And cases of this sort are many. How, then, could a passage that openly recounts the splitting of the moon be recited before them time and again without a single believer, unbeliever, or hypocrite raising an objection—especially when Ibn al-Zibʿarā and other idolaters seized upon a faulty analogy in the verse, “Indeed, you and whatever you worship instead of Allah are the fuel of Hell; you shall all enter it” (21:98)? They treated the Messiah like the lifeless idols solely because he too is worshipped. Such reasoning only reveals their ignorance of analogy, for the distinction is plain: these—being living, rational, righteous beings—would feel the fire, and they are not punished on account of other people’s disbelief, whereas stones are flung into the Fire to disgrace both themselves and those who worshipped them.

Allah, exalted is He, says: “When the son of Mary is put forward as an example, your people recoil in protest and say, ‘Are our gods better, or is he?’ They cite him to you only for the sake of argument; indeed, they are a contentious people” (43:57–58).

Had it not been