#1 Story of Prophet Isa/Jesus (pbuh) Ibn Kathir

In many verses of the Glorious Qur'an Allah
the Exalted denied the claim of the Christians
that He has a son. A delegation from Nagran
came to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They
began to talk about their claim about the
Trinity, which is that Allah is three in one, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with some
disagreement among their sects. That is why
Allah affirmed in many verses of the Qur'an
that Jesus is a slave of Allah, whom He
molded in the womb of his mother like any
other of His creatures, and that He created
him without a father, as He created Adam
without a father or a mother.
Allah the Almighty said: Allah chose Adam,
Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of
Imran above the Alamin (mankind and jinns)
(of their times). Offspring, one of theo other,
and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Remember when the wife of Imran said: "O my
Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child
that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your
services (free from all worldly work; to serve
Your Place of worship), so accept this, from
me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All
Knowing."
Then when she delivered her (child Mary), she
said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female
child," and Allah knew better what she
delivered, - "and the male is not like the
female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek
refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her
offspring from Satan, the outcast."
So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly
acceptance. He made her grow in a good
manner and put her under the care of
Zechariah. Every time he entered Al-Mihrab (a
praying place or a private room), he found her
supplied with sustenance.
He said: "O Mary! From where have you got
this?"
She said: "From Allah. Verily, Allah provides
sustenance to whom He wills, without
limit." (Ch 3:33-37 Quran)
Allah declared that He had elected Adam
(pbuh) and the elite of his offspring who obey
Allah. Then He specified the family of
Abraham (pbuh), which includes the sons of
Ishmael (pbuh), and the family of Imran, the
father of Mary.
Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was
Imran Ibn Bashim, Ibn Amun, Ibn Misha, Ibn
Hosqia, Ibn Ahriq, Ibn Mutham, Ibn Azazia,
Ibn Amisa, Ibn Yamish, Ibn Ahrihu, Ibn Yazem,
Ibn Yahfashat, Ibn Eisha, Ibn Iyam, Ibn Rahba
am, Ibn David (Dawud).
Prophet Zakariyah's (pbuh) wife's sister had a
daughter named Hannah. She was married to
Imran, a leader of the Israelites. For many
years, the couple remained childless.
Whenever Hannah saw another woman with a
child, her longing for a baby increased.
Although years had passed, she never lost
hope. She believed that one day Allah would
bless her with a child, on whom she would
shower all her motherly love.
She turned to the Lord of the heavens and the
earth and pleaded with Him for a child. She
would offer the child in the service of Allah's
house, in the temple of Jerusalem. Allah
granted her request. When she learned that
she was pregnant, she was the happiest
woman alive, and thanked Allah for His gift.
Her overjoyed husband Imran also thanked
Allah for His mercy.
However, while she was pregnant her husband
passed away. Hannah wept bitterly. Alas,
Imran did not live to see their child for whom
they had so longed. She gave birth to a girl,
and again turned to Allah in prayer: "O my
Lord, I have delivered a female child," and the
male is not like the female, and I have named
her Mary, and I seek refuge with You (Allah)
for her and her offspring from Satan, the
outcast." (Ch 3:36 Quran)
Hannah had a big problem in reference to her
promise to Allah, for females were not
accepted into the temple, and she was very
worried. Her sister's husband Zakariyah,
comforted her, saying that Allah knew best
what she had delivered and appreciated fully
what she had offered in His service. She
wrapped the baby in a shawl and handed it
over to the temple elders. As the baby was a
girl, the question of her guardianship posed a
problem for the elders. This was a child of
their late and beloved leader, and everyone
was eager to take care of her. Zakariyah said
to the elders: "I am the husband of her
maternal aunt and her nearest relation in the
temple; therefore, I will be more mindful of her
than all of you."
As it was their custom to draw lots to solve
disagreements, they followed this course. Each
one was given a reed to throw into the river.
They had agreed that whoever's reed remained
afloat would be granted guardianship of the
girl. All the reeds sank to the bottom except
Zakariyah's. With this sign, they all
surrendered to the will of Allah and made him
the guardian.
