with various kinds of miracles. This is agreed upon by all religious communities. In the books held by the Jews and Christians, the prophetic writings they possess, the accounts of the prophets—peace be upon them—such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Habakkuk, David, Solomon, and others, and in the Book of Kings and other books, there is much from which lessons may be drawn.

The Children of Israel were a hard-hearted, disobedient people. At times they worshipped idols and graven images, and at times they worshipped Allah. At times they killed the prophets unjustly, and at times they used the flimsiest stratagems to make lawful what Allah had forbidden. They were first cursed through the words of David, and Jerusalem suffered the destruction well known to all religious communities.

Then Allah sent the Messiah, son of Mary, as a messenger before whom other messengers had passed away. He made him and his mother a sign for humankind by creating him without a father, thereby demonstrating the perfection of His power and the all-encompassing reach of His word. He brought humankind into being in four ways: He made Adam without either a male or a female; He created his wife Eve from a male without a female; He created the Messiah, son of Mary, from a female without a male; and He created all other human beings from the pair, male and female.

He granted His servant, the Messiah, clear signs in accordance with His established way. The Messiah raised the dead, healed those born blind and those afflicted with leprosy, and told people what they ate and what they stored in their homes. He called people to Allah and to His worship, following the way of