Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 101
101 and its figure is of a given form. When, therefore, we show to a boy a lion, caged in the zoo, he at once knows that it answers the description given in books of natural history; and when we call a man a lion and the child finds that he has neither a tale, nor paws and that he looks like other men, the child at once knows that it was only a metaphoric way of our calling him a lion. Similarly, when we call a person son of. God metaphorically, we never mean to say that he is God or son of God in the physical sense. But how would the audience know that our naming him as Son of God was in the metaphoric and not in the literal sense. Therefore, there should be some yardstick to determine the sense of the expression so that there is no misunderstanding. For instance,. Allah the Supreme says in the Holy Quran about the Holy. Prophet Muhammad (peace of Allah be on him and His blesssings): ان الذین یبایعونك انما يبايعون الله يد الله فوق ايديهم i. e. , O Muhammad! those who subscribe allegiance to thee, they subscribe allegiance to Allah; it is the hand of Allah that is on their hands (48:11). The physical fact was there that it was the hand of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and the blessings of Allah be on him) that was on their hands and not the hand of Allah. In spite of this verse, we do not believe that the Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace and the blessings of. Allah be on him) was God in person. Why do we not so believe? The answer is that in many other places in the Holy. Quran, the distinctive attributes ascribed to God the Supreme are not to be found in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and the blessings of Allah be on him). For instance, God neither eats nor drinks but the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and the blessings of Allah be on him) used to eat and drink.