To ensure that no one had access to Mary,
Zakariyah built a separate room for her in the
temple. As she grew up, she spent her time in
devotion to Allah. Zakariyah visited her daily
to see to her needs, and so it continued for
many years. One day, he was surprised to find
fresh fruit, which was out of season in her
room. As he was the only person who could
enter her room, he asked her how the fruit got
there. She replied that these provisions were
from Allah, as He gives to whom He wills.
Zakariyah understood by this that Allah had
raised Mary's status above that of other
women.
Thereafter, Zakariyah spent more time with
her, teaching and guiding her. Mary grew to
be a devotee of Allah, glorifying Him day and
night.
Ali Ibn Abi Talib narrated that the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The best of the
world's women is Mary (in her lifetime), and
the best of the world's women is Khadija (in
her lifetime)." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Abu Musa Al-Ashari also narrated that the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "May among
men attained perfection but among women
none attained perfection except Mary the
daughter of Imran, and Asiya the wife of
Pharaoh, and the superiority of Aisha to other
women is like the superiority of Tharid (an
Arabic dish) to other meals."
While Mary was praying in her temple, an
angel in the form of a man appeared before
her. Filled with terror, she tried to flee,
praying: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most
Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear
Allah."
The angel said: "I am only a Messenger from
your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a
righteous son."
She said: "How can I have a son, when no
man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"
He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: "That
is easy for me (Allah): And (We wish) to
appoint him as a sign to mankind and a
mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter
(already) decreed, (by Allah).'" (Ch 19:18-21
Quran)
The angel's visit caused Mary great anxiety,
which increased as the months went by. How
could she face giving birth to a child without
having a husband? Later, she felt life kicking
inside her. With a heavy heart, she left the
temple and went to Nazareth, the city in which
she had been born where she settled in a
simple farm house to avoid the public.
But fear and anxiety did not leave her. She
was from a noble and pious family. Her father
had not been an evil man nor was her mother
an impure woman. How could she prevent
tongues from wagging about her honor?
After some months, she could not bear the
mental strain any longer. Burdened with a
heavy womb, she left Nazareth, not knowing
where to go to be away from this depressing
atmosphere.
She had not gone far, when she was overtaken
by the pains of childbirth. She saw down
against a dry palm tree, and here she gave
birth to a son. Looking at her beautiful baby,
she was hurt that she had brought him into
the world without a father. She exclaimed: "I
wish I had died before this happened and had
vanished into nothingness!"
Suddenly, she heard a voice nearby: "Grieve
not, your Lord has placed a rivulet below, and
shake the trunk of this tree, from which ripe
dates will fall. So eat and drink and regain the
strength you have lost; and be of good cheer,
for what you see is the power of Allah, Who
made the dry palm tree regain life, in order to
provide food for you." For a while she was
comforted by Allah's miracle, for it was a sure
sign of her innocence and purity.
She decided to return to the city. However, her
fears also returned. What was she going to tell
the people? As if sharinhis mother's worry, the
baby began to speak: "If you meet any person
say: 'I have vowed to fast for The Beneficent
and may not speak to any human today.'"
With this miracle, Mary felt at ease.
As she had expected, her arrival in the city
with a newborn baby in her arms aroused the
curiosity of the people. They scolded her:
"This is a terrible sin that you have
committed." She put her finger to her lips and
pointed to the child. They asked: "How can we
speak to a newborn baby?" To their total
amazement, the child began to speak clearly:
"I am Allah's servant. Allah has given me the
Book, and has made me a prophet, and has
blessed me wherever I may be, and has
enjoined on me prayers and alms-giving as
long as I live. Allah has made me dutiful
towards she who had borne me. He has not
made me arrogant nor unblessed. Peace unto
me the day I was born, the day I die, and the
day I shall be raised alive."
Most of the people realized that the baby was
unique, for it Allah wills something, He merely
says "Be" and it happens. Of course, there
were some who regarded the baby's speech as
a strange trick, but at least Mary could now
stay in Nazareth without being harassed.
