نصارى
Naṣārā
Group
The Quran’s name for Christians; it praises their piety and disagrees with their doctrine.
What it means
The Quran uses Naṣārā (“Nazarenes”) and also “People of the Gospel” (5:47). It says that “the nearest in affection to the believers are those who say ‘we are Christians’, because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant” (5:82). It also says that those who say “God is the third of three” have disbelieved (5:73), and calls them to “a word common between us” (3:64).
What the sources say
The Prophet received a Christian delegation from Najran in Medina and, by one report, allowed them to pray in his mosque (Ibn Ishaq). Christians and Muslims agree on Jesus’ virgin birth, miracles and return, and disagree on whether he is God and on the cross.