(30–33) “The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of Allah,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah.’ These are merely words from their mouths, imitating the words of those who disbelieved before them. May Allah destroy them! How far they are turned away! They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, even though they were commanded to worship only one God. None has the right to be worshiped but Him. Glorified is He above whatever they associate with Him.”
When Allah Most High commanded that the People of the Scripture be fought, He mentioned some of their vile statements to stir the believers—whose zeal is aroused for their Lord and His religion—to fight them earnestly and exert every effort in doing so. He said: “The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of Allah.’” Although this was not the claim of all of them, a group among them did make it. This shows that there is such wickedness and evil among the Jews that it led them to utter this claim, in which they dared to speak against Allah and belittled His greatness and majesty.
It has been said that they claimed Ezra was the son of Allah because, when Allah gave kings (1) power over the Children of Israel, those kings scattered them in every direction and killed the bearers of the Torah. They later found that Ezra had memorized it, or ⦗335⦘ most of it, so he dictated it to them from memory and they made copies of it. They then made this abominable claim about him.
“The Christians say, ‘The Messiah’”—Jesus, son of Mary—“is the son of Allah.” Allah Most High says: “These”—the statements they uttered—“are merely words from their mouths.” They furnished no proof or evidence for them.
No statement made by someone who is indifferent to what he says should occasion surprise, for neither religion nor reason restrains him from uttering whatever he wishes.
Hence He says that they are “imitating”—that is, resembling in this statement of theirs—“the words of those who disbelieved before them,” namely the polytheists who said, “The angels are the daughters of Allah.” Their hearts resembled one another, and so their statements resembled one another in falsehood.
“May Allah destroy them! How far they are turned away!” That is, how plainly and manifestly they are turned away from the truth toward manifest falsehood.
Although it is astonishing that a great and numerous nation should agree upon a statement whose falsehood is revealed by the slightest reflection and exercise of reason, there is a reason for this: “They have taken their rabbis”—their religious scholars—“and their monks,” meaning the worshipers who devote themselves exclusively to worship,
“as lords besides Allah.” They declare lawful for them what Allah has forbidden, and they therefore regard it as lawful; and they forbid them what Allah has permitted, and they therefore regard it as forbidden. They also prescribe for them laws and teachings contrary to the religion of the messengers, and they follow them in these matters.
They also went to excess regarding their spiritual leaders and worshipers, venerating them and turning their graves into idols worshiped besides Allah and sought out with sacrificial offerings, supplications, and pleas for aid.
“And the Messiah, son of Mary”—they took him as a god besides Allah. In doing so, they opposed the command Allah had conveyed to them through His messengers, for “they were commanded to worship only one God. None has the right to be worshiped but Him.” They were to devote worship and obedience sincerely to Him and single Him out in love and supplication. Instead, they cast Allah’s command aside and associated with Him that for which He had sent down no authority.
“Glorified is He” and exalted “above whatever they associate with Him.” That is, He is far removed and holy, and His greatness is exalted above their association and fabrication. Through this they diminish Him and describe Him in terms unbefitting His majesty. Allah Most High is exalted in His attributes and actions above everything attributed to Him that is inconsistent with His sacred perfection.