"Nasara" derived from Nazareth?

[Deliverance]

I want to ask what does the arabic term "Nasar" mean and why is it used for christians.Is it because of the town of Nazareth where he lived,although some Historians claim that Jesus did not come from there.?

salam aleikoum

[Sardar Miyan]

Allah referred Chritians as Nasara I Quran. He used Nasara and Yahud to describe Christians & Jews. The meaning if Nasara is helper.

[good logic]

Peace Deliverance.

In Qoran, GOD uses the word "Ansar" when He mentions Jesus and his disciples.

"Jesus said: Who is " ansaria" to GOD? The disciples said: We are "ansar" Allah"...

Could the two words " ansar" and "Nasara" have a common meaning?

GOD bless you.
Peace.

[Sardar Miyan]

Bro good logic Ansar means Helpers The Madina Muslims who invited & welcome the Muslim Mahajireen are Ansars while the Nasara are the Christians ALLAH called them as Nasara in Quran

[Zack]

Hello,

The Nazarenes / Nashara were known by this name from the earliest times since Nabi Isa as the group of Jews who recognised Isa as the Messiah. Throughout their history, those who were known as Christians (Those centred in Rome who believed Isa as the Messiah)  were NEVER known as Nazarenes, in fact Nazarenes and Christians were basically enemies, as Rome believed they had superseded the Nazarenes. (replacement theology)

The Nazarenes and Jews, despite being ethnically the same, became enemies as well, as the Nazarenes refused to support the reclaiming of Jerusalem (in 135AD). The Nazarenes held to the Injil Matthew and many settled in Arabia, the most famous being Waraqa Bin Nauffel who officiated the Prophets wedding.

The Qur'an doesn't necessarily refer to mainstream Christianity at all when it refers to Nashara, and that the Nasrani that the Quran addresses do not follow the catholic belief. It is clear that wesrtern (catholic) Christianity as is known today was basically not present in Arabia at the time of the Prophet. In refering to Nashara, the Qur'an most likely refers to a local Arabian sect context of the Nazarenes or Eastern Christians who were presented a corrected belief from the Qur'an.

Zack

[good logic]

Peace Sardar.

Thank you.

So are " Nasara" Jesus  helpers?

GOD bless you.
Peace.

[Deliverance]

Hello,

The Nazarenes / Nashara were known by this name from the earliest times since Nabi Isa as the group of Jews who recognised Isa as the Messiah. Throughout their history, those who were known as Christians (Those centred in Rome who believed Isa as the Messiah)  were NEVER known as Nazarenes, in fact Nazarenes and Christians were basically enemies, as Rome believed they had superseded the Nazarenes. (replacement theology)

The Nazarenes and Jews, despite being ethnically the same, became enemies as well, as the Nazarenes refused to support the reclaiming of Jerusalem (in 135AD). The Nazarenes held to the Injil Matthew and many settled in Arabia, the most famous being Waraqa Bin Nauffel who officiated the Prophets wedding.

The Qur'an doesn't necessarily refer to mainstream Christianity at all when it refers to Nashara, and that the Nasrani that the Quran addresses do not follow the catholic belief. It is clear that wesrtern (catholic) Christianity as is known today was basically not present in Arabia at the time of the Prophet. In refering to Nashara, the Qur'an most likely refers to a local Arabian sect context of the Nazarenes or Eastern Christians who were presented a corrected belief from the Qur'an.

Zack

Salam Zack,

The Group that were waiting for a Messia which you quoted at the beginnig are you you referring to Essene.They lived Long before Jesus birth and he(Jesus) lerned from them the Taurat and they gave him shelter.They call them self "Keeper of the Bond" which in hebraeic is "Nozrei ha brit"

[Zack]

[/quote]
Salam Zack,

The Group that were waiting for a Messia which you quoted at the beginnig are you you referring to Essene.They lived Long before Jesus birth and he(Jesus) lerned from them the Taurat and they gave him shelter.They call them self "Keeper of the Bond" which in hebraeic is "Nozrei ha brit"
[/quote]

Certainly the Nazarenes / Nashara could be closely connected to the Essenes, however they certainly were not the same thing. They are a number of differences. However potentially Nashara were a segment of the Essenes.

Either way, of all the streams of believers who recognized Isa as the Messiah, the Nazarenes are the closest culturally and theologically to the Prophet Muhammad and his followers. This makes sense, as it is the Nazarenes who were the first followers of Isa in Jerusalem, whom the Quran calls "muslims".

[Deliverance]

I want to pay your Attention to the word Essene it looks like if Isa/Esa/Essa and Essene have the same root.

http://www.paganizingfaithofyeshua.freeservers.com/were_the_essenes_the_original_zaxarenes_and_the_first_christi.htm

[Deliverance]

Allah referred Chritians as Nasara I Quran. He used Nasara and Yahud to describe Christians & Jews. The meaning if Nasara is helper.

