(72–75) “They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,’ while the Messiah said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord ⦗240⦘ and your Lord. Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and his abode is the Fire. The wrongdoers will have no helpers.’ * They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the third of three.’ There is no god but One God. If they do not desist from what they say, a painful punishment will surely afflict those among them who disbelieve. * Will they not repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness? Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. * The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a messenger; other messengers had passed away before him. His mother was a woman of utmost truthfulness. They both ate food. See how We make the signs clear to them; then see how they are turned away.”
Allah Most High informs us of the Christians’ disbelief in saying, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary.” Their specious argument was that he was born of a mother without a father, contrary to the customary pattern of Allah’s creation. Yet Christ—peace be upon him—himself refuted this claim and said to them, “O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” He thus affirmed his own complete servitude and his Lord’s all-encompassing lordship over every created being.
“Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah”—whether Jesus or any other created being—“Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and his abode is the Fire.” This is because he equates creation with the Creator and directs to another the very purpose for which Allah created him—worship of Allah alone—although it belongs to Allah alone. He therefore deserves to remain eternally in the Fire.
“The wrongdoers will have no helpers” to rescue them from Allah’s punishment or ward off any part of what has befallen them.
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘Allah is the third of three.’” This is one of the Christian doctrines that they champion. They claim that Allah is one of three: Allah, Jesus, and Mary. Exalted is Allah, far above what they say.
This is among the clearest proofs of the Christians’ lack of reason. How could they accept such an atrocious statement and such a vile creed?! How could they confuse the Creator with created beings (1)?! How could the Lord of the worlds remain obscure to them?! Allah Most High said in refutation of them and all who resemble them: “There is no god but One God,” who possesses every attribute of perfection, is exalted above every deficiency, and alone creates and governs. Every blessing enjoyed by creation comes from Him. How, then, can another god be set alongside Him? Allah is supremely exalted above what the wrongdoers say.
He then threatened them, saying: “If they do not desist from what they say, a painful punishment will surely afflict those among them who disbelieve.”
He then called them to repent of what they had done and explained that He accepts His servants’ repentance, saying: “Will they not repent to Allah?” That is, will they not turn away from what they have been saying and return to what He loves and approves: affirming Allah’s oneness and acknowledging that Jesus is Allah’s servant and messenger? “And seek His forgiveness” for what they have done? “Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful”: He forgives the sins of those who repent, even if they reach the clouds of heaven, and He shows them mercy by accepting their repentance and transforming their evil deeds into good deeds.
He opened His call to them to repent with an appeal expressing the utmost gentleness and mildness: “Will they not repent to Allah?”
He then stated the true reality of the Messiah and his mother, saying: “The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a messenger; other messengers had passed away before him.” That is the highest extent of his status: he was one of Allah’s servants and messengers, who possessed no authority to command or legislate beyond the message with which Allah sent them. He was of the same kind as the messengers before him and had no distinction over them that would elevate him beyond humanity to the rank of lordship.
“His mother,” Mary, “was a woman of utmost truthfulness.” This, too, was the highest extent of her status: she belonged to the utterly truthful, who occupy the highest rank among creation after the prophets. Utmost truthfulness consists of beneficial knowledge that bears the fruit of certainty, together with righteous deeds. This proves that Mary was not a prophetess; rather, her highest status was that of utmost truthfulness—and that is sufficient excellence and honor. Likewise, none of the other women were prophetesses, for Allah Most High assigned prophethood to the more complete of the two sexes: men. As He Most High said, “We sent before you only men to whom We revealed.” Since Jesus—peace be upon him—was of the same kind as the prophets and messengers before him, and his mother was a woman of utmost truthfulness, why did the Christians take them both as gods alongside Allah?
His words, “They both ate food,” are manifest proof that they were two poor and dependent servants who needed food and drink just as the children of Adam do. Had they been two gods, they would have had no need of food or drink, nor would they have needed anything at all, for God is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.
After Allah Most High had set forth the proof, He said: “See how We make the signs clear to them”—signs that make the truth plain and disclose what is certain. Yet despite this, they derive no benefit from them whatsoever. Instead, they persist in their falsehood, lies, and fabrications, and this is wrongdoing and obstinacy on their part.