Allah the Exalted revealed: And mention in the
Book (the Qur'an, O Muhammad, the story of)
Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her
family to a place facing east. She placed a
screen (to screen herself) from them; then We
sent to her Our Ruh (angel Gabriel), and he
appeared before her in the form of a man in
all respects.
She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most
Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear
Allah."
The angel said: "I am only a Messenger from
your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a
righteous son."
She said: "How can I have a son, when no
man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He
said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: "That is
easy for Me (Allah): and (We wish) to appoint
him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from
Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already)
decreed, (by Allah).'"
So she conceived him, and she withdrew with
him to a far place (Bethlehem valley, about
four to six miles from Jerusalem). And the
pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a
palm tree. She said: "Would that I had died
before this, and had been forgotten and out of
sight!"
Then (the babe "Jesus" or Gabriel) cried unto
her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your
Lord has provided you a water stream under
you; and shake the trunk of palm tree towards
you, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you.
So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see
any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a
fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) so I
shall not speak to any human being this day.'"
Then she brought him (the baby) to her
people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary!
Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyya (an
unheard mighty thing). O sister (the like) of
Aaron (not the brother of Moses, but he was
another pious man at the time of Mary)! Your
father was not a man who used to commit
adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste
woman."
Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can
we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
He (Jesus) said: "Verily! I am a slave of Allah.
He has given me the Scripture and made me a
Prophet; and He has made me blessed
wheresoever I be, and has enjoined me prayer,
and Zakat, as long as I live, and dutiful to my
mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest.
And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was
born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be
raised alive!"
Such is Jesus, son of Mary. (It is) a statement
of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute).
It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He
should beget a son (this refers to the slander
of Christians against Allah, by saying that
Jesus is the son of Allah). Glorified (and
Exalted be He above all that they associate
with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only
says to it, "Be!" - and it is.
Jesus said: "And verily Allah is my Lord and
your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is
the Straight Path. (Allah's Religion of Islamic
Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His
Prophets)."
Then the sects differed (the Christians about
Jesus), so woe unto the disbeliveers (those
who gave false witness saying that Jesus is
the son of Allah) from the meeting of a great
Day (the Day of Resurrection, when they will be
thrown in the blazing Fire).
How clearly will they (polytheists and
disbeliveers in the Oneness of Allah) see and
hear, the Day when they will appear before Us!
But the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-
doers) today are in plain error. And warn them
(O Muhammad) of the Day of grief and regrets,
when the case has been decided, while now
they are in a state of carelessness and they
believe not. (Ch 19:16-39 Quran)
It was said that Joseph the Carpenter was
greatly surprised when he knew the story, so
he asked Mary: "Can a tree come to grow
without a seed?" She said: "Yes, the one which
Allah created for the first time." He asked her
again: "Is it possible to bear a child without a
male partner?" She said: "Yes, Allah, created
Adam without male or female!"
It was also said that, while pregnant, Mary
went one day to her aunt, who reported that
she felt as if she was pregnant. Mary in turn,
said that she, too, was feeling as if she was
pregnant. Then her aunt said: "I can see what
is in my womb prostrating to what is in your
womb."
The Jewish priests felt this child Jesus was
dangerous, for they felt that the people would
turn their worship to Allah the Almighty Alone,
displacing the existing Jewish tenets.
Consequently, they would lose their authority
over the people. Therefore, they kept the
miracle of Jesus's speech in infancy as a
secret and accused Mary of a great misdeed.
As Jesus (pbuh) grew, the signs of
prophethood began to increase. He could tell
his friends what kind of supper waited for
them at home and what they had hidden and
where. When he was twelve years old, he
accompanied his mother to Jerusalem. There
he wandered into the temple and joined a
crowd listening to the lecture of the Rabbis
(Jewish priests). The audience were all adults,
but he was not afraid to sit with them. After
listening intently, he asked questions and
expressed his opinion. The learned rabbis were
disturbed by the boy's boldness and puzzled
by the questions he asked, for they were
unable to answer him. They tried to silence
him, but he ignored their attempts and
continued to express his views. Jesus became
so involved in this exchange that he forgot he
as expected back home.