To be clearly the Term used in the Quran "Nasara" and "Yahoud" which seemed to represent the Jews and Christians,is explained by sura 9:30
"The Jews call Uzayr a son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (30)"

Both groups violated against the teachings of their Books/Messengers by glorifying others beside God and we see that these sects have corrupted the message of Moses and Jesus peace be upon them and that they are doing the same like the idolaters of the past did and thus they get Gods angry.

Jesus was sent to Bani Israel 2:253 the term for the sect "Yahoud" isn't used here knowing by the Lord that they will recognize him and will follow his teaching .
Later after Jesus demise another sect arosed which was corrupted by Paul and other by preaching Jesus to be God etc. and this is the sect "Nasara"

regards

[Zack]

The situation in Arabia that is addressed by the Quran is most likely not as straight forward as in your last E Mail.

a) Firstly the fact is, despite 9.30, that if the Nashara were the Nazarenes, they were of Hebrew origin and "the guardians of pure monotheism / Tauhid", in contrast to Greek influenced Gentile Christianity. The problem is that ben elohim (son of God) was a perfectly acceptable term in their language as far as Tauhid is concerned, and was used by the Messengers of God all the way back to Nabi Musa. It was purely a figure of speech. This is rarely understood by Muslims. "Hebrew figures of speech make great use of sonship terminology, e.g., sons of Babylon, sons of the kingdom, sons of the evil one, sons of thunder, sons of peace, sons of the light, sons of darkness, sons of heaven, and sons of the resurrection. Obviously, such titles neither imply biological offspring, nor suggest that a woman could literally be impregnated by thunder or light."

b) The problem occurs when the Nazarenes / Nashara use that phrase in Arabia. "Obviously, literal translation of ben elohim (son of God) was even more vulnerable to evolve into heresy in Arabia not only because of the more restrictive use of terms like ibn and walad, but also because of how easily such titles were confused by pagan idolaters to refer to that which the Qur’a¯n condemns unequivocally." . This is rarely appreciated within Islam. Son of God is a linguistic problem between Hebrew and Arabic.

c) As mentioned previously, Arabia was known for heresies prior to Muhammad.  Possibly because of the linguistic issue, also surely that there was no Torah / Injil in their language.... which the Quran refers to people trying to sell fragments. It was a complex problem....

[Deliverance]

"...The problem is that ben elohim (son of God) was a perfectly acceptable term in their language as far as Tauhid is concerned, and was used by the Messengers of God all the way back to Nabi Musa. It was purely a figure of speech. This is rarely understood by Muslims..."

I am Aware of such speech using Terms like Father in Heaven,son of god etc. but the group"Yahoud" named a Person to be son of god as do the "Nasara" named Isa son of god.There is a passage when the Jesus will be questioned about it ,if he preaches to be the son of god and maryam his mother to be mothers god,he will deniy to have done that.
This Group the "Nasara" have a different view of the message which was delivered by Jesus thus it is a heretic sect of Bani Israel to whom Jesus was sent.

[Zack]

I am Aware of such speech using Terms like Father in Heaven,son of god etc. but the group"Yahoud" named a Person to be son of god as do the "Nasara" named Isa son of god.There is a passage when the Jesus will be questioned about it ,if he preaches to be the son of god and maryam his mother to be mothers god,he will deniy to have done that.
This Group the "Nasara" have a different view of the message which was delivered by Jesus thus it is a heretic sect of Bani Israel to whom Jesus was sent.

Yes, according to the Injil, Isa was referred to as the son of God in HEBREW. (ben elohim). So was Adam, so was Moses and so was Daud... they were all called son of God.  In Hebrew, when someone was son of God, it is interpreted as something like the Caliphate of God, Gods appointed one. In other languages, the phrase can't be translated that way, and is quickly distorted.

Re Nashara, it is clear that a segment were faithful to the original Nashara teaching of Isa's followers in the Quran, and then others who had deviated.

[Sardar Miyan]

"Ben Elohim"is clearly means son of God which is clearly against Tawheed. Is there is no word for messenger/ prophet in Hebrow the Jewish language ? Use of word messenger or prophet instead of Son would have been clear for the people of that time instead of telling that son means messenger. The Jews & Christians use word Father for God which is confusing & has lead to belief in Two-in-one. Saint Paul has openly declared Three-in-One.

[Zack]

"Ben Elohim"is clearly means son of God which is clearly against Tawheed. Is there is no word for messenger/ prophet in Hebrow the Jewish language ?

OK, I understand your concern. I will leave this here, and if Br. Joseph would like to comment on this discussion, he can provide input. All I am saying is that as far as I can see it is undeniable that it is a part of the Tauhid Hebrew language, understood by the Messengers of God in the Torah as something totally different to Arabia later.