Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 145
145 Even our opponents accept the sequence of the three fragments that form the following statement of the Holy Quran: 1 وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّـبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَـفَرُوْا رَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ كَـفَرُوْا I shall exalt thee to Myself, and will clear thee from the charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve. They agree that this statement is a well-ordered sentence and all that Allah the Exalted promised herein has been fulfilled. Those who believe in the physical ascension of Jesus as cannot say anything in their support. It astonishes me that when such people accept the sequence of the three fragments in this statement, why do they make a futile attempt to interpret the word tawaffi (which means to die) in the sense of ‘taking up the body’? Do tell me that by adopting the nature of the Jews, where will they place this word? If they place the word tawaffi after rafa (which means to be raised), this would clearly contradict the events as they actually transpired. There is no break between the word rafa (to be exalted) and the word tat-heer (the clearing of charges)— both words appear together. As a matter of fact, it is the clearing of charges which takes place after exaltation. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, absolved Jesus, peace be upon him, of the charges levelled against him by the Jews who believed that he was not a true Prophet and was accursed. He also absolved him from the calumny of the Christians who believed that Jesus as was the son of God and God himself, and who was raised into the heaven and suffered a curse for their sake. Jesus as be- ing exalted, and then as a result, being cleared of the charges against him, are like two fingers, which cannot be separated. Then, Allah the Exalted states: َ جَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْك I shall place those who follow you (above those who disbelieve). Now, if one reflects over these words, they do not permit for any other word to be placed after mutah-hiruka (I shall clear you of the charges). Then, where else can one place the word tawaffi if not where it sits already? Allah the Exalted has stated the events in the sequence that they transpired. How can one flip and re- arrange them in any other way? I ask why, after all, do you harbour such animos- ity towards the words of God Almighty to the extent that you wish to alter their order? 1 Aal-e-Imran , 3:56