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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Mary and Jesus in Islam The Disciples Allah Almighty has said, “But when Jesus perceived disbelief on their part, he said: Who will be my helpers in Allah's way? The disciples said: We are helpers (in the way) of Allah: We believe in Allah and bear witness that we submit (to Him in Islam)” (Qur'an, 3:52).

The Almighty has also said, “And when I inspired the disciples saying: Believe in Me and in My messenger, they said: We believe and (you) bear witness that we are Muslims (submitters to the will of Allah)” (Qur'an, 5:111), that is, Allah enabled the disciples to believe in His messenger. They were the elite from among those who believed in Jesus son of Mary and who followed him. They were his supporters and viziers, and they were twelve in number.

Their names are: Simon al-Safa who is also called Peter, his brother Andrews, Jacob son of Zebedee, his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew al-Ashshar (collector of the `ushr tax, the tithe[^1]), Jacob son of Halfa, Leah who is also called Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. Biblical lists of them, however, differ from this one. The “saints” who wrote the Gospels named after them are: John, Mark, Luke, and Matthew.

Let us see what Christians tell us about them:[^2] [^1] It is a tax on agricultural produce, goods, or personal items set aside as an offering to God. Very few Christians nowadays pay it. Here in the U.S., taxes collected by federal, state, social security, insurance, etc. take out about 30% of one's hard earned income, leaving him in need for charity himself!

[^2] The following text material is excerpted from two sources: The Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia (The Viking Press, New York, 1968), and the Encyclopedia Britannica III. (66) St. Mark was a friend of Saints Peter, Paul, and Luke. He is John Mark; his mother is believed to be the owner of the house where the Last Supper (where the Table of Viands, or al-Ma'ida) was held.

His Gospel is the shortest and simplest, the only one which stands out from among all the other three in context and in spirit. Some Biblical critics are of the view that it was the first to be composed. It narrates the life of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to the passion and alleged “resurrection”. St. Luke, a man from Antioch[^1], Syria, was said to be a doctor, a physician, and a friend and companion of Saints Paul and Mark.