Who is the Greatest Prophet According to the Qur’an?

The following thought provoking piece was taken from What Does the Qur’an Teach About Jesus?

While Islamic teaching holds that Jesus was merely a prophet, the witness of the Qur’an itself is that Jesus is an exceptional prophet. Amar Djaballah explains:

In summary, the titles of the Quranic Jesus show him to be a highly esteemed prophet and apostle, with a uniqueness that Muslim tradition is not able to explain satisfactorily.*

Djaballah is referring to the different texts in the Qur’an which point to Jesus as being in a special class of prophet, a class that Mohammed himself does not seem to attain. For instance, the Qur’an testifies to the following regarding Jesus:

• Jesus was born a virgin (Surah 3:45-50).
• Jesus is sinless (Surah 6:85).
• Jesus is the Messiah (Surah 3:45).
• Jesus performed miracles (Surah 3:49).
  • One of these miracles is especially interesting (although only attested elsewhere in the Gospel of Thomas). Surah 3:49 and 5:110 teach that Jesus created a bird out of clay while He was upon this earth.
• Jesus ascended into heaven in bodily form (Surah 3:55).
• Jesus spoke at his birth (Surah 19:27-35).
• Jesus raised the dead (Surah 3:49).**

Question for Muslims: since none of the above is true of Muhammed, how can he be called the greatest prophet?

*See Amar Djaballah, “Jesus in Islam,” SBTJ 8:1 (2004), 14-26.

**Whole list taken from Norman Geisler, “Jesus and Muhammed in the Qur’an: A Comparison and Contrast,” SBJT 8:1 (2004), 50-58.