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Introduction
He who reads the Qur'an carefully, finds that Allah gave the Son of Mary "the clear signs" (al-Bayyinat) to prove his divine ministry, which he practiced by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will meditate over the five verses in which these exciting proofs appear:
"We gave to Moses the book, and after him sent succeeding messengers; and we gave 'Isa, the Son of Mary, the clear signs and strengthened him with the Spirit of the Holy …" (Sura al-Baqara 2:87)
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ بِالرُّسُلِ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَات وَأَيَّدْنَاه بِرُوح الْقُدُس ... (سُورَة الْبَقَرَة ٢ : ٨٧)
Muhammad heard about the ministry of Jesus and believed that he did not only teach, warn and prophesy, but that he had performed many outstanding miracles. His words included the power of Allah. The Son of Mary did not only bring a new law, but also healed the sick, gave life to the dead and made the evil ones good. Christ received his Gospel from Allah by direct revelation with substantial clear signs as a proof of his divine call. Allah raised him to the highest rank among all the prophets:
"Those are the messengers, some we have preferred above others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others he raised in ranks; and we gave 'Isa, the Son of Mary, the clear signs and confirmed him with the Spirit of the Holy." (Sura al-Baqara 2:253).
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَات وَأَيَّدْنَاه بِرُوح الْقُدُس ... (سُورَة الْبَقَرَة ٢ : ٢٥٣)
We read about Moses in the Torah, that the LORD spoke to him, face to face (Exodus 33:11). Muhammad heard this exciting news and considered it as meaning that Moses was preferred to other prophets. He investigated the matter and heard that Allah gave Moses nine divine miraculous signs, of which two are mentioned in detail in the Qur'an (Suras al-Isra' 17:101 and al-Naml 27:12). These signs of Moses against the Egyptians were some of the ten plagues of Allah mentioned in the Torah, which Moses had to bring on Pharaoh and his people to release the enslaved Hebrews. (Exodus 7:1 - 12:51)
Yet, the Son of Mary obtained from his Lord an unlimited number of miracles full of grace by which he healed many sick, comforted the hopeless, delivered those who were going astray and raised the dead. Christ did not inflict punishments or plagues upon his disobedient nation, but came to them in compassion as the Good Shepherd, as a healing doctor and as a merciful helper. This is why the Qur'an calls him the greatest messenger till then.
The expression "clear signs" (al-Bayyinat) concerning Christ appears in Suras al-Baqara 2:87, 253; -- al-Ma'ida 5:110; -- al-Zukhruf 43:63; -- al-Saff 61:6.