the lectures of Nokounam Session 1138
Verses 110 and 111 of Surah Al-Maidah, like a brilliant gem in the Divine Word, elucidate the boundless blessings of God upon Jesus, peace be upon him, and his noble mother, as well as the revelation to the disciples. These verses, with profound and meaningful language, unveil the reality of the miracles of the Prophets and the exalted status of faith and submission before the Divine command. In this writing, with a deep and contemplative perspective, we have undertaken an exegesis of these verses to depict the truth of their latent meanings in a scientific and coherent form. These reflections, inspired by the Divine Word and employing spiritual metaphors and allusions, pave the way for a better understanding of the essence of religion and spiritual health manifested in the Holy Quran.
Verse 110 of Surah Al-Maidah, like a deep ocean, contains multiple meanings and concepts, some accessible to the human mind and others beyond ordinary comprehension. This verse, by recalling the blessings of God upon Jesus, peace be upon him, and his mother, Mary, peace be upon her, clarifies the exalted position of this Divine Prophet in the order of creation. God, in this verse, calls Jesus, peace be upon him, to remember the favours bestowed not only upon himself but also upon his mother.
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
Translation: When Allah said: O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favour upon you and upon your mother when I strengthened you with the Spirit of Holiness so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you the Scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel; and when you fashioned from clay the likeness of a bird by My permission, then breathed into it, and it became a bird by My permission; and healed the blind and the leper by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs, but those among them who disbelieved said: This is nothing but obvious magic.
The miracles of the Prophets, including those of Jesus, peace be upon him, are described not as impossible deeds, but as possible signs within the framework of Divine will. These actions, though extraordinary in appearance, are performed with qualities such as purity, sincerity, and spiritual integrity. As in a simple metaphor, the ability to lift a heavy weight depends on the capacity and talent of the individual, so the performance of miracles is reliant on the Divine empowerment and inner purity of the Prophets.
This viewpoint removes miracles from the realm of impossibility and places them within Divine and natural laws, made possible by God's permission. This approach corresponds with the Quranic concept of bayynt (clear evidences) and shows that miracles are signs for guidance and confirmation of the legitimacy of the mission.
The Spirit of Holiness (R al-Qudus), mentioned in verse 110 as the force supporting Jesus, peace be upon him, is an entity distinct from mere spirit or sanctity alone. This force, like the throne of the earth, penetrates the heart, mind, and being of the human, enabling Jesus to speak to people both in the cradle and in adulthood. The Spirit of Holiness, like a Divine breeze, flows in all dimensions of human existence and, as a universal power, assists the Prophet in performing miracles.
In Quranic exegesis, the Spirit of Holiness often refers to the angel Gabriel, peace be upon him, but here it is described as a Divine power empowering Jesus to perform extraordinary deeds. Its description as the throne of the earth points to its pervasive and influential presence in the material world, as if it forms a bridge between heaven and earth.
In verse 110, the teaching of the Scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel to Jesus, peace be upon him, is mentioned. The Scripture refers to fixed and common principles among the Prophets, such as monotheism, spiritual integrity, and ethics, whereas wisdom pertains to specific particulars for each Prophet, including methods of preaching, miracles, and means of guiding their communities. This distinction, like two wings for flight in the sky of guidance, indicates the systematic nature of prophetic mission.
The Scripture, as the firm pillars of religion, manifests the unity of the Divine religions, while wisdom, like a breeze guiding each Prophet towards their specific goal, reveals the diversity in prophetic methods. Together with the Torah and the Gospel, they form a complete collection of Divine knowledge for humanitys guidance.
The miracles of Jesus, peace be upon him, including creating a bird from clay, healing the