In the meantime, his mother went home,
thinking that he might have gone back with
relatives or friends. When she arrived, she
discovered that he was not there, so she
returned to the city to look for him. At last she
found him in the temple, sitting among the
learned, conversing with them. He appeared to
be quite at east, as if he had been doing this
all his life. Mary got angry with him for
causing her worry. He tried to assure her that
all the arguing and debating with the learned
had made him forgot the time.
Jesus grew up to manhood. It was Sabbath, a
day of complete rest: no fire could be lit or
extinguished nor could females plait their hair.
Moses (pbuh) had commanded that Saturday
be dedicated to the worship of Allah. However,
the wisdom behind the Sabbath and its spirit
had gone, and only the letter remained in the
Jews' hearts. Also, they thought that Sabbath
was kept in heaven, and that the People of
Israel had been chosen by Allah only to
observe the Sabbath.
They made a hundred things unlawful on
Saturday even self-defense or calling a doctor
to save a patient who was in bad condition.
This is how their life was branded by such
hypocrisy. Although the Pharisees were
guardians of the law, they were ready to sell it
when their interests were involved so as to
obtain personal gains. There was, for example,
a rule which prohibited a journey of more than
one thousand yards on the Sabbath day. What
do we expect of the Pharisees in this case?
The day before, they transferred their food and
drink from their homes two thousand yards
away and erected a temporary house so that
from tthey could travel a further thousand
yards on the Sabbath day.
Jesus was on his way to the temple. Although
it was the Sabbath, he reached out his hand
to pick two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry
child. This was considered to be a violation of
the Sabbath law. He made a fire for the old
women to keep themselves warm from the
freezing air. Another violation. He went to the
temple and looked around. There were twenty
thousand Jewish priests registered there who
earned their living from the temple. The rooms
of he temple were full of them.
Jesus observed that the visitors were much
fewer than the priests. Yet the temple was full
of sheep and doves which were sold to the
people to be offered as sacrifices. Every step
in the temple cost the visitor money. They
worshipped nothing but money. In the temple,
the Pharisees and Sadducees acted as if it
were a market place, and these two groups
always disagreed on everything. Jesus
followed the scene with his eyes and observed
that the poor people who could not afford the
price of the sheep or dove were swept away
like flies by the Pharisees and Saducees.
Jesus was astonished. Why did the priests
burn a lot of offerings inside the temple, while
thousands of poor people were hungry outside
it?
On this blessed night, the two noble prophets
John (pbuh) and Zakariyah (pbuh) died, killed
by the ruling authority. On the same night, the
revelation descended upon Jesus (pbuh).
Allah the Exalted commanded him to begin his
call to the children of Israel. To Jesus, the life
of ease was closed, and the page of worship
and struggled was opened.
Like an opposing force, the message of Jesus
came to denounce the practices of the
Pharisees and to reinforce the Law of Moses.
In the face of a materialistic age of luxury and
worship of gold, Jesus called his people to a
nobler life by word and deed. This exemplary
life was the only way out of the wretchedness
and diseases of his age. Jesus's call, from the
beginning, was marked by its complete
uprightness and piety. It appealed to the soul,
the inner being, and not be a closed system of
rules laid down by society.
Jesus continued inviting the people to
Almighty Allah. His call was based on the
principle that there is no mediation between
the Creator and His creatures. However, Jesus
was in conflict with the Jews' superficial
interpretation of the Torah. He said that he
did not come to abrogate the Torah, but to
complete it by going to the spirit of its
substance to arrive at its essence.
He made the Jews understand that the Ten
Commandments have more value than they
imagined. For instance, the fifth
commandment does not only prohibit physical
killing, but all forms of killing; physical,
psychological, or spiritual. And the sixth
commandment does not prohibit adultery only
in the sense of unlawful physical contact
between a man and a woman, but also
prohibits all forms of unlawful relations or
acts that might lead to adultery. The eye
commits adultery when it looks at anything
with passion.
