Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (493)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(34–36) “That is Jesus son of Mary—the word of truth about which they dispute. * It is not for Allah to take a son. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is. * Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.”

That is, the one described by those qualities is Jesus son of Mary, without any doubt or uncertainty. Rather, this is the word of truth and the speech of Allah, than which no statement is truer and no discourse finer. This, then, is the certain account concerning Jesus, peace be upon him. Whatever is said about him that contradicts it is categorically false. At most, such a claim is merely a doubt voiced by someone who has no knowledge of the matter. Hence He says, “about which they dispute.” That is, they doubt and then argue on the basis of their doubt, disputing through mere conjecture. Some say that he is Allah, others that he is the son of Allah, and still others that he is one of three. Supremely exalted is Allah above their lies and fabrications.

“It is not for Allah to take a son.” That is, this is neither proper nor befitting, for it is utterly impossible. He is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy, the Sovereign of every dominion. How, then, could He take a son from among His servants, all of whom belong to Him? “Glory be to Him!” That is, He is exalted and sanctified above having a son and above every deficiency. “When He decrees a matter”—whether small or great—nothing can thwart Him, nor does anything prove difficult for Him. “He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” Since His decree and will hold sway throughout the upper and lower worlds, how could He have a son? And since, whenever He wills something, He says to it, “Be,” and it is, how can anyone deem it unlikely that He created Jesus without a father?

For this reason, Jesus declared that he was a servant under his Lord’s dominion, like everyone else. He said, “Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord”—the One who created and fashioned us, and whose governance and decree hold sway over us.

“So worship Him.” That is, devote worship sincerely to Him and strive earnestly to turn to Him. This affirms Allah’s exclusive Lordship and His sole right to worship, while establishing the latter by means of the former. Hence He says, “This is a straight path.” That is, a balanced path leading to Allah, for it is the path of the messengers and their followers. Every path besides it is a path of error and misguidance.

﴿٣٤ - ٣٦﴾ ﴿ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ * مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ * وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ﴾ . أي: ذلك الموصوف بتلك الصفات، عيسى بن مريم، من غير شك ولا مرية، بل قول الحق، وكلام الله، الذي لا أصدق منه قيلا ولا أحسن منه حديثا، فهذا الخبر اليقيني، عن عيسى ﵇، وما قيل فيه مما يخالف هذا، فإنه مقطوع ببطلانه،.وغايته أن يكون شكا من قائله لا علم له به، ولهذا قال: ﴿الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ﴾ أي: يشكون فيمارون بشكهم، ويجادلون بخرصهم، فمن قائل عنه: إنه الله، أو ابن الله، أو ثالث ثلاثة، تعالى الله عن إفكهم وتقولهم علوا كبيرا. فـ ﴿مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ﴾ أي: ما ينبغي ولا يليق، لأن ذلك من الأمور المستحيلة، لأنه الغني الحميد، المالك لجميع الممالك، فكيف يتخذ من عباده ومماليكه، ولدا؟! ﴿سُبْحَانَهُ﴾ أي: تنزه وتقدس عن الولد والنقص، ﴿إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا﴾ أي: من الأمور الصغار والكبار، لم يمتنع، عليه ولم يستصعب ﴿فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ﴾ فإذا كان قدره ومشيئته نافذا في العالم العلوي والسفلي، فكيف يكون له ولد؟ ".وإذا كان إذا أراد شيئا قال له: ﴿كُن فَيَكُونُ﴾ فكيف يستبعد إيجاده عيسى من غير أب؟!. ولهذا أخبر عيسى أنه عبد مربوب كغيره، فقال: ﴿وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ﴾ الذي خلقنا، وصورنا، ونفذ فينا تدبيره، وصرفنا تقديره. ﴿فَاعْبُدُوهُ﴾ أي: أخلصوا له العبادة، واجتهدوا في الإنابة، وفي هذا الإقرار بتوحيد الربوبية، وتوحيد الإلهية، والاستدلال بالأول على الثاني، ولهذا قال: ﴿هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ﴾ أي: طريق معتدل، موصل إلى الله، لكونه طريق الرسل وأتباعهم، وما عدا هذا، فإنه من طرق الغي والضلال.