
Isa (Jesus)
The
Story of Mary, Daughter of Imran
Allah
Declares He Has No Son
In many
verses of the Glorious Qur'an Allah the Exalted denied the claim of the
Christians that He has a son. A
delegation from Nagran came to the Prophet Muhammad . They began to talk
about their claim about the Trinity, which is that Allah is three in
one, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with some disagreement among
their sects. That is why Allah affirmed in many verses of the Qur'an
that Jesus is a slave of Allah, whom He molded in the womb of his mother
like any other of His creatures, and that He created him without a
father, as He created Adam without a father or mother. The
Birth of Mary - Qur'anic
Allah the
Almighty said: Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the
family of Imran above the Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their times).
Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower. (Remember)
when the wife of Imran said: "0 my Lord! I have vowed to You what
(the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free
from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this,
from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing." Then when
she delivered her (child Mary), she said: "0 my Lord! I have
delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she
delivered, - "and the male is not like the female, and I have named
her Mary, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her
offspring from Satan, the outcast." Surah 3: 33-36
Mary's
Sustenance - Qur'anic
So her
Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a
good manner and put her under the care of Zechariah. Every time he
entered Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), he found her
supplied with sustenance. He said:
"0 Mary! From where have you got this?" She said:
"From Allah. Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills,
without limit." Surah 3: 37 Mary's
Family History
Allah
declared that He had elected Adam and the elite of his offspring who
obey Allah. Then He specified the family of Abraham , which includes the
sons of Ishmael , and the family of Imran, the father of Mary. Muhammad
Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was Imran Ibn Bashim, Ibn Amun, Ibn Misha, Thn
Hosqia, Ibn Ahriq, Ibn Mutham, Ibn Azazia, Ibn Amisa, Thn Yamish, Ibn
Ahrihu, Ibn Yazem, Thn Yahfashat, Thn Eisha, Thn Iyam, Thn Rahbaam, Ibn
David (Dawud). Mary's
Birth - Longer Version
Prophet
Zechariah's wife's sister had a daughter named Hannah. She was married
to Imran, a leader of the Israelites. For many years the couple remained
childless. Whenever Hannah saw another woman with a child, her longing
for a baby increased. Although years had passed, she never lost hope.
She believed that one day Allah would bless her with a child, on whom
she would shower all her motherly love. She turned
to the Lord of the heavens and the earth and pleaded with Him for a
child. She would offer the child in the service of Allah's house, in the
temple of Jerusalem. Allah granted her request. When she learned she was
pregnant she was the happiest woman alive, and thanked Allah for His
gift. Her overjoyed husband Imran also thanked Allah for His mercy. However,
while she was pregnant her husband passed away. Hannah wept bitterly.
Alas, 'Imran did not live to see their child for whom they had so
longed. She gave birth to a girl, and again turned to Allah in prayer:
"0 my Lord, I have delivered a female child, ... and the male is
not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with
You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast. Surah 3:
36 Zechariah
Becomes Mary's Guardian
Hannah had
a big problem in reference to her promise to Allah, for females were not
accepted into the temple, and she was very worried. He sister's husband,
Zechariah, comforted her, saying that Allah knew best what she had
delivered and appreciated fully what she had offered in His service. She
wrapped the baby in a shawl and handed it over to the temple elders. As the
baby was a girl, the question of her guardianship posed a problem for
the elders. This was a child of their late and beloved leader, and
everyone was eager to take care of her. Zechariah said to the elders:
"I am the husband of her maternal aunt and her nearest relation in
the temple; therefore, I will be more mindful of her than all of you. As it was
their custom to draw lots to solve disagreements, they followed this
course. Each one was given a reed to throw into the river. They had
agreed that whoever's reed remained afloat would be granted guardianship
of the girl. All the reeds sank to the bottom except Zechariah's. With
this sign, they all surrendered to the will of Allah and made him the
guardian. Mary's
High Status
To ensure
that no one had access to Mary, Zechariah built a separate room for her
in the temple. As she grew up, she spent her time in devotion to Allah.
