Asalam aleikum. I know that every Muslim should believe and respect Jesus as a prophet. My questions are: What does Islam say about Jesus being baptized? Why Muslims are not being baptized. Thank for your answer.
All praise be to Allah and may His blessings and peace be on His messenger, Muhammad,
Muslims only follow the legislations revealed before Islam if they were established in the last revelation, and they were not abrogated by it. This is because we believe the previous books have been altered. While wudu’ and ghusl (minor and major ritual ablutions) purify us of our own sins, baptism is not a recognized practice in Islam. This is only expected because baptism is meant to purify the newborn from the original sin. This concept is completely foreign to Islam. The original sin is not carried over from Adam to his descendants. Allah said,
“منِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً”
“Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning).” (Quran, 17:15)
Moreover, one is born completely purified. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
“كل مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه أو يمسجانه
“Every infant is born with a pure nature (a submitter to the one God). It is his parents who make him, Jewish, Christian or Pagan.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah.]
In fact, the greatest aspiration of a Muslim to be purified of his sins like a newborn is. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
“مَنْ حَجَّ فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ وَلَمْ يَفْسُقْ رَجَعَ كَمَا وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ .”
“Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any obscenity or evil will return to his state on the day his mother gave birth to him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah.]
Jesus (blessings and peace be upon him) would have been most deserving of that purity and least needing of this baptism unless it was legislated for some other purpose and the wisdom was later misconstrued.
Allah knows best.