Jesus was therefore in confrontation with the
materialistic people. He told them to desist
from hypocrisy, show and false praise. There
was no need to hoard wealth in this life. They
should not preoccupy themselves with the
goods of this passing world; rather they must
preoccupy themselves with the affairs of the
coming world because it would be everlasting.
Jesus told them that caring for this world is a
sin, not fit for pious worshippers. The
disbeliveers care for it because they do not
know a better way. As for the believers, they
know that their sustenance is with Allah, so
they trust in Him and scorn this world.
Jesus continued to invite people to worship
the Only Lord, Who is without partner, just as
he invited them to purify the heart and soul.
His teaching annoyed the priests, for every
word of Jesus was a threat to them and their
position, exposing their misdeeds.
The Roman occupiers had, at first, no intention
of being involved in this religious discord of
the Jews because it was an internal affair, and
they saw that this dispute would distract the
Jews from the question of the occupation.
However, the priests started to plot against
Jesus. They wanted to embarrass him and to
prove that he had come to destroy the Mosaic
Law. The Mosaic Law provides that an
adulteress be stoned to death. They brought
him a Jewish adulteress and asked Jesus:
"Does not the law stipulate the stoning of the
adulteress?" Jesus answered: "Yes." They said:
"This woman is an adulteress." Jesus looked
at the woman and then at the priests. He
knew that they were more sinful than she.
They agreed that she should be killed
according to Mosaic Law, and they understood
that if he was going to apply Mosaic Law, he
would be destroying his own rules of
forgiveness and mercy.
Jesus understood their plan. He smiled and
assented: "Whoever among you is sinless can
stone her." His voice rose in the middle of the
Temple, making a new law on adultery, for the
sinless to judge sin. There was none eligible;
no mortal can judge sin, only Allah the Most
Merciful.
As Jesus left the temple, the woman followed
him. She took out a bottle of perfume from her
garments, knelt before his feet and washed
them with perfume and tears, and then dried
his feet with her hair. Jesus turned to the
woman and told her to stand up, adding: "O
Lord, forgive her sins." He let the priests
understand that those who call people to
Almighty Allah are not executioners. His call
was based on mercy for the people, the aim of
all divine calls.
Jesus continued to pray to Allah for mercy on
his people and to teach his people to have
mercy on one another and to believe in Allah.
Jesus continued his mission, aided by divine
miracles. Some Qur'anic commentators said
that Jesus brought four people back from the
dead: a friend of his named Al-Azam, an old
woman's son, and a woman's only daughter.
These three had died during his lifetime. When
the Jews saw this they said: "You only
resurrect those who have died recently;
perhaps they only fainted." They asked him to
bring back to life Sam the Ibn Noah.
When he asked them to show him his grave,
the people accompanied him there. Jesus
invoked Allah the Exalted to bring him back to
life and behold, Sam the Ibn Noah came out
from the grave gray-haired. Jesus asked: "how
did you get gray hair, when there was no
aging in your time?" He answered: "O Spirit of
Allah, I thought that the Day of Resurrection
had come; from the fear of that day my hair
turned gray."
Allah the Almighty said: Remember when Allah
will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O
Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My Favor to
you and to your mother when I supported you
with Ruh-ul-Qudus (Gabriel) so that you
spoke to the people in the cradle and in
maturity; and when I taught you writing, Al
Hikmah (the power of understanding), the
Torah and the Gospel; and when you made out
of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by
My Permission, and you breathed into it, and
it became a bird by My Permission, and you
healed those born blind, and the lepers by My
Permission, and when you brought forth the
dead by My Permission; and when I restrained
the Children of Israel from you (when they
resolved to kill you) since you came unto them
with clear proofs, and the disbeliveers among
them said: 'This is nothing but evident
magic.'"
And when I (Allah) put in their hearts of the
disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me and My
Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear
witness that we are Muslims." (Ch 5:110-111
Quran)
Almighty Allah also revealed: And He Allah
will teach him (Jesus) the Book and Al
Hikmah (the Sunna, the faultless speech of the
Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Torah and
the Gospel.
