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Ayah
Word by Word
وَمَكَرُواْ
And they schemed
وَمَكَرَ
and planned
ٱللَّهُۖ
Allah
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
خَيۡرُ
(is the) best
ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَ
(of) the planners
وَمَكَرُواْ
And they schemed
وَمَكَرَ
and planned
ٱللَّهُۖ
Allah
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
خَيۡرُ
(is the) best
ٱلۡمَٰكِرِينَ
(of) the planners
Translation
And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah.
Tafsir
God says: And they, the disbelievers among the Israelites, schemed, against Jesus, by assigning someone to assassinate him; and God schemed, by casting the likeness of Jesus onto the person who intended to kill him, and so they killed him, while Jesus was raised up into sky; and God is the best of schemers, most knowledgeable of him [Jesus].
"The Disciples Give Their Support to `Isa
Allah said,
فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَى
Then when `Isa came to know,
meaning, `Isa felt that they were adamant in disbelief and continuing in misguidance.
مِنۡهُمُ الۡكُفۡرَ قَالَ
of their disbelief, he said:
He said to them.
مَنۡ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللّهِ
Who will be my helper in Allah's cause.
Mujahid commented,
""Meaning, who would follow me to Allah.""
However, it appears that `Isa was asking,
""Who would help me convey the Message of Allah!""
The Prophet said during the Hajj season, before the Hijrah,
مَنۡ رَجُلٌ يُوۡوِينِي حَتَّى أُبَلِّغَ كَلَمَ رَبِّي فَإِنَّ قُرَيۡشًا قَدۡ مَنَعُونِي أَنۡ أُبَلِّغَ كَلَمَ رَبِّي
Who will give me asylum so that I can convey the Speech of my Lord, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Speech of my Lord.
until he found the Ansar. The Ansar helped the Prophet and gave him refuge. He later migrated to them, they comforted the Prophet and protected him from all his enemies, may Allah be pleased with them all.
This is similar to what happened with `Isa, for some of the Children of Israel believed in him, gave him their aid and support and followed the light that was sent with him. This is why Allah said about them;
قَالَ الۡحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحۡنُ أَنصَارُ اللّهِ امَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَاشۡهَدۡ بِأَنَّا مُسۡلِمُونَ
رَبَّنَا امَنَّا بِمَا أَنزَلَتۡ وَاتَّبَعۡنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكۡتُبۡنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
Al-Hawariyyun said:""We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.
Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.""
Hawari in Arabic - means `support'.
The Two Sahihs recorded that;
when the Prophet encouraged the people to fight during the battle of Al-Ahzab, Az-Zubayr came forward, and again, when the Prophet asked for fighters a second time. The Prophet said,
إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ حَوَارِيًّا وَحَوَارِيِّي الزُّبَيۡر
Every Prophet has a Hawari, and Az-Zubayr is my Hawari.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said about,
فَاكۡتُبۡنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
(so write us down among those who bear witness),
""Meaning among the Ummah of Muhammad.""
This Hadith has a good chain of narration.
The Jews Plot to Kill `Isa
Allah tells;
وَمَكَرُواۡ وَمَكَرَ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيۡرُ الۡمَاكِرِينَ
And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot.
Allah states that the Children of Israel tried to kill `Isa by conspiring to defame him and crucify him.
They complained about him to the king who was a disbeliever. They claimed that `Isa was a man who misguided people, discouraged them from obeying the king, caused division, and separated between man and his own son. They also said other lies about `Isa, which they will carry on their necks, including accusing him of being an illegitimate son.
The king became furious and sent his men to capture `Isa to torture and crucify him. When they surrounded `Isa's home and he thought that they would surely capture him, Allah saved him from them, raising him up from the house to heaven.
Allah put the image of `Isa on a man who was in the house; when the unjust people went in the house while it was still dark, they thought that he was `Isa. They captured that man, humiliated and crucified him. They also placed thorns on his head.
However, Allah deceived these people. He saved and raised His Prophet from them, leaving them in disarray in the darkness of their transgression, thinking that they had successfully achieved their goal.
Allah made their hearts hard, and defiant of the truth, disgracing them in such disgrace that it will remain with them until the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said,
وَمَكَرُواۡ وَمَكَرَ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيۡرُ الۡمَاكِرِينَ
(And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot).
Meaning of ""Take You""
Allah tells,
إِذۡ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى
And (remember) when Allah said:""O `Isa!
إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ
I will take you and raise you to Myself,
while you are asleep.
Allah said in a similar Ayat,
وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَتَوَفَّـكُم بِالَّيۡلِ
It is He Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep). (6:60)
and,
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الاٌّنفُسَ حِينَ مِوۡتِـهَا وَالَّتِى لَمۡ تَمُتۡ فِى مَنَامِـهَا
It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. (39:42)
The Messenger of Allah used to recite the following words when he would awaken;
الۡحَمۡدُ للهِ الَّذِي أَحۡيَانَا بَعۡدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيۡهِ النُّشُور
All the thanks are due to Allah Who brought us back to life after He had caused us to die (sleep), and the Return is to Him.
Allah said,
وَبِكُفۡرِهِمۡ وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ عَلَى مَرۡيَمَ بُهۡتَانًا عَظِيمًا
وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ إِنَّا قَتَلۡنَا الۡمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ رَسُولَ اللّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمۡ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخۡتَلَفُواۡ فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنۡهُ مَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا
بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللّهُ إِلَيۡهِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
وَإِن مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ الۡكِتَابِ إِلاَّ لَيُوۡمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبۡلَ مَوۡتِهِ
وَيَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ شَهِيدًا
And because of their saying, ""We killed Al-Masih `Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah,"" but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared as that to them, 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.
