“Then I shall judge between you concerning the matters of religion and the matter of Jesus over which you used to differ.
“As for those who disbelieve, I shall punish them with a severe punishment in this world”—through killing, captivity, the jizyah, and humiliation—“and in the Hereafter,” that is, in the Fire; “and they will have no helpers” (56). “But as for those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will give them their rewards in full. And Allah does not love the wrongdoers” (57). Al-Hasan and Hafs recited it with the third-person form, while the rest recited it with the first-person plural form: that is, We will give them in full the rewards for their deeds. “And Allah does not love the wrongdoers,” meaning that He does not show mercy to the disbelievers or praise them commendably.
His saying, exalted is He, “That is”—that is, this account concerning Jesus, Mary, and the disciples which I have related to you—“We recite to you” [that is, We inform you of it through Gabriel’s recitation to you] (1) “of the signs and the wise Reminder” (58). This means the Quran, the Reminder possessing wisdom. Muqatil said: “The wise Reminder is the firmly established Reminder, safeguarded against falsehood.” It was also said: the wise Reminder is the Preserved Tablet, which is suspended from the Throne and made of a white pearl. It was further said that “of the signs” means the indications proving your prophethood, for these are accounts known only to one who reads a Scripture or to one who receives revelation, whereas you are unlettered and do not read.
His saying, exalted is He, “Indeed, the likeness of Jesus before Allah is like that of Adam” (59): this verse was revealed concerning the delegation of Najran. They said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “Why do you insult our companion?” He said, “And what do I say?” They replied, “You say that he is Allah’s servant.” He said, “Yes indeed: he is Allah’s servant, His Messenger, and His word, which He bestowed upon Mary, the virgin and chaste woman.” They became angry and said, “Have you ever seen a human being without a father?” So Allah Most High revealed, “Indeed, the likeness of Jesus before Allah” (2)—in that He created him without a father—“is like that of Adam,” for Adam was created without either father or mother. “He created him from dust, then said to him”—that is, to Jesus, peace be upon him—“‘Be,’ and he was.”
If it is asked: What is the meaning of His saying, “He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was,” when there can be no bringing into existence after creation? The answer is that its meaning is: He then created him, then informed you that He said to him, “Be,” and he was—without any chronological sequence in the act of creation, such as occurs in birth. This is like a man saying, “Today I gave you a dirham, then yesterday I gave you a dirham,” meaning: “Then I inform you that yesterday I gave you a dirham.”
The foregoing comparison also provides evidence for the permissibility of analogy, for analogy consists of relating a derivative case to an original case through some shared resemblance. Thus, Allah Most High related the creation of Jesus, peace be upon him, to that of Adam, peace be upon him, through a shared resemblance.