and a female; and the creation of Adam and Eve is more astonishing than the creation of the Messiah. Eve was brought forth from Adam’s rib, which is more extraordinary than bringing the Messiah into being within Mary’s womb. Even more wondrous than both is the creation of Adam himself, for he is the very source from which Eve was formed.

For this reason Allah likened Jesus to Adam, whose coming into existence is the greater marvel. If the Almighty is able to create a human out of dust—dust being of a substance foreign to the human body—can He not all the more create one from a woman, whose substance belongs to the same genus as the human body? Glorified is He: He created Adam from dust, then said to him, “Be!” and he was, once He had breathed into him of His Spirit. Likewise, with the Messiah He breathed into him of His Spirit and said, “Be!” and he was.

Yet Adam, on account of that Spirit breathed into him, did not become a fusion of divinity and humanity; he remained purely human. By the same token, the Messiah is entirely human.

Allah—blessed and exalted—mentioned this verse amid the passages He revealed about the Christians, when the delegation from Najrān came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and debated with him about the Messiah. Allah then revealed what He revealed, setting forth therein the word of truth over which Jews and Christians had differed, thereby repudiating both groups: these for their excess in exalting him, and those for their disparagement of him.

And right after this verse He said: