The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 285
PT. 6 AN-NISA' CH. 4 وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَ of their بُهْتَانًا عَظِيْمان because 157. And disbelief and their uttering against Mary a grievous calumny, 620 وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ And their saying, “We did. 158 مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا ;Mary, the Messenger of Allah صَلَبُوهُ وَلكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَالَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتَّبَاعَ الظَّنِ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينان therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; "they have no definite knowledge thereof, but only follow a conjecture; and they did not convert this conjecture into a certainty;621 620. Commentary: "10:37; 53:29. The fact that the Jews uttered "a calumny" against Mary constitutes a clear evidence of the fatherless birth of Jesus. For if Jesus had a father, what "calumny" was it that the Jews uttered against Mary? Merely taunting her for the claims made by Jesus could in no sense be called a calumny. Elsewhere the Quran says that the mother of Jesus was a righteous woman and that Satan had no share in his birth (3:37:5:76). 621. Important Words: (they slew him not). as means, he slew him by striking him with a sword or with a stone or by poison or by any other means. See also 2:62 & 4:158. they did not convert this) ماقتلوه يقينا conjecture into certainty) is a peculiar Arabic idiom. The Arabs say (lit. he killed the thing with certainty of knowledge and proper examination), i. e. he acquired full and thorough knowledge of the thing so as to dispel all possibility of doubt. So the words would mean, their knowledge regarding it was not comprehensive, or they did not know it for certain that he had been killed, or they did not convert this (conjecture of theirs) into certainty, meaning that they were not sure and they did not make sure whether Jesus died on the cross or not. In this case, 725