Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (216)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(171) “O People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and say nothing about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, His Word which He conveyed to Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say, ‘Three.’ Desist—it is better for you. Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and Allah is sufficient as Trustee.”

Allah Most High forbids the People of the Book from going to excess in religion, which means transgressing the prescribed limits and bounds into what has not been prescribed. An example is the Christians’ excess regarding Jesus, peace be upon him, whom they raised from the rank of prophethood and messengership to that of lordship, which befits none but Allah. Just as deficiency and neglect are forbidden, so too is excess. Thus He says: “And say nothing about Allah except the truth.” This statement comprises three matters:

Two are forbidden: speaking falsely about Allah, and speaking without knowledge concerning His names, attributes, actions, sacred law, and messengers. The third is commanded: speaking the truth regarding these matters.

Since this is a comprehensive general principle, while the context concerns Jesus, peace be upon him, He expressly stated the truth about him, in opposition to the ways of Judaism and Christianity. He says: “The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah.” That is, the utmost rank that the Messiah, peace be upon him, can attain among the degrees of perfection is the highest station available to created beings: the rank of messengership, which is the loftiest of ranks and the noblest of rewards.

He is also “His Word which He conveyed to Mary”; that is, a word Allah spoke, through which Jesus came into being. Jesus was not that word itself; rather, he came into being through it. His attribution to Allah here is one of honor and ennoblement.

Likewise, His words, “and a spirit from Him,” mean that he is one of the spirits Allah created and perfected with virtuous qualities and excellent character. Allah sent His spirit Gabriel, peace be upon him, who blew into Mary’s womb, peace be upon her, whereupon she conceived Jesus, peace be upon him, by Allah’s permission.

After clarifying the true nature of Jesus, peace be upon him, Allah commanded the People of the Book to believe in Him and His messengers, and forbade them from making Allah the third of three, with Jesus being one and Mary another. This is the doctrine of the Christians—may Allah disgrace them.

He commanded them to desist and informed them that this was better for them, because it is necessarily the path of salvation, while everything else is the path of destruction. He then declared Himself far above having a partner or a child, saying: “Allah is but one God”; that is, He alone possesses divinity, and none deserves worship but Him. “Exalted is He,” meaning that He is far above and utterly transcends “having a son,” for “to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.” All are His possessions and stand in need of Him; it is therefore impossible that any of them should be His partner or child.

After stating that He owns the upper and lower worlds, He declares that He attends to and safeguards their worldly and otherworldly welfare, and that He will recompense them accordingly—exalted is He.

﴿١٧١﴾ ﴿يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلا تَقُولُوا ثَلاثَةٌ انْتَهُوا خَيْرًا لَكُمْ إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا﴾ . ينهى تعالى أهل الكتاب عن الغلو في الدين وهو مجاوزة الحد والقدر المشروع إلى ما ليس بمشروع. وذلك كقول النصارى في غلوهم بعيسى ﵇، ورفعه عن مقام النبوة والرسالة إلى مقام الربوبية الذي لا يليق بغير الله، فكما أن التقصير والتفريط من المنهيات، فالغلو كذلك، ولهذا قال: ﴿وَلا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا الْحَقَّ﴾ وهذا الكلام يتضمن ثلاثة أشياء: أمرين منهي عنهما، وهما قول الكذب على الله، والقول بلا علم في أسمائه وصفاته وأفعاله وشرعه ورسله، والثالث: مأمور به وهو قول الحق في هذه الأمور. ولما كانت هذه قاعدة عامة كلية، وكان السياق في شأن عيسى ﵇ نصَّ على قول الحق فيه، المخالف لطريقة اليهودية والنصرانية فقال: ﴿إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ﴾ أي: غاية المسيح ﵇ ومنتهى ما يصل إليه من مراتب الكمال أعلى حالة تكون للمخلوقين، وهي درجة الرسالة التي هي أعلى الدرجات وأجلّ المثوبات. وأنه ﴿كَلِمَتُهُ﴾ التي ﴿أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ﴾ أي: كلمة تكلم الله بها فكان بها عيسى، ولم يكن تلك الكلمة، وإنما كان بها، وهذا من باب إضافة التشريف والتكريم. وكذلك قوله: ﴿وَرُوحٌ مّنْهُ﴾ أي: من الأرواح التي خلقها وكملها بالصفات الفاضلة والأخلاق الكاملة، أرسل الله روحه جبريل ﵇ فنفخ في فرج مريم ﵍، فحملت بإذن الله بعيسى ﵇. فلما بيّن حقيقة عيسى ﵇، أمر أهل الكتاب بالإيمان به وبرسله، ونهاهم أن يجعلوا الله ثالث ثلاثة أحدهم عيسى، والثاني مريم، فهذه مقالة النصارى قبحهم الله. فأمرهم أن ينتهوا، وأخبر أن ذلك خير لهم، لأنه الذي يتعين أنه سبيل النجاة، وما سواه فهو طريق الهلاك، ثم نزه نفسه عن الشريك والولد فقال: ﴿إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ﴾ أي: هو المنفرد بالألوهية، الذي لا تنبغي العبادة إلا له. ﴿سُبْحَانَهُ﴾ أي: تنزه وتقدس ﴿أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ﴾ لأن ﴿لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ﴾ فالكل مملوكون له مفتقرون إليه، فمحال أن يكون له شريك منهم أو ولد. ولما أخبر أنه المالك للعالم العلوي والسفلي أخبر أنه قائم بمصالحهم الدنيوية والأخروية وحافظها، ومجازيهم عليها تعالى.