shall it be.12 Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides something, He merely says: “Be,” and it is. (48) And He will teach him the Book, the Wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel, (49) and he will be a Messenger to the Children of Israel.”
(And when he came to them he said): “I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. I will make for you from clay the likeness of a bird and then I will breathe into it and by the leave of Allah it will become a bird. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and by the leave of Allah I will bring the dead to life. ▶
12 Thus it was affirmed that a child would be born to Mary despite the fact that no man had touched her.
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I will also inform you of what things you eat and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely this is a Sign for you if you are true believers. (50) And I have come to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to make lawful to you some of the things which had been forbidden to you.13 I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord; so have fear of Allah and obey me. (51) Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him alone. This is the Straight Way.”
(52) And when Jesus per- ceived their leaning towards unbelief, he asked: “Who will be my helpers in the Way of Allah?” The disciples14 said: “We are the helpers of Allah.15 ▶
13 What Jesus wanted to impress upon them was that he would abolish the prohibitive innovations which had infiltrated the original Divine Law (Shari[ah). These innovations were the result of the superstitions of their ignorant commoners, the legal hair-splitting of their lawyers, and the exaggerations of their world-renouncing pietists. He also made it clear that in determining what is lawful and unlawful, he would be guided by the injunctions of God and not by the inventions of human beings.
14 The word hawari means approximately the same as the word ansar in the Islamic tradition.
15 That is, they are his allies in the cause of directing people to the Path of God.
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Al [Imran 3: 53–6
We believe in Allah, and be our witness that we have sub- mitted ourselves exclusively to Allah. (53) Our Lord! We believe in the commandment You have revealed and we obey the Messenger; make us, then, one of those who bear witness (to the Truth).”
(54) Then they schemed (against the Messiah), and Allah countered their schemes by schemes of His own. Allah is the best of schemers. (55) (And it was part of His scheme) when Allah said. “O Jesus! I will recall you16 and raise you up to Me and will purify you (of the company) of those who disbelieve, and will set your followers above the unbelievers till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me shall all of you return, and I shall judge between you regarding whatever you differed among yourselves. (56) As for those who disbelieved, I shall inflict a terrible chastisement on them in this world and in the Next; ▶
16 The expression used is mutawaffika. The original meaning of tawaffa is to take and receive. To “seize a person’s soul” constitutes the figurative rather than the literal meaning of the word.
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Al [Imran 3: 57–61
and they shall find none to help them.” (57) But those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will reward them in full. Allah does not love the unjust.
(58) What We recite to you consists of signs and wise admonition. (59) Surely, in the sight of Allah, the similitude of the creation of Jesus is as the creation of Adam whom He created out of dust, and then said: “Be,” and he was.17 (60) This is the truth from your Lord; be not, then, among those who doubt.
(61) Tell whoever disputes with you on this matter after true knowledge has come to you: “Come! Let us summon our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, and then let us pray together and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.” ▶
17 This means that if Jesus’ miraculous birth is sufficient proof that he should be regarded either as God or the son of God then there are even stronger grounds to apply this to Adam. For, while Jesus was born without a father, Adam was born without any father and mother.
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Al [Imran 3: 62–6
(62) This is the true story. There is no god but Allah, and assuredly Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (63) And if they turn their backs, truly Allah knows those who cause mischief.
(64) Say: “People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you: that we shall serve none but Allah and shall associate none with Him in His Divinity and that some of us will not take others as lords other than Allah.” And if they turn away (from accepting this call), tell them: “Bear witness that we are the ones who have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah.”
(65) People of the Book! Why do you dispute with us about Abraham even though the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after his time? Do you not understand? (66) Behold, you are those who have severely disputed concerning matters of which you have knowledge; why are you now disputing concerning matters that you know nothing about? Allah knows it whereas you do not know. ▶
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Al [Imran 3: 67–70
(67) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was a Muslim, wholly devoted to God.18 And he certainly was not amongst those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity. (68) Surely the people who have the best claim to affiliation with Abraham are those who followed him (in the past), and presently this Prophet and those who believe in him. Allah is the Guardian of those who truly believe.
(69) A party of the People of the Book would fain lead you astray, whereas in truth they lead none astray except themselves, but that they do not realize it. (70) People of the Book! Why do you reject the Signs of Allah even though you yourselves witness them?19 ▶
18 The word hanif denotes someone who turns his face away from all other directions in order to follow one particular course. We have tried to convey this sense through the expression: “a Muslim, wholly devoted to God.”
19 Another rendering of this could be, “and you yourselves bear witness” to Muhammad’s prophethood. However it is translated, the sense remains the same. In fact, the impeccable purity of the life of the Prophet (peace be on him), the astounding impact of his teachings and training on the lives
