Jesus, the son of Mary, also known as Isa ibn Maryam of Al Imran, is a Muslim prophet chosen by Allah (SWT). He is one of the most prominent messengers for he was one of His most strong-willed prophets known as “Ulu’l-Azm Prophets”. God Almighty sent him to the Children of Israel to preach them. Allah (SWT) says:
“And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmad.” But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, “This is obvious magic.” (Surah As-Saf 61 :6).
While it is known that Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) received his revelations of prophecy at the age of 40, it is unclear concerning Prophet Isa (Jesus). So, how old was Prophet Isa (Jesus) when he became a prophet according to Islam?
How old was Jesus when he became a prophet?
There are two views regarding this matter according to Islamic scholars. Some agree that he was a prophet since his birth. Others assert it started in his 30s. Allah (SWT) says:
“And he will speak to people in his infancy and adulthood and will be one of the righteous.” (Surah Ali’Imran 3:46).
“So she pointed to the baby. They exclaimed, “How can we talk to someone who is an infant in the cradle?, Jesus declared, “I am truly a servant of Allah. He has destined me to be given the Scripture and to be a prophet.” (Surah Maryam 19: 29-30).
These verses provide a great example of Allah’s fascinating miracles. The fact that Prophet Isa spoke in his infancy not as a regular child but eloquently and meaningfully proves his prophecy. No other prophet spoke in his cradle except Prophet Isa (Jesus); it is a unique characteristic of his. That is why many scholars believe this was a sign of his prophecy. Hence, they claim Jesus was a prophet since birth.
Other scholars however, believe he only spoke as a baby to prove his mother’s innocence and later on received divine revelations at the age of 30. They believe that is when God gave him al Injil (gospel) and so he started his preaching at that time. Thus, they claim Jesus became a prophet at the age of 30 (from 30 to 35 approximately) shortly before he was raised to the heavens by Allah (SWT).
Conclusion
Similar to the ambiguity surrounding the return of Jesus, there are many other ambiguous questions about him in both Islam and Christianity. One certain truth however is that Jesus is a messenger of Allah (SWT) who was sent to Israel to fulfil his duty. Allah knows best.