Zechariah visited her daily to see to her needs, and so it continued for
many years. One day, he was surprised to find fresh fruit which was out
of season in her room. As he was the only person who could enter her
room, he asked her how the fruit got there. She replied that these
provisions were from Allah, as He gives to whom He wills. Zechariah
understood by this that Allah had raised Mary's status above that of
other women. Thereafter,
Zechariah spent more time with her, teaching and guiding her. Mary grew
to be a devotee of Allah, glorifying Him day and night. Mary's
High Status - Qur'anic
Ali Ibn
Abi Talib narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said: 'The best of the
world's women is Mary (in her lifetime), and the best of the world's
women is Khadijah (in her lifetime). Abu Musa
Al-Ashari also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said: "Many among
men attained perfection, but among women none attained perfection except
Mary the daughter of Imran, and Asiya the wife of Pharaoh; and the
superiority of Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid
(an Arabic dish) to other meals." The
Birth of Prophet Isa (Jesus)
Mary
Receives News of Jesus
While Mary
was praying in the temple, an angel in the form of a man appeared before
her. Filled with terror, she tried to flee, praying: "Verily! I
seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear
Allah." (The
angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce)
to you the gift of a righteous son." She said:
"How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I
unchaste?" He said:
"So (it will be), your Lord said: That is easy for me (Allah): And
(We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us
(Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allah). Surah 19:
18-21
The
Brith of Jesus
The
angel's visit caused Mary great anxiety, which increased as the months
went by. How could she face giving birth to a child without having a
husband? Later, she felt life kicking inside her. With a heavy heart,
she left the temple and went to Nazareth, the city in which she had been
born where she settled in a simple farm house to avoid the public. But fear
and anxiety did not leave her. She was from a noble and pious family.
Her father had not been an evil man nor was her mother an impure woman.
How could she prevent tongues from wagging about her honor? After some
months, she could not bear the mental strain any longer. Burdened with a
heavy womb, she left Nazareth, not knowing where to go to be away from
this depressing atmosphere. She had
not gone far, when she was overtaken by the pains of childbirth. She sat
down against a dry palm tree, and here she gave birth to a son. Looking
at her beautiful baby, she was hurt that she had brought him into the
world without a father. She exclaimed: "I wish I had died before
this happened and had vanished into nothingness!" Suddenly,
she heard a voice nearby: "Grieve not, your Lord has placed a
rivulet below, and shake the trunk of this tree, from which ripe dates
will fall. So eat and drink and regain the strength you have lost; and
be of good cheer, for what you see is the power of Allah, Who made the
dry palm tree regain life, in order to provide food for you." For a
while she was comforted by Allah's miracle, for it was a sure sign of
her innocence and purity. Mary
Returns to the City with Jesus
She
decided to return to the city. However, her fears also returned. What
was she going to tell the people? As if sharing his mother's worry, the
baby began to speak: "If you meet any person say: 'I have vowed to
fast for The Beneficent and may not speak to any human today."'
With this miracle, Mary felt at ease. As she had
expected, her arrival in the city with a newborn baby in her arms
aroused the curiosity of the people. They scolded her: 'This is a
terrible sin that you have committed." She put her finger to her
lips and pointed to the child. They asked: "How can we speak to a
newborn baby?" To their total amazement, the child began to speak
clearly: "I am Allah's servant. Allah has given me the Book, and
has made me a prophet, and has blessed me wherever I may be, and has
enjoined on me prayers and alms-giving as long as I live. Allah has made
me dutiful towards she who has borne me. He has not made me arrogant nor
unblessed. Peace unto me the day I was born, the day I die and the day I
shall be raised alive." Most of
the people realized that the baby was unique, for if Allah wills
something, He merely says "Be" and it happens. Of course,
there were some who regarded the baby's speech as a strange trick, but
at least Mary could now stay in Nazareth without being harassed. Mary
Receives News of Jesus - Qur'anic
Allah the
Exalted revealed: And mention in the Book (the Qur'an, 0 Muhammad the
story of) Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a
place facing east. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them;
then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her
in the form of a man in all respects. She said:
"Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you,
if you do fear Allah." (The
angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce)
to you the gift of a righteous son." She said:
"How can Ihave a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I
unchaste?" He said: 'So (it will be), your Lord said: That is easy
for Me (Allah): and (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a
mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed. (by
Allah)." Surah 19: 16-21
The
Birth of Jesus - Qur'anic
So she
conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (ie., Bethlehem
valley, about four to six miles from Jerusalem). And the pains of
childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: "Would
that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of
sight!" Then (the
babe "Jesus" or Gabriel) cried unto her from below her,
saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under
you; and shake the trunk of palm tree to wards you, it will let fall
fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see
any human being, say. 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most
Beneficent (Allah) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.