But Allah raised him up unto Himself. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.
And there is none of the People of the Scripture, but must believe in him, before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them. (4:156-159)
`His death' refers to `Isa, and the Ayah means that;
the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, before `Isa dies. This will occur when `Isa comes back to this world before the Day of Resurrection, as we will explain.
By that time, all the People of the Book will believe in `Isa, for he will annul the Jizyah and he will only accept Islam from people.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Hasan said that Allah's statement,
إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ
(I will take you),
is in reference to sleep, for Allah raised `Isa while he was asleep.
Altering the Religion of `Isa
Allah said,
وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ
And purify (save) you from those who disbelieve,
by raising you to heaven,
وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوۡقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ
And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection.
This is what happened. When Allah raised `Isa to heaven, his followers divided into sects and groups.
Some of them believed in what Allah sent `Isa as, a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His female-servant.
However, some of them went to the extreme over `Isa, believing that he was the son of Allah.
Some of them said that `Isa was Allah Himself, while others said that he was one of a Trinity.
Allah mentioned these false creeds in the Qur'an and refuted them.
The Christians remained like this until the third century CE, when a Greek king called, Constantine, became a Christian for the purpose of destroying Christianity.
Constantine was either a philosopher, or he was just plain ignorant. Constantine changed the religion of `Isa by adding to it and deleting from it. He established the rituals of Christianity and the so-called Great Trust, which is in fact the Great Treachery. He also allowed them to eat the meat of swine, changed the direction of the prayer that `Isa established to the east, built churches for `Isa, and added ten days to the fast as compensation for a sin that he committed, as claimed. So the religion of `Isa became the religion of Constantine, who built more then twelve thousand churches, temples and monasteries for the Christians as well as the city that bears his name, Constantinople (Istanbul).
Throughout this time, the Christians had the upper hand and dominated the Jews. Allah aided them against the Jews because they used to be closer to the truth than the Jews, even though both groups were and still are disbelievers, may Allah's curse descend on them.
When Allah sent Muhammad, those who believed in him also believed in Allah, His Angels, Books and Messengers in the correct manner. So they were the true followers of every Prophet who came to earth. They believed in the unlettered Prophet, the Final Messenger and the master of all mankind, who called them to believe in the truth in its entirety. This is why they had more right to every Prophet than his own nation, especially those who claim to follow their Prophet's way and religion, yet change and alter his religion.
Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law. He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth.
Furthermore, all countries submitted to them; they demolished Kisra (king of Persia) and destroyed the Czar, ridding them of their treasures and spending these treasures for Allah's sake. All this occurred just as their Prophet told them it would, when he conveyed Allah's statement,
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواۡ مِنۡكُمۡ وَعَمِلُواۡ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لَيَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّهُمۡ فِى الاۡرۡضِ كَمَا اسۡتَخۡلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ وَلَيُمَكّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِى ارۡتَضَى لَهُمۡ وَلَيُبَدّلَنَّهُمۡ مّن بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِهِمۡ أَمۡناً يَعۡبُدُونَنِى لَا يُشۡرِكُونَ بِى شَيۡياً
Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me. (24:55)
Therefore, Muslims are the true believers in `Isa.
The Muslims then acquired Ash-Sham from the Christians, causing them to evacuate to Asia Minor, to their fortified city in Constantinople. The Muslims will be above them until the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, he, Muhammad, who is truthful and who received the true news, has conveyed to Muslims that they will conquer Constantinople in the future, and seize its treasures.
Threatening the Disbelievers with Torment in This Life and the Hereafter
Allah said,
وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوۡقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ إِلَى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَأَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡ فِيمَا كُنتُمۡ فِيهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمۡ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِي الدُّنۡيَا وَالاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ
And I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve 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.
As to those who disbelieve, I will punish them with a severe torment in this world and in the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.
This is what Allah did to the Jews who disbelieved in `Isa and the Christians who went to the extreme over him.
Allah tormented them in this life; they were killed, captured, and lost their wealth and kingdoms. Their torment in the Hereafter is even worse and more severe,
وَمَا لَهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَاقٍ
And they have no Waq (defender or protector) against Allah. (13:34)
وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُواۡ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمۡ أُجُورَهُمۡ
And as for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, Allah will pay them their reward in full.
in this life, with victory and domination, and in the Hereafter, with Paradise and high grades.
وَاللّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ
And Allah does not like the wrongdoers.
Allah then said,
ذَلِكَ نَتۡلُوهُ عَلَيۡكَ مِنَ الايَاتِ وَالذِّكۡرِ الۡحَكِيمِ
This is what We recite to you of the verses and the Wise Reminder.
meaning, ""What We narrated to you, O Muhammad, regarding `Isa, his birth and his life, is what Allah conveyed and revealed to you, sent down from the Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). So there is no doubt in it.
Similarly, Allah said in Surah Maryam;
ذلِكَ عِيسَى ابۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ قَوۡلَ الۡحَقِّ الَّذِى فِيهِ يَمۡتُرُونَ
مَا كَانَ للَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبۡحَـنَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمۡراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
Such is `Isa, son of Maryam. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute). It befits not Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified be He. When He decrees a thing, He only says to it:""Be!"" and it is. (19:34-35)"
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