Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/126)

Section: Refutation of Their Claim That It Does Not Befit Them to Abandon the Word of God in Their Possession, Which the Qur’an Extols

They say:
“Then He praised our offerings and threatened us that, should we neglect what we possess and disbelieve in what has been sent down to us, He would punish us with a painful torment the like of which He will inflict on no one else in all creation. He said this in Sūrat al-Māʾidah:

‘When the disciples said, "O Jesus, son of Mary, can your Lord send down to us a table spread with food from heaven?" he replied, "Fear Allah, if you are truly believers."’ ⦗al-Māʾidah 5:112⦘ (112)

‘They said, "We wish to eat from it so that our hearts may be reassured, so that we may know you have told us the truth, and so that we may be among its witnesses."’ ⦗al-Māʾidah 5:113⦘ (113)

‘Jesus, son of Mary, said, "O Allah, our Lord, send down to us a table from heaven that will be for the first of us and the last of us a festival and a sign from You. Provide for us, for You are the best of providers."’ ⦗al-Māʾidah 5:114⦘ (114)

‘Allah said, "I am indeed going to send it down to you; but whoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I shall punish him with a punishment such as I will inflict on no one else in all the worlds."’ ⦗al-Māʾidah 5:115⦘.

Thus, they maintain, the ‘table’ is the sacred qurbān (offering) by which one seeks closeness in every Mass.

[فَصْلٌ: رَدُّ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يَلِيقُ بِهِمْ أَنْ يَتْرُكُوا كَلِمَةَ اللَّهِ عِنْدَهُمُ الَّتِي عَظَّمَهَا الْقُرْآنُ] قَالُوا: ثُمَّ مَدَحَ قَرَابِينَنَا وَتَوَّعَدَنَا إِنْ أَهْمَلْنَا مَا مَعَنَا وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا أَنْ يُعَذِّبَنَا عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا لَمْ يُعَذِّبْهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ بِقَوْلِهِ ذَلِكَ فِي سُورَةِ الْمَائِدَةِ: {إِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَاعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ} [المائدة: ١١٢] (١١٢) {قَالُوا نُرِيدُ أَنْ نَأْكُلَ مِنْهَا وَتَطْمَئِنَّ قُلُوبُنَا وَنَعْلَمَ أَنْ قَدْ صَدَقْتَنَا وَنَكُونَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ} [المائدة: ١١٣] (١١٣) {قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِنْكَ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيرُ الرَّازِقِينَ} [المائدة: ١١٤] (١١٤) {قَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لَا أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ} [المائدة: ١١٥] . فَالْمَائِدَةُ هِيَ الْقُرْبَانُ الْمُقَدَّسُ الَّذِي يُتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ فِي كُلِّ قُدَّاسٍ.