Surah 22-26 Mary
and Jesus Return to the City - Qur'anic
Then she
brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: "0
Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyya (an unheard mighty thing).
0 sister (i.e. the like) of Aaron (not the brother of Moses, but he was
another pious man at the time of Mary)! Your father was not a man who
used to commit adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste woman." Then she
pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child
in the cradle?" He (Jesus)
said: "Verily! I am a slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture
and made me a Prophet; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and
has enjoined on me prayer, and Zakat, as long as Ilive, and dutiful to
my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. And Salam (peace) be upon
me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised
alive!" Surah 19: 27-33
Allah's
Message About Jesus - Qur'anic
Such is
Jesus, son of Mary. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt
(or dispute). It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget
a son (this refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying
that Jesus is the son of Allah). Glorified (and Exalted be He above all
that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing. He only says to
it, "Be!" - and it is. (Jesus
said): 'And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him
(Alone). That is the Straight Path. (Allah Religion of Islamic
Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His Prophets)." Then the
sects differed (i.e., the Christians about Jesus), so woe unto the
disbelievers (those who gave false witness saying that Jesus is the son
of Allah) from the meeting of a great Day (i.e., the Day of
Resurrection, when they will be thrown in the blazing Fire). How
clearly will they (polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah)
see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! But the Zalimun
(polytheists and wrongdoers) today are in plain error. And warn them (0
Muhammad) of the Day of grief and regrets, when the case has been
decided, while (now) they are in a state of carelessness, and they
believe not. Surah 19: 34-39
Some
Stories About Mary's Pregnancy
It was
said that Joseph the Carpenter was greatly surprised when he knew the
story, so he asked Mary: "Can a tree come to grow without a
seed?" She said: "Yes, the one which Allah created for the
first time." He asked her again: "Is it possible to bear a
child without a male partner?" She said: "Yes, Allah created
Adam without male or female!" It was
also said that, while pregnant, Mary went one day to her aunt, who
reported that she felt as if she was pregnant. Mary in turn said that
she, too, was feeling as if she was pregnant. Then her aunt said:
"I can see what is in my womb prostrating to what is in your
womb." Jesus
Upsets the Jews
The Jewish
priests felt this child Jesus was dangerous, for they felt that the
people would turn their worship to Allah the Almighty alone, displacing
the existing Jewish tenets. Consequently, they would lose their
authority over the people. Therefore, they kept the miracle of Jesus's
speech in infancy as a secret and accused Mary of a great misdeed. Jesus's
Ability to Debate
As Jesus
grew, the signs of prophethood began to increase. He could tell his
friends what kind of supper waited for them at home and what they had
hidden and where. When he was twelve years old, he accompanied his
mother to Jerusalem. There he wandered into the temple and joined a
crowd listening to the lectures of the Rabbis (Jewish priests). The
audience were all adults, but he was not afraid to sit with them. After
listening intently, he asked questions and expressed his opinion. The
learned rabbis were disturbed by the boy's boldness and puzzled by the
questions he asked, for they were unable to answer him. They tried to
silence him, but he ignored their attempts and continued to express his
views. Jesus became so involved in this exchange that he forgot he was
expected back home. In the
meantime, his mother went home, thinking that he might have gone back
with relatives or friends. When she arrived, she discovered that he was
not there, so she returned to the city to look for him. At last she
found him in the temple, sitting among the learned, conversing with
them. He appeared to be quite at ease, as if he had been doing this all
his life. Mary got angry with him for causing her worry. He tried to
assure her that all the arguing and debating with the learned had made
him forget the time. Jesus
Does Not Observe Sabbath
