Appearance
Verses 110–111
These two and the subsequent verses (which narrate the story of the coming down of the Table and those which describe what God shall ask Jesus, son of Mary regarding the people’s taking them as two gods besides God, and the reply which he will offer), all are related with the theme of the Chapter with which it had begun: It began with the call to fulfil the covenant and give thanks for favors, and cautioning against breaking the contract and being ungrateful to divine bounties. In this way, the end of the chapter fully returns to its beginning, and unity of intended theme are preserved.
إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدْتُكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا ۖ وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ ۖ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِي فَتَنْفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِي ۖ وَتُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِي ۖ وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِي ۖ وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ ١١٠
(5:110) When Allah shall say: “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favor on you and on your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, (so that) you spoke to the people in the cradle, and when grown up; and when I taught you the Book and the Wisdom and the Torah and the Injīl; and when you made out of clay the figure of a bird by My leave, you breathed into it and it became a bird by My leave; and you healed those born blind and the lepers by My leave; and when you raised the dead by My leave; and when I held back the Children of Israel from you when you had come to them with clear signs, but then those of them who disbelieved said: ‘This is nothing but clear sorcery’.
The verse counts many of the clear signs which had appeared on his hand, but it is counted in a way that shows God’s grace on him and his mother together. These favors are mentioned in almost similar words in the chapter of “The House of ʿImrān,” where God narrates the angels’ talk with Mary when they came to give her the good news of Jesus’s birth. God says: When the angels said: “O Mary! Surely God gives you good tidings of a Word from Him whose name is the Messiaḥ, Jesus son of Mary, And he shall speak to the people when in the cradle and when of mature age, And He will teach him the Book and the Wisdom, and the Torah and the Injīl. And (make him) a messenger to the Children of Israel. ‘That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I create for you out of clay the likeness of a bird; then I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s leave; and I heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by God’s leave … ().
Meditation on the context of the verses makes it clear why the signs which apparently were exclusively connected with the Christ, have been counted as bounties bestowed on him and on his mother together, as the verses of the third chapter indicate; because good tiding is given concerning a bounty, and here the case is the same. Whatever signs and bounties were connected with Jesus, example, being born without a father, being strengthened by the Holy Ghost, creating flying birds, healing the blind and the leper and raising the dead to life by God’s permission, were miraculous signs of Mary to the same degree as they were related to Jesus (peace be upon both). They both together were bestowed the divine favors, as God says: “remember My favor on you and your mother.”
Also, the same is indicated by the divine words: … and We made her and her son a sign for all people (), as He has counted both of them together as one sign, not two.
The words: “when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit (so that) you spoke to the people,” apparently show that the strengthening with the Holy Spirit was the cause that enabled him to talk to the people. That is why the clause: “you spoke to the people,” is attached to the preceding sentence without any intervening conjunction; it indicates that the strengthening and the speaking together constitute one action, made up of a cause and its effect. God on occasions has only mentioned one of the two—either cause or its effect as is seen in the preceding verses: … you spoke to the people in the cradle, and when grown up … (); … and We gave to Jesus, son of Mary, clear evidence, and aided him with the Holy Spirit ().
Besides, if the reference to being strengthened with the Holy Spirit implies receiving revelations through the Spirit, this was not exclusive to Jesus, son of Mary. All messengers shared this experience with him. Furthermore, the context of the verse does not support this interpretation.
The words: “and when I taught you the Book and the Wisdom and the Torah and the Injīl.” It may be inferred from it that Jesus received this knowledge at one go, through a single divine command, without any graduality. Also, it may be understood from the facts that all actions have been combined together and are governed by only one adverb of time, ‘when’.
… and when you made out of clay the figure of a bird by My leave, … and you healed those born blind and the lepers by My leave: The context, because the word ‘when’ is not repeated, shows that creating of the bird and healing of the blind and the lepers had happened at the same time; and mention of creation of bird contains the proviso: “by My leave,” as the matter of creation is very important because it entails bestowal of life; that is why the Qur’an has paid special attention to this clause and mentions its being done by divine leave, although the divine leave is also mentioned at the end of the sentence. But the divine Book did not like keeping the hearers in suspense even for a few moments, lest they think for a few seconds that some one besides God can independently bestow life. And God knows better.
The words: “and when you raised the dead by My leave.” Raising the dead alludes to making them alive. It clearly indicates that this miracle that had appeared on his hand, had involved those dead bodies, which were buried in graves, and he has put life into them and brought them out of the graves to this worldly life. The sentence shows that this miracle had taken place many times. Other themes connected with this verse were explained under the verses of the third chapter, and may be referred to if necessary.
