Editing Jesus in Islam (section)

=== Sufism ===
Early Sufis adopted the sayings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and an ascetic dimension. The submission and sacrifice Jesus exemplified shows the Muslim is to be set apart from worldly compromises. In poetry and mysticism, Jesus was celebrated as a prophet close to the heart of God achieving an uncommon degree of self-denial.{{sfn|Barker|Gregg|2010|p=85}}

Although the writings developed over the centuries embellished Jesus' miracles, the lessons of Jesus can be seen as metaphors of the inner life. These rich and diverse presentations of Jesus in Sufi traditions are the largest body of Jesus-texts in any non-Christian tradition.{{sfn|Barker|Gregg|2010|p=86}}

{{blockquote|A key issue arises for Muslims with the Sufi picture of Jesus: how universally should the ascetic/esoteric approach be applied? For many Muslim poets and scholars the answer is clear: every Muslim is invited to the path of asceticism and inner realization embodied by Jesus. However, whilst all Muslims revere Jesus, most have reservations about the application of his way of life to society. For Muslims the highest pinnacle of human achievement is, after all, Muhammad. Muhammad is revered in part because he promoted the right blend of justice and mercy. In other words, Muslims need both a path that addresses individual spirituality as well as a path that will address the complex issues of community life, law, justice, etc. Jesus is viewed by many Muslims as having lived out only one side of this equation. As a figure of the heart or individual conscience, Jesus is viewed by some to be a limited figure. In more critical Muslim perspectives the Sermon on the Mount is admired but seen as impractical for human society. Perhaps the greatest division amongst Muslims has to do with the relevance of ascetic and esoteric beliefs in the context of strengthening an Islamic society.{{sfn|Barker|Gregg|2010|p=86}}}}

The miraculous birth and life of Jesus becomes a metaphor for [[Rumi]] of the spiritual rebirth that is possible within each human soul. This rebirth is not achieved without effort; one needs to practice silence, poverty, and fasting—themes that were prominent in Jesus' life according to Islamic traditions.{{sfn|Barker|Gregg|2010|p=112}}

[[Ibn Arabi]] stated Jesus was [[Al-Insān al-Kāmil]], the spirit and simultaneously a servant of God. Jesus is held to be "one with God" in whole coincidence of will, not as a being. Due to the spirit of God dwelling in Jesus, God spoke and acted through him. Yet Jesus is not considered to be God, but a person within God's word and spirit and a manifestation of God's attributes, like a mirror, a view resembling Nestorian traditions.{{sfn|Leirvik|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=IEUdCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA89 89]}}<ref>Clinton Bennett ''Understanding Christian-Muslim Relations: Past and Present'' A&C Black 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-826-48782-7}} page 155</ref>

The conception of Jesus as described by [[Ibn Arabi]] ({{abbr|d.|died}} 1240), an [[al-Andalus|Andalusian]] scholar, Sufi [[mysticism|mystic]], poet and philosopher, in the ''Bezels of Wisdom'':

{{poemquote|From the water of Mary or from the breath of Gabriel,
In the form of a mortal fashioned of clay,
The Spirit came into existence in an essence
Purged of Nature's taint, which is called Sijjin (prison)
Because of this, his sojourn was prolonged,
Enduring, by decree, more than a thousand years.
A spirit from none other than God,
So that he might raise the dead and bring forth birds from clay.<ref>{{cite book|last1=ibn ʻArabī al-Ḥātimī aṭ-Ṭāʾī|first1=Abū ʻAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad |author-link1=ibn Arabi|last2=Austin|first2=R. W.|author-link2=R. W. Austin|title=Ibn al-ʻArabi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p4PeeQGStQkC&pg=PT174|year=1980|publisher=Paulist Press|isbn=978-0-8091-2331-5|page=174}}</ref>}}

==== Ascetic literature ====
Jesus is widely venerated in Muslim [[Asceticism|ascetic]] and [[mysticism|mystic]] literature, such as in Muslim mystic [[Al-Ghazali]]'s {{transliteration|ar|Ihya ʿulum ad-Din}} ('The revival of the religious sciences'). These works lay stress upon Jesus' poverty, his preoccupation with worship, his detachment from worldly life and his miracles. Such depictions also include advice and sermons which are attributed to him. Later [[Sufism|Sufic]] commentaries adapted material from Christian gospels which were consistent with their ascetic portrayal. Sufi philosopher [[Ibn Arabi]] described Jesus as "the seal of universal holiness" due to the quality of his faith and "because he holds in his hands the keys of living breath and because he is at present in a state of deprivation and journeying".<ref name="EoI-Isa" />{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}