Jesus grew
up to manhood. It was Sabbath, a day of complete rest: no fire could be
lit or extinguished, nor could females plait their hair. Moses had
commanded that Saturday be dedicated to the worship of Allah. However,
the wisdom behind the Sabbath and its spirit had gone, and only the
letter remained in the Jews, hearts. Also, they thought that the Sabbath
was kept in heaven, and that the People of Israel had been chosen by
Allah only to observe the Sabbath. They made
a hundred things unlawful on Saturday even self-defense or calling a
doctor to save a patient who was in bad condition. This is how their
life was branded by such hypocrisy. Although the Pharisees were
guardians of the law, they were ready to sell it when their interests
were involved so as to obtain personal gains. There was, for example, a
rule which prohibited a journey of more than one thousand yards on the
Sabbath day. What do we expect of the Pharisees in this case? The day
before, they transferred their food and drink from their homes two
thousand yards away and erected a temporary house so that from there
they could travel a further thousand yards on the Sabbath day. Jesus was
on his way to the temple. Although it was the Sabbath, he reached out
his hand to pick two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child. This was
considered to be a violation of the Sabbath law. He made a fire for the
old women to keep themselves warm from the freezing air. Another
violation. He went to the temple and looked around. There were twenty
thousand Jewish priests registered there who earned their living from
the temple. The rooms of the temple were full of them. Jesus
Receives His Prophethood
Jesus
observed that the visitors were much fewer than the priests. Yet the
temple was full of sheep and doves which were sold to the people to be
offered as sacrifices. Every step in the temple cost the visitor money.
They worshipped nothing but money. In the temple the Pharisees and
Sadducees acted as if it were a market place, and these two groups
always disagreed on everything. Jesus followed the scene with his eyes
and observed that the poor people who could not afford the price of the
sheep or dove were swept away like flies by the Pharisees and Saducees.
Jesus was astonished. Why did the priests burn a lot of offerings inside
the temple, while thousands of poor people were hungry outside it? On this
blessed night, the two noble prophets John and Zechariah died, killed by
the ruling authority. On the same night, the revelation descended upon
Jesus . Allah the Exalted commanded him to begin his call to the
children of Israel. To Jesus, the life of ease was closed, and the page
of worship and struggle was opened. Jesus's
Message
Like an
opposing force, the message of Jesus came to denounce the practices of
the Pharisees and Saducees and to reinforce the Law of Moses. In the
face of a materialistic age of luxury and worship of gold, Jesus called
his people to a nobler life by word and deed. This exemplary life was
the only way out of the wretchedness and diseases of his age. Jesus's
call, from the beginning, was marked by its complete uprightness and
piety. It appealed to the soul, the inner being, and not to a closed
system of rules laid down by society. Jesus
continued inviting the people to Almighty Allah. His call was based on
the principle that there is no mediation between the Creator and His
creatures. However, Jesus was in conflict with the Jews' superficial
interpretation of the Torah. He said that he did not come to abrogate
the Torah, but to complete it by going to the spirit of its substance to
arrive at its essence. He made
the Jews understand that the Ten Commandments have more value than they
imagined. For instance, the fifth commandment does not only prohibit
physical killing, but all forms of killing: physical, psychological, or
spiritual. And the sixth commandment does not prohibit adultery only in
the sense of unlawful physical contact between a man and a woman, but
also prohibits all forms of unlawful relations or acts that might lead
to adultery. The eye commits adultery when it looks at anything with
passion. Jesus
Denounces Materialism
Jesus was
therefore in confrontation with the materialistic people. He told them
to desist from hypocrisy, show and false praise. There was no need to
hoard wealth in this life. They should not preoccupy themselves with the
goods of this passing world; rather they must preoccupy themselves with
the affairs of the coming world because it would be everlasting. Jesus told
them that caring for this world is a sin, not fit for pious worshipers.