And will make him (Jesus) a Messenger to the
Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to
you with a sign from your Lord, that I design
for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a
bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird
by Allah's Leave; and I heal him who was born
blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to
life by Allah's leave. And I inform you of what
you eat, and what you store in your houses.
Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.
And I have come confirming that which was
before me of the Torah, and to make lawful to
you part of what was forbidden to you, and I
have come to you with proof from your Lord.
So fear Allah and obey me. Truly! Allah is my
Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone).
This is the Straight Path."
Then when Jesus came to know of their
disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in
Allah's Cause?" The disciples said: "We are
the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and
bear witness that we are Muslims (we submit
to Allah)."
Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent
down, and we follow the Messenger (Jesus);
so write us down among those who bear
witness (to the truth, La ilaha ill Allah - none
has the right to be worshipped but Allah).
And they (disbeliveers) plotted (to kill Jesus),
and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best
of the planners. (Ch 3:48-54 Quran)
Jesus continued calling people to Almighty
Allah and laying down for them what might be
called "the law of the Spirit." Once when
standing on a mountain surrounded by his
disciples, Jesus saw that those who believed
in him were from among the poor, the
wretched, an the downtrodden, and their
number was small. Some of the miracles
which Jesus performed had been requested by
his disciples, such as their wish for a "holy
table" to be sent down from heaven.
Allah the Exalted said: Remember when the
disciples said: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Can
your Lord send down to us a table spread
(with food) from heaven?" Jesus said: "Fear
Allah, if you are indeed believers." They said:
"We wish to eat thereof and to be stronger in
Faith and to know that you have indeed told
us the truth and that we ourselves be its
witnesses."
Jesus, son of Mary, said: "O Allah, our Lord!
Send us from heaven a table spread (with
food) that there may be for us - for the first
and the last of us - a festival and a sign from
You; and provide us sustenance, for You are
the best of sustainers." Allah said: "I am going
to send it down unto you, but if any of you
after that disbelieves, then I will punish him
with a torment such as I have not inflicted on
anyone among all the Alamin (mankind and
jinn)." (Ch 5:112-115 Quran)
It was related that Jesus commanded his
disciples to fast for thirty days; at the end of
it, they asked Jesus to bring food from heaven
to break their fast. Jesus prayed to Allah after
his disciples had doubted Allah's power. The
great table cam down between two clouds, one
above and one below, while the people
watched. Jesus said: "O Lord, make it a mercy
and not a cause of distress." So it fell between
Jesus's hands, covered with a napkin.
Jesus suddenly prostrated and his disciples
with him. They sensed a fragrance, which they
had never smelled before. Jesus said: "The one
who is the most devout and most righteous
may uncover the table, that we might eat of it
to thank Allah for it." They said: "O Spirit of
Allah, you are the most deserving."
Jesus stood up, then performed ablution and
prayed before uncovering the table, and
behold, there was a roasted fish. The disciples
said: "O Spirit of Allah, is this the food of this
world or of Paradise?" Jesus said to his
disciples: "Did not Allah forbid you to ask
questions? It is the divine power of Allah the
Almighty Who said: 'Be,' and it was. It is a
sign from Almighty Allah warning of great
punishment for unbelieving mortals of the
world. This is the kernel of the matter."
It is said that thousands of people partook of
it, and yet they never exhausted it. A further
miracle was that the blind and lepers were
cured.
The Day of the Table became one of the holy
days for the disciples and followers of Jesus.
Later on, the disciples and followers forgot the
real essence of the miracles, and so they
worshipped Jesus as a god.
Almighty Allah asserted: And remember when
Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O
Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men:
'Worship 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 such a thing, You would surely
have known it. You know what is in my inner
self though I do not know what is in Yours,
truly, You, only You, are the All Knower of all
that is hidden and unseen. Never did I say to
them aught except what You (Allah) did
command me to say: 'Worship Allah, my Lord
and your Lord', And I was a witness over them
while I dwelt amongst them, but when You
took me up, You were the Watcher over them,
and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a
great admonition and warning to the
Christians of the whole world). If you punish
them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive
them, Verily You, only You are the All Mighty,
the All Wise."
