How can one talk with Christians about Jesus (as) without hurting them?

With wisdom and kindness, without giving up one’s own principles. Begin with what both share, belief in one God, and show that Muslims sincerely love Jesus (as).

Wherever the Holy Qur’an speaks of inviting others to faith, wisdom always comes first. Some people, however, start straight away with argument. That turns the order upside down, and it almost always brings bad results. Wisdom here means anything that serves the goal. And the goal is to win hearts, not to drive them away.

Caring for the feelings of others is part of Islam, as the hadith above shows. Yet principles are not given up in the process. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) proclaimed the Oneness of God even when it deeply offended his opponents. So one moves between two walls. No one should be hurt needlessly, and yet the truth remains the truth. Between the two, only good sense will help.

A good place to begin is the Oneness of God. Christians too, Catholics included, stress that God is one. They simply understand this oneness differently. So one can say: we both believe in one God. Let us examine from the Bible which understanding comes closest to that of Jesus (as) himself. In this way an argument becomes a shared search.

A second way is to show that Muslims love Jesus (as), and love the real Jesus (as). For Muslims he was a real human being who truly suffered. That is why he is an example one can actually follow. God did not leave him to the curse of a death on the cross, but answered his prayer to be saved. Whoever speaks of him in this way does not honour him less, but more.

Offence cannot always be avoided, because some people feel hurt no matter how one speaks. But in the great majority of conversations it is possible to stay kind and still invite clearly to Islam.