The disbelievers care for it because they do not know a better way. As
for the believers, they know that their sustenance is with Allah, so
they trust in Him and scorn this world. Jesus
continued to invite people to worship the Only Lord, Who is without
partner, just as he invited them to purify the heart and soul. Jewish
Priests Try to Embarrass Jesus
His
teaching annoyed the priests, for every word of Jesus was a threat to
them and their position, exposing their misdeeds. The Roman
occupiers had, at first, no intention of being involved in this
religious discord of the Jews because it was an internal affair, and
they saw that this dispute would distract the Jews from the question of
the occupation. However,
the priests started to plot against Jesus. They wanted to embarrass him
and to prove that he had come to destroy the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law
provides that an adulteress be stoned to death. They brought him a
Jewish adulteress and asked Jesus: "Does not the law stipulate the
stoning of the adulteress?" Jesus answered: "Yes." They
said: "This woman is an adulteress." Jesus looked at the woman
and then at the priests. He knew that they were more sinful than she.
They agreed that she should be killed according to Mosaic Law, and they
understood that if he was going to apply Mosaic Law, he would be
destroying his own rules of forgiveness and mercy. Jesus
understood their plan. He smiled and assented: "Whoever among you
is sinless can stone her." His voice rose in the middle of the
Temple, making a new law on adultery, for the sinless to judge sin.
There was none eligible; no mortal can judge sin, only Allah the Most
Merciful. As Jesus
left the temple, the woman followed him. She took out a bottle of
perfume from her garments, knelt before his feet and washed them with
perfume and tears, and then dried his feet with her hair. Jesus turned
to the woman and told her to stand up, adding: "0 Lord, forgive her
sins." He let the priests understand that those who call people to
Almighty Allah are not executioners. His call was based on mercy for the
people, the aim of all divine calls.
Jesus's
Brings the Dead to Life
Jesus
continued to pray to Allah for mercy on his people and to teach his
people to have mercy on one another and to believe in Allah. Jesus
continued his mission, aided by divine miracles. Some Qur'anic
commentators said that Jesus brought four people back from the dead: a
friend of his named Al-Azam, an old woman's son, and a woman's only
daughter. These three had died during his lifetime. When the Jews saw
this they said: "You only resurrect those who have died recently;
perhaps they only fainted." They asked him to bring back to life
Sam the Ibn Noah. When he
asked them to show him his grave, the people accompanied him there.
Jesus invoked Allah the Exalted to bring him back to life and behold,
Sam the Ibn Noah came out from the grave gray-haired. Jesus asked:
"How did you get gray hair, when there was no aging in your
time?" He answered: "0, Spirit of Allah, I thought that the
Day of Resurrection had come; from the fear of that day my hair turned
gray." The
Miracles of Jesus - Qur'anic
Allah the
Almighty said: (Remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of
Resurrection): 'O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My Favor to you and to
your mother when I supported you with Ruh-ul-Qudus (Gabriel) so that you
spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity and when I taught you
writing Al-Hikmah (the power of understanding), the Torah and the
Gospel; and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a
bird, by My Permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird
by My Permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My
Permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My Permission; and
when I restrained the Children of Israel from you (when they resolved to
kill you) since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the
disbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic. And when I
(Allah) put in the hearts of the disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me
and My Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear witness that we
are Muslims. " Surah 5: 110-111 Jesus's
Abilities and Disciples - Qur'anic
Almighty
Allah also revealed: And He (Allah) will teach him (Jesus) the Book and
Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunna, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom,
etc.), (and) the Torah and the Gospel. And will
make him (Jesus) a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I
have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out
of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it
becomes a bird by Allah Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and
the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave. And I inform
you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein
is a sign for you, if you believe. And I have come confirming that which
was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful to you part of what was
forbidden to you, and I have come to you with proof from your Lord. So
fear Allah and obey me. Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so
worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path." Then when
Jesus came to know of their disbelief he said: "Who will be my
helpers in Allah's Cause?" The disciples said: "We are the
helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are
Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah)." Our Lord!
We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger
(Jesus); so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth
i.e. La ilaha ill Allah - none has the right to be worshiped but Allah).
