Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/295)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

A discussion of the description of Jesus—peace be upon him—together with his characteristics and virtues

God Most High says:

“The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a messenger; messengers passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth.” (al-Māʾidah 5:75)

It is said that he was called al-Masīḥ, “the Messiah,” because he “traversed (masaḥa) the earth,” that is, he journeyed through its lands, safeguarding his religion from the trials of his time in the face of the Jews’ vehement denial of him and their slander against him and his mother, peace be upon them both. Others have said he was so named because the soles of his feet were smooth and flat.

God, Exalted is He, also says:

“We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus son of Mary, confirming what had come before him of the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light.”

And He says:

“We gave Jesus, son of Mary, the clear proofs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.” (al-Baqarah 2:87)

There are very many verses on this subject.

It has already been mentioned, in the authentic collections of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every newborn is pricked by Satan at the moment of birth, so he cries out, except Mary and her son. Satan sought to prick them but was met by a protective veil.”

Likewise, the ḥadīth of ʿUmayr ibn Hāniʾ, transmitted by Junāda from ʿUbādah, records that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever bears witness that there is no deity but God alone without partner, that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, that Jesus is the servant of God and His messenger, His word which He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him; and that Paradise is true and Hellfire is true—God will admit him to Paradise whatever his deeds may have been.” Al-Bukhārī relates this wording, and Muslim likewise transmits it.

(1) Absent from the printed edition. (2) Other opinions are mentioned by al-Asfahani in his Majam mufradat alfaz al-Quran (p. 488). (3) In the printed edition it adds “wa bi-rusulina qaffayna,” evidently confusing it with Qur’an 57:27: “Thumma qaffayna ‘ala atharihim bi-rusulina…” (“Then We pursued in their footsteps by Our messengers…”). (4) p. 231. (5) In al-Bukhari: hadith no. 3286 in the chapter Badʾ al-Khalq (Beginning of Creation), “Description of Iblis and his hosts”; no. 3431 in al-Anbiyaʾ (The Prophets), on the verse “Wa-udhkur fi al-kitab Maryama” (“And mention in the Book Mary”); and no. 4548 in Tafsir, on the verse “Wa-inni u’idhuhā bika wa dhurriyyatahā min al-shaytan ir-rajim” (“And indeed I seek refuge for her by You and her offspring from the accursed Satan”). Muslim no. 2366 in Fada’il (Virtues), chapter “Virtues of Isa.” Al-istihlal denotes the newborn’s first cry at birth. The phrase “fa-ta‘ana fi al-hijab” (“it pierced the membrane”) refers to the amniotic sac in which the fetus’s components are assembled (vol. 8: 522–523). (6) p. 250, based solely on al-Bukhari. (7) Muslim no. 29 in al-Iman (Faith), chapter “Proof that whoever dies upon tawhid (monotheism) enters Paradise.”

ذكر (١) صِفة عيسى (عليه السلام) وشمائله وفضائله قال الله تعالى: ﴿مَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ﴾ [المائدة: ٧٥] . قيل: سُمَّي المسيح لمسحه الأرض، وهو سياحته فيها وفراره بدينه من الفتن في ذلك الزمان لشدّة تكذيب اليهود له وافترائهم عليه وعلى أمّه (رحمه الله) . وقيل: لأنه كان ممسوح القدمين (٢) . وقال تعالى: ﴿وَقَفَّيْنَا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ (٣) بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنْجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ﴾. وقال تعالى: ﴿وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ﴾ [البقرة: ٨٧] . والآيات في ذلك كثيرةٌ جدًا. وقد تقدم (٤) ما ثبت في (الصحيحين) (٥) : "ما من مولود إلا والشيطان يطعن في خاصرته حين يولد فيستهلّ صارخًا إلا مريم وابنها ذهب يطعن فطعن في الحجاب" . وتقدم (٦) حديث عُمير بن هانئ عن جنادة عن عبادة عن رسول الله ﷺ أنه قال: "من شهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأن محمدًا عبدُه ورسوله، وأن عيسى عبد الله ورسوله وكلمته ألقاها إلى مريم وروح منه، والجنة حق والنار حق، أدخله الله الجنة على ما كان من العمل" . رواه البخاري وهذا لفظه، ومسلم (٧) .

(١) ليست في ط. (٢) وثمة أقوال أخرى أوردها الأصفهاني في معجمه مفردات ألفاظ القرآن (٤٨٨). (٣) زاد في ط: برسلنا قفينا وهو التباس بالآية الكريمة الأخرى ﴿ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنْجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا فَآتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ﴾ [الحديد: ٢٧]. (٤) ص ٢٣١. (٥) في البخاري: رقم (٣٢٨٦) في بدء الخلق، باب صفة إبليس وجنوده. ورقم (٣٤٣١) في الأنبياء، باب قوله تعالى ﴿وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَرْيَمَ﴾. ورقم (٤٥٤٨) في التفسير، باب ﴿وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ﴾. وأخرجه مسلم (٢٣٦٦) في الفضائل، باب فضائل عيسى (عليه السلام) . والاستهلال: صياح المولود عند الولادة. وقوله: فطعن في الحجاب، أي: في المشيمة وهي التي يكون فيها المولود جامع الأصول (٨/ ٥٢٢ - ٥٢٣). (٦) صفحة ٢٥٠. عن البخاري فقط. (٧) صحيح مسلم رقم (٢٩) في الإيمان، باب الدليل على أن من مات على التوحيد دخل الجنة.