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Ayah
Word by Word
وَيُكَلِّمُ
And he will speak
ٱلنَّاسَ
(to) the people
فِي
in
ٱلۡمَهۡدِ
the cradle
وَكَهۡلٗا
and (in) maturity
وَمِنَ
and (he will be) of
ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
the righteous
وَيُكَلِّمُ
And he will speak
ٱلنَّاسَ
(to) the people
فِي
in
ٱلۡمَهۡدِ
the cradle
وَكَهۡلٗا
and (in) maturity
وَمِنَ
and (he will be) of
ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
the righteous
Translation
He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."
Tafsir
He shall speak to mankind in the cradle, that is to say, as a child before the age of speech, and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous'.
"Delivering the Good News to Maryam of `Isa's Birth
This Ayah contains the glad tidings the angels brought to Maryam that she would give birth to a mighty son who will have a great future.
Allah said,
إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَليِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ
(Remember) when the angels said:""O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him,
a son who will come into existence with a word from Allah, `Be', and he was.
According to the majority of the scholars, this is the meaning of Allah's statement (about Yahya)
مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
(Believing in the Word from Allah) (3:39).
اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ
His name will be Al-Masih, `Isa, the son of Maryam,
and he will be known by this name in this life, especially by the believers.
`Isa was called ""Al-Masih"" (the Messiah) because when he touched (Mash) those afflicted with an illness, they would be healed by Allah's leave.
Allah's statement,
عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ
(`Isa, the son of Maryam),
relates `Isa to his mother, because he did not have a father.
وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
Held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah.
meaning, he will be a leader and honored by Allah in this life, because of the Law that Allah will reveal to him, sending down the Scripture to him, along with the other bounties that Allah will grant him with.
`Isa will be honored in the Hereafter and will intercede with Allah, by His leave, on behalf of some people, just as is the case with his brethren the mighty Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them all.
`Isa Spoke When He was Still in the Cradle
Allah said
وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلً
He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood,
calling to the worship of Allah Alone without partners, while still in the cradle, as a miracle from Allah, and when he is a man, by Allah's revelation to him.
Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَا تَكَلَّمَ مَوْلُودٌ فِي صِغَرِهِ إِلاَّ عِيسَى وَصَاحِبُ جُرَيْج
No infant spoke in the cradle except `Isa and the companion of Jurayj.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,
لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِي الْمَهْدِ إِلاَّ ثَلَثَةٌ عِيسَى وَصَبِيٌّ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ جُرَيْجٍ وَصَبِيٌّ اخَر
No infant spoke in the cradle except three, `Isa, the boy during the time of Jurayj, and another boy.
وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
And he will be one of the righteous.
in his statements and actions, for he will possess, pure knowledge and righteous works.
`Isa was Created Without a Father
When Maryam heard the good news that the angels conveyed from Allah, she said
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ
""O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.""
Mary said, ""How can I have a son while I did not marry, nor intend to marry, nor am I an indecent woman, may Allah forbid""
The angel conveyed to Maryam, Allah's answer,
قَالَ كَذَلِكِ اللّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء
He said:""So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills.
He is Mighty in power and nothing escapes His ability.
Allah used the word `create' here instead of the word `does' as in the tale about Zakariyya (3:40), to eradicate any evil thought concerning `Isa.
Allah next emphasized this fact when He said,
إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
When He has decreed something, He says to it only:""Be! ـ and it is.
meaning, what Allah wills, comes into existence instantly and without delay.
In another Ayah, Allah said,
وَمَأ أَمْرُنَأ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ
And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye. (54:50),
meaning, ""We only issue the command once, and it comes into existence instantly, as fast as, and faster than, a blink of the eye.
The Description of `Isa and the Miracles He Performed
Allah tells;
وَيُعَلِّمُهُ
And He will teach him,
Allah states that the good news brought to Maryam about `Isa was even better because Allah would teach him,
الْكِتَابَ 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 Surah Al-Baqarah.
وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالاِنجِيلَ
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 بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ
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,
أَنِّي قَدْ جِيْتُكُم بِأيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْيَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ
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 الاكْمَهَ
And I heal him who is Akmah,
meaning, `a person who was born blind,' which perfects this miracle and makes the challenge more daring.
والَابْرَصَ
And the leper,
which is a known disease.
وَأُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ
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 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,
وَأُنَبِّيُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي 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 فِي ذَلِكَ
Surely, therein,
all these miracles.
لاايَةً لَّكُمْ
is a sign for you,
testifying to the truth of what I was sent to you with.
إِن كُنتُم مُّوْمِنِينَ
وَمُصَدِّقًا 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,
وَلاُِحِلَّ 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;
وَلاُبَيِّنَ 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,
وَجِيْتُكُم بِأيَةٍ 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 اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
إِنَّ اللّهَ رَبِّي 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 صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
This is the straight path."
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