“He will speak to people in the cradle and in maturity and will be among the righteous. She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘Thus does Allah create whatever He wills. When He decrees a matter, He merely says to it, “Be,” and it is. He will teach him Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, and make him a messenger to the Children of Israel: “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will fashion for you from clay the form of a bird, then breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s permission. I will heal the blind from birth and the leper and bring the dead to life by Allah’s permission. I will inform you of what you eat and what you store in your homes. Surely in this is a sign for you, if you are believers. I have come confirming the Torah that preceded me and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.” When Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said, “Who will be my supporters in the cause of Allah?” The disciples said, “We are the supporters of Allah. We believe in Allah, so bear witness that we are Muslims.””
“He will speak to people in the cradle and in maturity.” This does not refer to ordinary speech. Rather, it means that he will address people with that which brings about their righteousness and success—the speech of the messengers. This therefore affirms his mission and his call inviting people to their Lord. His speaking to them in the cradle was also a tremendous sign from among Allah’s signs, benefiting the believers and constituting proof against the obstinate that he was a messenger from the Lord of the worlds and a servant of Allah. It was also to be a blessing and a vindication for his mother against the accusation levelled at her.
“And will be among the righteous”: Allah would favor him with righteousness, as He had favored others with it, and admit him among their company. This contained several glad tidings for Mary, in addition to the exalted praise it conveyed of the Messiah—peace be upon him.
“She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me?’” Ordinarily, a child is born only after contact with a man. Her words expressed astonishment, not doubt concerning the power of Allah Most High.
“He said, ‘Thus does Allah create whatever He wills. When He decrees a matter, He merely says to it, “Be,” and it is.’” He informed her that this would be an extraordinary event, created by the One who says to every matter He wills, “Be,” and it is. Whoever is certain of this will cease to find it astonishing or surprising. Part of the wisdom of the Creator Most High is that He progressively acquaints His servants with the wondrous and then with what is still more wondrous. He first mentioned the birth of John, son of Zechariah, to two parents, one of whom was advanced in age and the other barren. He then mentioned something even more wondrous and astonishing: the birth of Jesus—peace be upon him—from a mother without a father. This demonstrates to His servants that He does whatever He wills, that whatever He wills comes to pass, and that whatever He does not will cannot come to pass.
Allah Most High then speaks of His immense favor to His servant and messenger Jesus—peace be upon him:
“He will teach him Scripture.” This may refer to scripture in general, with the Torah and Gospel then mentioned specifically because of their honor, excellence, and inclusion of the rulings and revealed laws by which the prophets of the Children of Israel judged. Teaching scripture includes teaching both its wording and its meanings. Alternatively, “He will teach him Scripture” may mean that He will teach him writing, for writing is among Allah’s greatest blessings to His servants. For this reason, in the opening verses of the first surah He revealed, Allah Most High reminded His servants of His favor in teaching them by the pen:
“Read in the name of your Lord who created—created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen.”
Wisdom here means knowing the inner purposes of the revealed law and placing things in their proper places. This was therefore a favor to Jesus—peace be upon him—through teaching him writing, knowledge, and wisdom. These qualities constitute a person’s perfection within himself.
Allah then mentioned another form of perfection and an additional excellence beyond the virtues He had already bestowed upon him:
“And a messenger to the Children of Israel.” Allah sent him to this distinguished people, who were the best of all peoples in their time, to call them to Allah. He granted him signs demonstrating to them that he was truly Allah’s messenger and genuinely His prophet. He therefore said:
“I will fashion for you from clay” a bird—that is, I will shape it into the form of a bird—“then breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s permission,” meaning a living bird that flies by Allah’s permission. “I will heal the blind from birth”—one born blind—“and the leper,” by Allah’s permission, “and bring the dead to life by Allah’s permission. I will inform you of what you eat and what you store in your homes. Surely in this is a sign for you, if you are believers.”
What sign could be greater than turning an inanimate object into a living creature, healing people afflicted with conditions that physicians are incapable of treating, bringing the dead to life, and disclosing unseen matters? Each of these is a tremendous sign in itself. How much greater, then, when they are combined and mutually confirm one another? They necessarily produce certainty and call people to faith.
“Confirming the Torah that preceded me”: that is, I have brought teachings of the same kind as those brought by the Torah and by Moses—peace be upon him. One mark of a truthful person is that his message is of the same kind as the messages of the truthful: he speaks the truth and commands justice, without inconsistency or contradiction. This is unlike someone who makes a false claim, especially the greatest of all claims—the claim to prophethood. The falsehood and contradictions of one who lies in such a claim must inevitably become apparent to everyone, as must his opposition to the reports of the truthful and his agreement with those of liars. This is dictated by the established divine patterns of the past, divine wisdom, and the Lord’s mercy toward His servants, for a truthful claimant to prophethood can never be confused with a liar. This differs from certain individual matters in which a truthful person may be mistaken for a liar. Prophethood, however, ⦗132⦘ determines whether people are guided or led astray and whether they attain happiness or misery. It is well known that the truthful prophet is among the most perfect of creation, while a false claimant is among the basest of creation and the most mendacious and unjust. Allah’s wisdom and mercy toward His servants therefore require that there be distinctions between the two that are evident to everyone endowed with reason.
Jesus—peace be upon him—then informed them that the revealed law of the Gospel was marked by ease and leniency:
“And to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you.” This indicates that the Gospel did not abrogate most of the Torah’s rulings but instead completed and affirmed them.
“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord” demonstrating my truthfulness and the obligation to follow me. This refers to the signs already mentioned. The purpose of all this is expressed in his words: “So fear Allah” by doing what He has commanded and refraining from what He has forbidden, “and obey me,” for obedience to the Messenger is obedience to Allah.
“Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him.” He cited the fact that Allah alone is Lord—which everyone acknowledges—as proof that Allah alone is worthy of worship, which the polytheists deny. Just as Allah alone created us, provided for us, and bestowed upon us blessings both outward and inward, so He alone must be the One whom we worship with love, fear, hope, supplication, appeals for help, and every other form of worship.
This refutes the Christians who claim that Jesus is God or the son of God. Here Jesus—peace be upon him—acknowledges that he is a created servant under Allah’s governance, just as he said:
“Indeed, I am a servant of Allah. He has given me Scripture and made me a prophet.”
Allah Most High also said:
“And when Allah says, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah”?’ He will say, ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say. Had I said it, You would certainly have known it.’”
This continues until His words:
“I said nothing to them except what You commanded me: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’”
“This”—that is, worshiping Allah, fearing Him, and obeying His Messenger—“is a straight path” leading to Allah and His Paradise. Everything else consists of paths leading to Hellfire.
“When Jesus sensed disbelief from them”: that is, he saw that they would not submit to him. They said, “This is manifest sorcery,” plotted to kill him, and actively pursued that end.
He said, “Who will be my supporters in the cause of Allah?”—who will assist me and stand beside me in supporting Allah’s religion?
“The disciples said”—they were his supporters—“We are the supporters of Allah.” They thus volunteered themselves to stand beside him and fulfilled that commitment.