And they
(disbelievers) plotted (to kill Jesus), and Allah planned too. And Allah
is the Best of the planners. Surah 3: 48-54 Allah
Sends the Disciples a Feast
Jesus
continued calling people to Almighty Allah and laying down for them what
might be called "the law of the Spirit." Once when standing on
a mountain surrounded by his disciples, Jesus saw that those who
believed in him were from among the poor, the wretched, and the
downtrodden, and their number was small. Some of
the miracles which Jesus performed had been requested by his disciples,
such as their wish for a "holy table" to be sent down from
heaven. Allah the
Exalted said: (Remember) when the disciples said: "0 Jesus, son of
Mary! Can your Lord send down to us a table spread (with food) from
heaven?" Jesus said: "Fear Allah, if you are indeed
believers." They said: "We wish to eat thereof and to be
stronger in Faith, and to know that you have indeed told us the truth
and that we ourselves be its witnesses." Jesus, son
of Mary, said: "0 Allah, our Lord! Send us from heaven a table
spread (with food) that there may be for us - for the first and the last
of us - a festival and a sign from You; and provide us sustenance, for
You are the Best of sustainers." Allah said: "I am going to
send it down unto you, but if any of you after that disbelieves, then I
will punish him with a torment such as Iha ye not inflicted on anyone
among (all) the Alamin (mankind and jinn)." Surah 5: 112-116 It was
related that Jesus commanded his disciples to fast for thirty days; at
the end of it, they asked Jesus to bring food from heaven to break their
fast. Jesus prayed to Allah after his disciples had doubted Allah's
power. The great table came down between two clouds, one above and one
below, while the people watched. Jesus said: "0 Lord, make it a
mercy and not a cause of distress." So it fell between Jesus's
hands, covered with a napkin. Jesus
suddenly prostrated and his disciples with him. They sensed a fragrance
which they had never smelled before. Jesus said: 'The one who is the
most devout and most righteous may uncover the table, that we might eat
of it to thank Allah for it." They said: "0 Spirit of Allah,
you are the most deserving." Jesus
stood up, then performed ablution and prayed before uncovering the
table, and behold, there was a roasted fish. The disciples said: "0
Spirit of Allah, is this the food of this world or of Paradise?"
Jesus said to his disciples: "Did not Allah forbid you to ask
questions? It is the divine power of Allah the Almighty Who said: 'Be,'
and it was. It is a sign from Almighty Allah warning of great punishment
for unbelieving mortals of the world. This is the kernel of the
matter." It is said
that thousands of people partook of it, and yet they never exhausted it.
A further miracle was that the blind and lepers were cured. The Day of
the Table became one of the holy days for the disciples and followers of
Jesus. Later on, the disciples and followers forgot the real essence of
the miracles, and so they worshipped Jesus as a god. Allah's
Questions to Jesus
Almighty
Allah asserted: And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of
Resurrection): "0 Jesus son of Mary! Did you say unto men: 'Worship
me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?"' He will say:
"Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to
say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know
what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly,
You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.
Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to
say: 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord', And I was a witness over
them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the
Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great
admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world). If you
punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, Verily You,
only You are the All-Mighty the All- Wise." Allah will
say: 'This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth:
theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) - they shall
abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him.
That is the great success (Paradise). To Allah belongs the dominion of
the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do
all things." Surah 5: 116-120 The
Jews Plot to Kill Jesus
Jesus went
on with his mission until vice knew that its throne was threatening to
fall. So the forces of evil accused him of magic, infringement of the
Mosaic Law, allegiance with the devil; and when they saw that the poor
people followed him, they began to scheme against him. The
Sanhedrin, the highest judicial and eclesiastical council of the Jews,
began to meet to plot against Jesus. The plan took a new turn. When the
Jews failed to stop Jesus's call, they decided to kill him. The chief
priests held secret meetings to agree on the best way of getting rid of
Jesus. While they
were in such a meeting, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, Judas
Iscariot, went to them and asked: "What will you give me if I
deliver him to you?" Judas bargained with them until they agreed to
give him thirty pieces of silver known as shekels. The plot was laid for
the capture and murder of Jesus. It was
said that the high priest of the Jews tore his garment at the meeting,
claiming that Jesus had denied Judaism. The tearing of clothes at that
time was a sign of disgust. The
Torture of Jesus
The
priests had no authority to pass the death sentence at that time, so
they convinced the Roman governor that Jesus was plotting against the
security of the Roman Empire and urged him to take immediate action
against him. The governor ordered that Jesus be arrested. According
to the Book of Matthew, Jesus was arrested and the council of the high
priests passed the death sentence upon him. Then, they began insulting
him, spitting on his face and kicking him. It was the
Roman custom for the condemned to be flogged before they were executed.
