The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 52
CH. 3 smooth for himself. ĀL-E-‘IMRĀN means, he spread a bed for himself and made it ,means مهد لنفسه خيرا. even and smooth لنفسه. position مهد he prepared good things for himself. i means, he prepared or established for him a high station or also means, he gained or earned or sought to earn sustenance, etc. for himself. means, a place prepared for a child and made plain, even or smooth that he may sleep in it; a child's cradle; a bed; a thing spread to lie, recline or sit upon; a piece of plain ground or a smooth expanse (Lane & Aqrab). In its verbal senses the infinitive s would also mean, making a thing even and smooth; preparing a thing; preparation; gaining or earning a sus- tenance, etc. 445 (of middle age) is the noun- infinitive from i. e. he was or became of middle age means the man attained middle age. means, the plant became tall and full grown and blossomed. 45 means, one who is of middle age, or one who is of the age when a person's hair becomes intermixed with hoariness; or one who is between thirty or thirty- four and 51 years of age (Lane & Aqrab); or one who is between 40 and 51 years of age (Tha‘labī). Commentary: It is evident that by the words, he shall speak, the Quran does not mean simple utterance of words; for such speaking is done by all children and all grown up men except the few congenitally dumb. The expression is, therefore, meant to refer to a particular kind of speaking, i. e. 492 PT. 3 speaking wisely or speaking words of wisdom. Similarly, the clause, in the cradle and when of middle age, refers to the two periods of childhood and manhood when Jesus would speak words of wisdom, thus indirectly hinting that he would not die young but would live to a good ripe age. According to Ibn Qayyim, a writer of great eminence, some scholars have denied the crucifixion and (the so- called) ascension of Jesus at the age of 30 or 33 on the ground that Jesus was, according to the Quran, to speak to men when he was a Kahl, i. e. of middle age. This shows that these scholars look upon Tha'labi's definition as the correct one. That Jesus spoke words of wisdom in his childhood has nothing miraculous or supernatural about it. Many intelligent and well brought up children speak like that. Luke supplies an instance of how Jesus spoke in childhood: "And when they had fulfilled the days, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing all that heard him were astonished at them and asking them questions. And his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:43-47). The Quranic reference to the two distinct periods of Jesus' life may also be taken to hint that his speaking in the latter period was to be of a different nature from that in the former. In the latter period, he was to speak to men as a Prophet of God. Thus, the glad tidings given to Mary