The Light of Truth — Page 163
REFUTING OBJECTIONS despite all this, they proceeded to make him a partner with the Creator and consider him to be the Lord of all the worlds. They say what they say, yet they do not fear the Day of Judgement. Their view is that the Messiah died on the cross and was cursed for their sins. He was then seized in order to liberate them, and he was punished in order to absolve them. Mankind had upset the Father with their sins, so the Father was rough and hard-hearted and quick to become wrathful, far removed from forbearance and kindness. Enraged like a blazing fire, the Father decided to throw mankind into hell, but the Son, out of mercy, stood up for the evildoers as he was gentle and merciful, like the righteous. He counselled his Father against the use of force and high-handedness, but the Father neither relented nor turned back from his plan. So the Son said: 'O my Father, if You are determined to pun- ish mankind and destroy them by the axe; not to forbear and for- give, nor to show mercy; and you truly cannot be restrained; then I shall carry all their burdens and accept their punishment. So forgive them and do with me as You please, be it little or much. At this, the Father agreed to crucify His own son for the sins of mankind. And so, God redeemed the sinners and punished the impeccable one, as though he were a sinner, with various kinds of suffering. This is what they [i. e. the Christians] claim. It is quite surprising, however, that during the crucifixion, the Father-who was perhaps inebriated or drowsy—somehow for- got what He had revealed in the Torah; that is, I do not destroy anyone save he who sins against Me; and, I do not take a person in place of one of the rebellious. But [they hold that] the Father broke his pledge and went against His promise, sparing the evil- doers and seizing one of the innocent. Perhaps He forgot His earlier statements due to His advanced years and old age, as he is among the elderly. 163