Verse 33

19:15, 33.

Commentary:

The present and the preceding two verses refer to a period when Jesus had already become invested with prophethood. It is an insult to human intelligence and common sense and to belie facts of history and also to betray one’s utter lack of knowledge of the Quranic style and Arabic idiom to say that the words of vv. 31-33 were spoken by Jesus while he was yet a child and therefore constituted a great miracle. A mere babe who sucked the breast of his mother could not say that he was a most obedient and faithful servant of God or that God had given him a Book or that he said Prayers and gave alms or that he was dutiful to his mother and was not haughty. All this talk seems to be a tissue of lies. Jesus could not and did not do any of these things while yet a baby but rather when he had attained to prophethood. It may be argued that the miracle consisted in the fact that Jesus could talk while yet a baby in the cradle but this purpose could equally have been served by his speaking only a few words. If only he had rebuked the elders of the Jews for calumniating his mother in a single sentence they would surely have been taken aback and completely confounded and the purpose of the miracle would have been fully served. But where was the necessity of putting a long discourse in Jesus’ mouth which was not true? The truth is that the miracle did not lie in the supposed infantile talk of Jesus but in the imagination of the commentators themselves.

In this and the preceding two verses Jesus has been described as saying that (1) he is a servant of God; (2) God has given him the Book; (3) He has made him a Prophet; (4) He has made him blessed; (5) He has enjoined upon him Prayer and alms-giving; (6) He has made him dutiful to his mother and that (7) He has not made him haughty and unblessed. All these words put in Jesus’ mouth by the Quran have been amply supported and corroborated by the Bible:

(1) As regards Jesus’ being a humble servant of God, subject to human weaknesses and frailties and to the demands and calls of nature and not being God or Son of God, the Bible says:

And when he had fasted forty days and nights, he afterwards hungered (Matt. 4:2).

But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, –but the father (Mark 13: 32).

And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? None is good save one, that is God (Mark 10: 18).

(2) About the fact that Jesus was given a Book which he followed and taught, the Bible says:

Think not that I come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matt. 5:17, 18).

(3) The Bible also supports the Quranic statement that Jesus was only a Prophet of God and not God or the Son of God. It says:

And He that sent me is with me (John 8: 29).

Neither came I of myself, but He sent me (John 8: 42).

He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, (Isaiah 61: 1-3; Luke 4: 15-22).

And the multitudes said, This is the Prophet, Jesus, of Nazareth of Galilee (Matt. 21:11).

(4) About Jesus’ being blessed the Bible depicts Elizabeth, the mother of John, as saying to Mary, the mother of Jesus:

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb (Luke 1: 42).

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked (Luke 11: 27).

(5) The fifth thing that the Quran tells us about Jesus is that God had enjoined upon him Prayer and alms-giving. About this the Bible says as follows:

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed (Luke 5: 16).

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Luke 22: 44).

Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s (Matt. 22: 21).

(6) Last of all, Jesus has been described as being humble and blessed with success. In regard to this the Bible says:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11: 29).

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass (Matt. 21: 5).

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16: 33).