The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page lxxx
GENERAL INTRODUCTION him from millions of other human beings, but woe to the writer who attributes such unmannerly conduct to him. In this connection we cannot omit to mention the incident relating to the woman of Canaan mentioned in Matthew (15:21-26) and Mark (7:24-27). This woman approached Jesus in great humility. In accordance with the custom of her people, she fell at his feet and wanted only guidance from him. But Jesus, according to the Gospel writer, said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs. " With what longing and expectation this poor woman must have approached Jesus. And she went not to beg for bread or cloth or for any such material thing; all she wanted was spiritual guidance. She wanted from him just what Jesus had come to give. But the Gospel narratives say that Jesus sent this woman away. Not only this, he abused a woman to her face, called her dog and dishonoured her. Jesus, if the Gospel account is true, did not dishonour this woman from Canaan only. He dishonoured the entire fair sex, and proved by his own utterance that he had nothing to give to poor women. All his thoughts were concentrated on the well-being of the Jewish race. He would prefer having his feet anointed by a sinning Jewish woman (Luke 7:36- 38) to saying a word of comfort to a non-Jewish woman. If Christians accept this part of the Gospel narrative as true, they are quite welcome. But we for our part cannot believe that his disciples could have said such a thing about him. These things, according to us, are fabrications of later writers. And they were made at a time when the real Jesus had disappeared from the world and an imaginary Jesus was being manufactured by ignorant writers. (iii) In John (2:1-4) we have: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, "They have no wine. " Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. " Similarly in Matthew (12:47-48) we have: Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother and who are my brethren? These passages from John and Matthew show that Jesus did not have much regard even for his mother, a relationship which is held in the highest respect and esteem by all decent persons. Will an ordinary Christian today address his mother saying, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" Will any Christian today dismiss his mother contemptuously and yet be counted as liv