So Pilate, the Roman governor, ordered that Jesus be flogged. The Mosaic
Law stipulates forty lashes, but the Romans had no limit, and they were
brutal lashes. After that, Jesus was handed to the soldiers for
crucifixion. They took off his clothes and kept them. They put a crown
of thorns on his head to mock him. According to custom he carried his
cross on his back to increase his suffering. Jesus's
Crucifixion - Bible Version
Finally,
they reached a place called Golgotha, meaning the Place of Skulls,
outside the walls of Jerusalem. Instead of giving him a cup of wine
diluted with scent to help lessen the pain on the cross, the soldiers
gave Jesus a cup of vinegar diluted with gall. Then they crucified him
and, as a further mockery, two thieves with him. So it is written in the
Bible. Jesus's
Crucifixion - Qur'anic
But the
faith of Islam came with views quite different from that of the extant
gospels with regards to both the end of Jesus and his nature. The
Glorious Qur'an affirms that Allah the Exalted did not permit the people
of Israel to kill Jesus or crucify him. What happened was that Allah
saved him from his enemies and raised him to heaven. They never killed
Jesus; they killed someone else. Allah the
Almighty declared: And because of their saying (in boast), "We
killed Messiah Jesus, son of Mary the Messenger of Allah," - but
they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Jesus was
put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ
therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they
follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not (i.e.
Jesus, son of Mary): But Allah raised him (Jesus) up (with his body and
soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah is Ever
All-Powerful, all- Wise. And there
is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), but must
believe in him (Jesus, son of Mary as only a Messenger of Allah and a
human being), before his (Jesus or a Jew's or a Christian's) death (at
the time of the appearance of the angel of death). And on the Day of
Resurrection, he (Jesus) will be a witness against them. Surah 4:
157-159 Almighty
Allah also revealed: And (remember) when Allah said: "0 Jesus! I
will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you (of the forged
statement that Jesus is Allah son) of those who disbelieve, and I will
make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allah)
superior to those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah, or disbelieve
in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, etc., or in His
Holy Books, e.g. the Torah, the Gospel, the Qur'an) till the Day of
Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in
the matters in which you used to dispute. Surah 3: 55 Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 19
Almighty
Allah refuted the claims of the Jews and the Christians in many verses
of the Glorious Qur'an. And they
say: 'The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a son (or offspring or
children) as the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians
say that He has begotten a son (Christ), and the pagan Arabs say that He
has begotten daughters (angels, etc.)." Indeed you
have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing Where by the heavens are
almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in
ruins, that they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most
Beneficent (Allah). But it is
not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allah) that He
should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is none in the
heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) as a
slave. Verily He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full
counting And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of
Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender). Surah 19:
88-95 Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 6
Allah the
Exalted also declared: Yet, they join the jinns as partners in worship
with Allah, though He has created them (the jinns), and they attribute
falsely without knowledge sons and daughters to Him. Be He Glorified!
And Exalted above (all) that they attribute to Him. He is the
Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when
He has no wife? He created all things and He is the All-Knower of
everything. Such is
Allah your Lord! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is
the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian etc.) over all things.
