disciples asked for the table from heaven.

Quran 5:112, translation by Sahih International

Sahih al-Bukhari 3436

Sahih

... لم يتكلم في المهد إلا ثلاثة عيسى ...

"No one spoke in the cradle except three, and Jesus was one of them."

Confirms the miracle of Jesus speaking as a newborn.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3436 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Where the ruling is recorded

  • al-Fiqh al-Akbar, the section on the miracles of the prophets. Affirms that the signs of the prophets are true.

Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.