... and when I held back the Children of Israel from you when you had come to them with clear signs, but then those of them who disbelieved said: ‘This is nothing but clear sorcery’: It shows that the Israelites wanted to harm him, but God held them back from it. It tallies with what God has mentioned in the chapter of “The House of ʿImrān,” in his stories: And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners ()
وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوا آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ ١١١
(5:111) And (recall) when I revealed to the disciples: ‘Believe in Me and My messenger’; they said: ‘We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims’”
It agrees with the third chapter’s verse 52: And when Jesus perceived their disbelief, he said: “Who will be my helpers unto Allah?” The disciples said: “We will be Allah’s helpers: We believe in Allah; and bear witness that we are Muslims.”
It is clear from the above that the belief of the disciples, mentioned in this verse (And when I revealed to the disciples: “Believe in Me and My messenger,” they said: “We believe”) is other than their first belief in Jesus; because the above verse apparently shows that it had happened in later days of his Call, while the disciples (who answered it) were the foremost and the first in believing in him and had remained adhered to him.
Moreover, the verse (… he said: “Who will be my helpers unto Allah?” The disciples said: “We will be Allah’s helpers: We believe in Allah; and bear witness that we are submitting ones.”), apparently shows that this Call was given to obtain their commitment for helping the divine religion, not for initial belief in God. That is why the verse ends on the words: “and bear witness that we are Muslims.” The word, “Muslims,” here indicates that they were ready to submit to the divine order by establishing God’s Call and enduring the affliction in His cause. Obviously, this stage comes after the basic belief in God.
Now, it is clear that this verse relates the story of taking the covenant from the disciples.
There are some other themes related to this verse, which were given in the chapter of “The House of ʿImrān.”
Examining Narrations
- (al-Ṣadūq) narrates through his chain from Abū Ya’qūb al-Baghdādī that he said, “Ibn al-Sikkīt said to Abu al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā, ‘Why did God send Moses (b. ʿImrān) with his shining hand, staff and magical implements, and Jesus with medical implements, and Muḥammad, with speech and sermons?’
“Abu al-Ḥasan said, ‘Verily, when God, the Sublime, sent Moses, magic was prevalent among the people of his time; so Moses brought to them from God, the Sublime, what they did not have and was beyond their power to (bring) its like; with it he nullified their witchcraft and established through it the proof against them. And verily God, the Sublime, sent Jesus at a time when chronic diseases had spread and the people were in (dire) need of medicine; so he brought to them from God, the Sublime, like of which they did not have, and with which he gave life to the dead and healed the blind and the lepers by God’s permission and established through it the proof against them. And verily God, the Sublime, sent Muḥammad at a time when lectures, talks and poetry were prevalent among the people of his time; so he brought to them the Book of God, sermons and wisdom with which he nullified their talk and established through it the proof against them.’
“Ibn al-Sikkīt said, ‘I have not ever seen as you (are) today. Now, who is today the proof against the creatures?’ He said, ‘(It is) reason, with it is recognized he who speaks the truth about God and it confirms him, and the liar against God, and it refutes him.’ Ibn al-Sikkīt said, ‘This is, by God, the reply.’” (Ma’āni al-akhbār)
- Muḥammad b. John narrates from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, from al-Ḥasan b. Maḥbūb, from Abū Jamīlah, from Abān b. Taghlib and others, from Abū ʿAbdillāh , that he was asked, “Had Jesus son of Mary raised anyone after his death (so that) he ate, got sustenance for a time and begot?” He said, “Yes. Verily, he had a friend, his brother in God, the Blessed, the Sublime; and Jesus used to pass by him and be his guest; and verily Jesus lost contact with him for sometime, then came to him to greet him; so his mother came out and he (Jesus) asked her about him; she said, ‘He is dead, O Messenger of God!’ So he said, ‘Do you like to see him?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ And he said, ‘Tomorrow I shall come to you so that I raise him to life by the permission of God, the Sublime.’
“When the morning came, he came to her and said, ‘Come with me to his grave.’ They both proceeded until they reached his grave. So, Jesus stood there, then prayed to God, to Whom belong Might and Majesty. Then the grave opened wide and her son came out alive. When his mother saw him and he saw her, they both wept. Jesus had mercy on them, and told him (the son), ‘Do you like to remain with your mother in the world?’ He said, ‘O Messenger of God! (Will it be) with eating, sustenance and a (fixed) period? Or without eating, sustenance and a period?’ Jesus said to him, ‘With eating, sustenance and a period; you will live twenty years, will marry and beget.’ He said, ‘Then, yes.’”
(The Imām) said, “So Jesus, gave him to his mother; and he lived for twenty years and begot offspring.” (al-Kāfī)
- Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Ṣan’ānī narrates from his father that he said, “I asked Abū Ja’far, about (the verse): And when I revealed to the disciples. He said, ‘They were inspired.’” (al-Tafsīr, al-‘Ayyāshī)
Author’s comment: The word, revelation, has been used in the meaning of inspiration, in many places in the Qur’an. For example: And We revealed to the mother of Moses: Suckle him … (); And your Lord revealed to the bee, saying: Make hives in mountains (); that your Lord revealed to her (that is, the Earth), ().