3:50 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

{ ومصدقا لما بين يدي من التوراة } أي: أتيت بجنس ما جاءت به التوراة وما جاء به موسى عليه السلام، وعلامة الصادق أن يكون خبره من جنس خبر الصادقين، يخبر بالصدق، ويأمر بالعدل من غير تخالف ولا تناقض، بخلاف من ادعى دعوى كاذبة، خصوصا أعظم الدعاوى وهي دعوى النبوة، فالكاذب فيها لابد أن يظهر لكل أحد كذب صاحبها وتناقضه ومخالفته لأخبار الصادقين وموافقته لأخبار الكاذبين، هذا موجب السنن الماضية والحكمة الإلهية والرحمة الربانية بعباده، إذ لا يشتبه الصادق بالكاذب في دعوى النبوة أبدا، بخلاف بعض الأمور الجزئية، فإنه قد يشتبه فيها الصادق بالكاذب، وأما النبوة فإنه يترتب عليها هداية الخلق أو ضلالهم وسعادتهم وشقاؤهم، ومعلوم أن الصادق فيها من أكمل الخلق، والكاذب فيها من أخس الخلق وأكذبهم وأظلمهم، فحكمة الله ورحمته بعباده أن يكون بينهما من الفروق ما يتبين لكل من له عقل، ثم أخبر عيسى عليه السلام أن شريعة الإنجيل شريعة فيها سهولة ويسرة فقال { ولأحل لكم بعض الذي حرم عليكم } فدل ذلك على أن أكثر أحكام التوراة لم ينسخها الإنجيل بل كان متمما لها ومقررا { وجئتكم بآية من ربكم } تدل على صدقي ووجوب اتباعي، وهي ما تقدم من الآيات، والمقصود من ذلك كله قوله { فاتقوا الله } بفعل ما أمر به وترك ما نهى عنه وأطيعوني فإن طاعة الرسول طاعة لله.

"إن كنتم مؤمنين ومصدقا لما بين يدي من التوراة" أي مقرا لهم ومثبتا "ولأحل لكم بعض الذي حرم عليكم" فيه دلالة على أن عيسى عليه السلام نسخ بعض شريعة التوراة وهو الصحيح من القولين ومن العلماء من قال: لم ينسخ منها شيئا وإنما أحل لهم بعض ما كانوا يتنازعون فيه خطأ وانكشف لهم عن الغطاء في ذلك كما قال في الآية الأخرى "ولأبين لكم بعض الذي تختلفون فيه" والله أعلم. ثم قال "وجئتكم بآية من ربكم" أي بحجة ودلالة على صدقي فيما أقوله لكم.

The Description of `Isa and the Miracles He Performed

Allah states that the good news brought to Maryam about `Isa was even better because Allah would teach him,

الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ

(the Book and Al-Hikmah). It appears that the `Book' the Ayah mentioned here refers to writing. We explained the meaning of Al-Hikmah in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah.

التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ

(the Tawrah and the Injil). The Tawrah is the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, son of `Imran, while the Injil is what Allah sent down to `Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon them, and `Isa memorized both Books. Allah's statement,

وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ

(And will make him a Messenger to the Children of Israel) means, that Allah will send `Isa as a Messenger to the Children of Israel, proclaiming to them,

أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِى أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave). These are the miracles that `Isa performed; he used to make the shape of a bird from clay and blow into it, and it became a bird by Allah's leave. Allah made this a miracle for `Isa to testify that He had sent him.

وَأُبْرِىءُ الاٌّكْمَهَ

(And I heal him who is Akmah) meaning, `a person who was born blind,' which perfects this miracle and makes the challenge more daring.

وَالاٌّبْرَصَ

(And the leper) which is a known disease,

وَأُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

(And I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave).

Many scholars stated that Allah sent every Prophet with a miracle suitable to his time. For instance, in the time of Musa, magic was the trade of the time, and magicians held a high position. So Allah sent Musa with a miracle that captured the eyes and bewildered every magician. When the magicians realized that Musa's miracle came from the Almighty, Most Great, they embraced Islam and became pious believers. As for `Isa, he was sent during a time when medicine and knowledge in physics were advancing. `Isa brought them the types of miracles that could not be performed, except by one sent by Allah. How can any physician bring life to clay, cure blindness and leprosy and bring back to life those entrapped in the grave Muhammad ﷺ was sent during the time of eloquent people and proficient poets. He brought them a Book from Allah; if mankind and the Jinn tried to imitate ten chapters, or even one chapter of it, they will utterly fail in this task, even if they tried to do it by collective cooperation. This is because the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and is nothing like that of the creatures.

`Isa's statement,

وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ

(And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses) means, I tell you about what one of you has just eaten and what he is keeping in his house for tomorrow.

إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ

(Surely, therein), all these miracles,

لأَيَةً لَّكُمْ

(is a sign for you) testifying to the truth of what I was sent to you with,

إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَوَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ

(If you believe. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Tawrah,) affirming the Tawrah and upholding it,

وَلاٌّحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ

(and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you.)

This part of the Ayah indicates that `Isa abrogated some of the Laws of the Tawrah and informed the Jews of the truth regarding some issues that they used to dispute about. In another Ayah;

وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ

(And in order to make clear to you some of the (points) in which you differ) 43:63.

`Isa said next,

وَجِئْتُكُمْ بِأَيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(And I have come to you with a proof from your Lord.) "Containing affirmation and evidence to the truth of what I am conveying to you."

فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ

(So have Taqwa of Allah and obey me. Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone).) for I and you are equal in our servitude, submission and humbleness to Him,

هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

(This is the straight path.)

Likewise I have come to you confirming that which was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of that which was forbidden to you in it. Thus he made lawful for them fish and birds which had no spikes; it is also said that he made it all lawful for them so that ba‘d ‘some’ means kull ‘all’. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord He has repeated it for emphasis and to expand upon it so fear God and obey me in what I command you of affirming God’s Oneness and being obedient to Him.

1. Verse 48 recounts the august virtues of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) who would be born blessed with the honour of learning from Allah: Scriptures, Wisdom and specially the توراۃ Torah and the اِنجیل Injil; and that he will be sent as a Messenger of Allah to all of the Children of Isra` il.

2. The message he will carry to them will be his argument in favour of his prophethood. In order that they believe, enumerated in verse 49, there are four signs or miracles that he would perform, being enough for willing believers.

3. Verse 50 says that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will declare that he has come to confirm Torah which was revealed before his coming and to make lawful what remained unlawful for them in the law of Moses. This means that the unlawfulness of some things in the earlier code would stand abrogated by the new one, (that of Sayyidna ` Isa علیہ السلام) whose station of prophethood was the conclusive argument for that claim of abrogation. The proof of his truth were the signs from their Lord.

4. Once his prophethood is established, verse 51 states that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will ask them to beware of any contravention of Divine commandments, fear Allah, and follow his teachings in matters of religion which, in a nutshell, are that 'Allah is my Lord and your Lord' (the ultimate in belief) and 'Worship Him' (the ultimate in deeds). This, then, is the straight path which helps perfect the ideal combination of beliefs and deeds, leads to the way of salvation and is the source of communion with Allah.

Ruling:

Making the shape of a bird was the making of a picture, something permitted in that Shari` ah. In our Shari'ah, its permissibility was abrogated.