Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 845
CHAPTER TWO 845 1, yet you do not reflect upon these words of Allah, nor do you pay heed to them. Or do you say that which you do not know? Know also that the term that is coined to convey a particular mean- ing deserves to be applied to everyone equally in its assigned sense without any distinction or exception. But you particularize ‘Īsā for the meaning that you have devised for the word tawaffi [to ascend bodily] and say that no one else in all the worlds shares that meaning, as if this particular meaning came into existence only when ‘Īsā was born and it had no existence before him, nor will it exist again [after him] until the end of times. O brave and young person! Assume that ‘Īsā was not born and was not granted a physical body by God Almighty. In that case, the word tawaffi would have been left like a woman deprived of her ornaments. So ponder without showing me your canine teeth. Fear Allah, the Oft-Returning with compassion. Do you think that this meaning [for the word tawaffi] is a carpet that only Ibn Maryam [the son of Mary] walked upon, or a tablecloth that no one has betaken except this hon- ourable king [‘Īsā]? Moreover, even if we accept that in the phrase the word tawaffi signifies physical ascension to the heavens, despite the supposi- tion of this meaning, the verse would reject the idea of ‘Īsā ever return- ing to the earth and the purpose of my enemies cannot be achieved; rather, the matter of not descending remains intact. This is not hid- den from the wise, because ‘Īsā will utter these words on the Day of Judgment. In other words, he will say on the day when all creation will be resurrected and presented [before their Lord]. O wise ones! This is what you read in the Holy Quran. Īsā's reply, to put it in a nutshell, is that he would state to God that: 'I left my people estab- lished upon the Oneness of God and belief in Allah, the One Jealous of 1. Since You did cause me to die (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118). [Publisher] 2. Do you know better or Allah? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:141) [Publisher]