Answer
Asalamu Alaikum,
Thank you for contacting About Islam with your question.
Dr. Shabir Ally addresses this question in the video below:
Transcript:
Safiyyah Ally: OK, Brother Shabir, the first question is about stories of Jesus in the Quran – Are these stories found in any of the Apocryphal Gospels?
Dr. Shabir Ally: Some are found and some are not.
The Gospels that has been written about Jesus (peace be upon him), they are obviously written from the perspective of someone having some interest in Jesus; either Matthew with his own particular interest, Luke with his own particular interest, and so on.
So, too with the writers for what is known now as the Apocryphal Gospel. If we take the conglomeration of all the Gospels available, whether canonical or non-canonical then these reflect some interest in individuals at the time. Now there may have been other Gospels written, which did not survive.
It so happens that some Gospels were discovered which are now known as the Nag Hammadi Scrolls just recently in 1945. There may be other Gospels which remain buried and are waiting to be discovered, and some which have disintegrated altogether.
So we cannot hope to find every snippet of information about Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Gospels as the Quran does mention some information about Jesus (peace be upon him) and Muslims take this on divine authority that this is the word of God inspired to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
For a Muslim then, it is not problematic that some of what Jesus is known to have said in the Quran is not mentioned in the Gospels.
Safiyyah Ally: Have we found any confirmation of anything in the Quran in these Gospels?
Dr. Shabir Ally: Yes, sometimes there are interesting parallels. In terms of the canonical Gospels, one of the things that the Quran stresses again and again is that Jesus spoke of God as his God:
{Certainly God is my God and your God so worship Him, this is the straight path} (Aal-Imran, 3:51)
In the Gospel according to John, it is mentioned that Jesus said:
[Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.] (John 20:17)
The fact that in the Gospel according to John, which has what is referred to us as high Christology, Jesus is here referring to God as his God is very significant and that is parallel to the Quranic depiction of Jesus speaking of God as his God.
Safiyyah Ally: What benefits are there in the signs at the end of the times that are mentioned in the hadith?
Dr. Shabir Ally: Just to give some background to this, the hadith, which are the reported sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), detailed many signs.
Some are referred to as minor signs and some are referred to as major signs in later commentaries. Signs are things that will happen and will mark the onset of the Day of Judgment or that will indicate that the Day of Judgment is arriving very quickly in the near future.
So what are the benefits of this? Well, one benefit is that it keeps Muslims in the sense of preparedness.
We can easily get immerged in this world and think that this world is going to last forever, and act as though there is no judgment to come and may as well enjoy and be merry right here.
But these indications, however they’re interpreted, always give the Muslims the sense of the eminence of the end of times and the temporary nature of this world.
Safiyyah Ally: Of course people have always been looking at these signs and thinking that the world is going to end soon.
Dr. Shabir Ally: Yes, and with that historical experience we should be cautious in terms of being definitive about the end of time; sometimes people fix dates for the end of time and their prediction always fail, whether they are made by Muslims or non-Muslims.
The Quran says that only God knows when the Hour will occur and in the Gospels Jesus (peace be upon him) is reported to have said of that day and hour no one knows, according to Mark, chapter 13, verse 32:
[But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.] (Mark 13:32)
We should be cautious not thinking that it’s going to happen immediately or in a fixed date, and at the same time not be so lackadaisical in terms of our obligations towards God as we think that this world is not going to end altogether.
I hope this helps answer your question. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
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https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/jesus-in-the-quran-2/