The Qur’an does not use the title “Christ” to call Jesus’ followers “Christians.

” Christians are not named after the title “Messiah” but are called
Nasara or “Nazarenes.” This Qur’anic title does not presume that Jesus was a Nazarene. It is derived from a particular historical event in which
Jesus called on his companions for “support” or nasr in Arabic

َ َ‫ُّون َن ۡحنُ أ‬ ۡ َ ‫َف َلمَّٓا أَ َحسَّ عِ ي َس ٰى م ِۡن ُہ ُم ۡٱل ُك ۡف َر َقا َل َم ۡن أَن‬

‫نصا ُر‬ َ ‫اري‬ ِ ‫ار ٓى إِ َلى ٱهَّلل ِۖ‌ َقا َل ٱل َح َو‬
ِ ‫ص‬
ۡ ‫ٱهَّلل ِ َءا َم َّنا ِبٱهَّلل ِ َو‬
َ ‫ٱش َه ۡد ِبأ َ َّنا م ُۡسلِم‬
‫ُون‬
But when Jesus perceived disbelief on their part, he said: “Who are my ansar (supporters) in the cause of Allah?” The companions said: “We are

Allah’s ansar. We believe in Allah, and do you bear witness that we are Muslims.” (3.52)

‫ار ِّي ۧـ َن َم ۡن‬ ۡ َ ِ‫ار ٱهَّلل ِ َك َما َقا َل ع‬ َ َ‫ِين َءا َم ُنو ْا ُكو ُن ٓو ْا أ‬ َ ‫َي ٰـٓأ َ ُّي َہا ٱلَّذ‬
ِ ‫يسى ۡٱبنُ َم ۡر َي َم ۬لِل َح َو‬ َ ‫نص‬
َ ‫ُّون َن ۡحنُ أَن‬
‫صا ُر ٱهَّلل ِۖ‌ َفٔـََٔـا َم َنت َّطٓا ِِٕـٕٮ َف ٌة م ِّۢن َبن ِٓى إِ ۡس َرٲٓ ِءي َل‬ ۡ َ ‫أَن‬
َ ‫اري‬ ِ ‫ار ٓى إِ َلى ۬ۖ ٱهَّلل ِۖ‌ َقا َل ٱل َح َو‬ ِ ‫ص‬
)١٤( ‫ين‬ َ ‫ص َبحُو ْا َظ ٰـ ِه ِر‬ ۡ َ ‫ِين َءا َم ُنو ْا َع َل ٰى َع ُدوِّ ِهمۡ َفأ‬
َ ‫َو َك َف َرت َّطٓا ِِٕـٕٮ َف ٌ‌ة َفأَي َّۡد َنا ٱلَّذ‬
 

O you who believe! Be Allah’s ansar (supporters), as Jesus son of Mary said to the companions: “Who are my ansar (supporters) in the cause of

Allah?” The companions said: “We are Allah’s ansar (supporters).” Then a party of the Children of Israel believed and a party disbelieved,

therefore we aided those who believed against their enemy, so they became the ones that prevailed (61.14).

The plural term "Nasara (Nazarenes)" appears 14 times in the Qur'an. At times, God uses it to refer to Christians and, at others, Christians are
cited as using it to refer to themselves. The singular term "Nasrani (Nazarene)" is used by the Qur'an to mean "Christian." The Christians were
called “Nasara” at the time of the Qur’an in Arabia. The two verses I quoted in the article suggest to me that a particular event in which Jesus’
sought the “nasr (support)” of his companions ultimately led to his followers being called Nasara or “supporters,” meaning “supporters of Jesus.”