Allah will say: "This is a Day on which the
truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are
Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise)
- they shall abide therein forever. Allah is
pleased with them and they with Him. That is
the great success (Paradise). To Allah belongs
the dominion of the heavens and the earth
and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all
things." (Ch 5:116-120 Quran)
Jesus went on his mission until vice knew
that its throne was threatening to fall. So the
forces of evil accused him of magic,
infringement of the Mosaic Law, allegiance
with the devil; and when they saw that the
poor people followed him, they began to
scheme against him.
The Sanhedrin, the highest judicial and
ecclesiastical council of the Jews, began to
meet to plot against Jesus. The plan took a
new turn. When the Jews failed to stop Jesus'
s call, they decided to kill him. The chief
priests held secret meetings to agree on the
best way of getting rid of Jesus. While they
were in such a meeting, one of the twelve
apostles of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, went to
them and asked: "What will you give me if I
deliver him to you?" Judas bargained with
them until they agreed to give him thirty
pieces of silver known as shekels. The plot
was laid for the capture and murder of Jesus.
It was said that the high priest of the Jews
tore his garment at the meeting, claiming that
Jesus had denied Judaism. The tearing of
clothes at that time was a sign of disgust.
The priests had no authority to pass the death
sentence at that time, so they convinced the
Roman governor that Jesus was plotting
against the security of the Roman Empire and
urged him to take immediate action against
him. The governor ordered thaJesus be
arrested.
According to the Book of Matthew, Jesus was
arrested and the council of the high priests
passed the death sentence upon him. Then,
they began insulting him, spitting on his face
and kicking him.
It was the Roman custom for the condemned
to be flogged before they were executed. So
Pilate, the Roman governor, ordered that
Jesus be flogged. The Mosaic Law stipulates
forty lashes, but the Roman had no limit, and
they were brutal lashes. After that, Jesus was
handed to the soldiers for crucifixion. They
took off his clothes, and kept them. They put
a crown of thorns on his head to mock him.
According to custom he carried his cross on
his back to increase his suffering.
Finally, they reached a place called Golgotha,
meaning the Place of Skulls, outside the walls
of Jerusalem. Instead of giving him a cup of
wine diluted with scent to help lessen the pain
on the cross, the soldiers gave Jesus a cup of
vinegar diluted with gall. Then they crucified
him and, as a further mockery, two thieves
with him. So it is written in the Bible.
But the faith of Islam came with views quite
different from that of the extend gospels with
regards to both the end of Jesus and his
nature.
The Glorious Qur'an affirms that Allah the
Exalted did not permit the people of Israel to
kill Jesus or crucify him. What happened was
that Allah saved him from his enemies and
raised him to heaven. They never killed Jesus,
they killed someone else.
Allah the Almighty declared: And because of
their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah
Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,"
but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but
the resemblance of Jesus was put over
another man (and they killed that man) and
those who differ therein are full of doubts.
They have no certain knowledge, they follow
nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed
him not (Jesus, son of Mary): But Allah raised
him (Jesus) up (with his body and soul) unto
Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah
is Ever All Powerful, All Wise.
And there is none of the people of the
Scripture (Jews & Christians), but must
believe in him (Jesus, son of Mary, as only a
Messenger of Allah, and a human being0,
before his (Jesus or a Jew's or a Christian's )
death (at the time of the appearance of the
angel of death). And on the Day of
Resurrection, he (Jesus) will be a witness
against them. ( Ch 4:157-159 Quran)
Almighty Allah also revealed: And remember
when Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take you and
raise you to Myself and clear you (of the
forged statement that Jesus is Allah's son) of
those who disbelieve, and I will make those
who follow you (Monotheists, who worship
none but Allah ) superior to those who
disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah, or
disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g.
Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, etc., or in His Holy
Books, e.g. the Torah, the Gospel, the Qur'an)
till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will
return to Me and I will judge between you in
the matters in which you used to dispute." (Ch
3:55 Quran).