No vision
can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle
and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things. Surah 6: 100-103
Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 4
Almighty
Allah commanded: 0 people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not
exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the
truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of
Allah and His Word, ("Be" - and he was) which He bestowed on
Mary and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His
Messengers. Say not: 'Three (trinity)!" Cease! (It is) better for
you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilah (God), Glory be to Him (Far
Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the
heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a
Disposer of affairs. The
Messiah will never be proud to reject to be a slave to Allah, nor the
angels who are near (to Allah). And whosoever rejects His worship and is
proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself So, as for
those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and
did deeds of righteousness, He will give their (due) rewards, and more
out of His Bounty. But as for those who refuse His worship and were
proud, He will punish them with a painful torment. And they will not
find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper. Surah 4:
171-173 Allah
Disclaims Ezra as a Son
Almighty
Allah also declared: And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the
Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is a saying from their
mouths. They imitate the saying of the disbelievers of old. Allah Curse
be on them, how they are deluded a way from the truth! They (Jews
and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords
besides Allah, (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or
unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah)
and (they also took as their lord) Messiah, son of Mary, while they
(Jews and Christians) were commanded (in the Torah and the Gospel) to
worship none but One Ilah (God - Allah) La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the
right to be worshiped but He). Praise and glory be to Him, (far above is
He) from having the partners they associate (with Him). Surah 9: 30-32 Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 37
Allah the
Almighty also revealed: Now ask them (0 Muhammad): 'Are there (only)
daughters for your Lord and sons for them?" Or did We create the
angels females while they were witnesses? Verily it
is of their falsehood that they (Quraish pagans) say: 'Allah has
begotten offspring or children (e. angels are the daughters of
Allah)" And, verily they are liars! Has He
(then) chosen daughters rather than sons? What is the matter with you?
How do you decide? Will you not then remember? Or is there for you a
plain authority? Then bring your Book if you are truthful! And they
have invented a kinship, between Him and the jinns, but the jinn know
well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e. they will be
brought for accounts). Glorified
be Allah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! Except the
slaves of Allah, whom He chooses (for His Mercy i.e. true believers of
Islamic Monotheism who do not attribute false things unto Allah). Surah
37: 149-160
Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 6 (Different Verses)
And
Almighty Allah declared: Surely in disbelief are they who say that Allah
is the Messiah, son of Mary. Say (0 Muhammad): "Who then has the
least power against Allah, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of
Mary his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?" And
to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that
is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah is Able to do all
things. And (both)
the Jews and the Christians say: "We are the children of Allah and
His loved ones." Say: "Why then does He punish you for your
sins?" Nay you are but human beings, of those He has created, He
forgives whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah
belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is
between them, and to Him is the return (of all). O people
of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our
Messenger (Muhammad) making (things) clear unto you, after a break in
(the series of) Messengers, lest you say: 'There came unto us no bringer
of glad tidings and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer
of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah is Able to do all things. Surah
6: 17-19 Allah
Disclaims Christian Beliefs About Jesus
Allah the
Exalted warned: Surely they have disbelieved who say: 'Allah is the
Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary." But the Messiah (Jesus) said:
"O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord."
Verily whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has
forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the
Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) there are no helpers. Surely
disbelievers are those who said: 'Allah is the third of the three (in a
Trinity)." But there is no Ilah (god) (none who has the right to be
worshipped) but One Ilah (God- Allah). And if they cease not from what
they say verily a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among
them. Will they
not repent to Allah and ask His Forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving
Most Merciful. The
Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were
the Messengers that passed a way before him. His mother (Mary) was a
Siddiqah i.e. she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books. They
both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allah does not
eat). Look how We make the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons,
signs, revelations, etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are deluded a
way (from the truth). Surah 6: 72-75
Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 17
And
Almighty Allah ordered: And say: 'All the praises and thanks be to
Allah, Who has not begotten a son (nor an offspring), and Who has no
partner in (His) Dominion, nor He is low to have a Wali (helper,
protector or supporter). And magnify Him with all the magnificence,
Allah u-A kbar (Allah is the Most Great). " Surah 17: 111 Allah
Disclaims Begetting Anyone - Surah 112
The pagans
once asked the Prophet Muhammad : 'To whom is your Lord related, His
original ancestors and His various branches of descendants?" It is
also reported that the Jews said: "We worship Ezra, the Son of
Allah," and the Christians said: "Jesus is the Son of
Allah," and the Magians said: "We worship the sun and the
moon," and the Pagans said: "We worship idols." In
response to all of them Allah revealed some of His attributes: Unity,
Uniqueness, and other substantives: Say (0
Muhammad): "He is Allah, (the) One. Allah AsSamad (The
Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor
drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal
or comparable unto Him. " Surah 112: 1-4
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