The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 7
and Moses has been made after which mention is made of Ishmael. Chronologically, however, Ishmael should have been mentioned before Moses but as Moses constituted a most important link of that part of the covenant which was fulfilled through Isaac his mention preceded that of Ishmael. Then a brief reference to the Prophet Idrīs is made and the words: "And We raised him to a high place" have been added to denote his very high spiritual station. These words point to a spiritual resemblance which Idrīs had with Jesus, viz. that he was spiritually taken up to heaven (Gen. 5:24). Idrīs is Enoch of the Bible and about Enoch, the Bible says that he walked with God (Gen. 5:22) which means that in him Divine attributes found manifestation of a very high order. Analogous expressions have been used about Jesus in the New Testament. But whereas on the basis of such expressions Jesus has been raised to the pedestal of Divinity by his misguided followers, in the presence of similar expressions about Enoch (Idrīs) the latter is considered to be entitled to no higher place than that of a mere human being or at best a Prophet of God. In fact, Enoch seemed to enjoy a certain spiritual superiority over Jesus, inasmuch as according to the Bible he went up to heaven alive and like God, the Father, never tasted of death (Heb. 11:5). After this the Surah reinforces the argument against the godhead of Jesus by saying that if all the Prophets from Adam to Noah and from Noah down to the last Israelite Prophet before Jesus were mere human beings, then why should Jesus who was also only a Prophet of God be invested with Divine attributes and be regarded as God? After this an implied mention is made of the birth of a new Mission and a new Faith and attention is drawn to the fact that circumstances attending the birth of Jesus i. e. his fatherless birth, imply the advent of a Promised Teacher-the Holy Prophet. But it is stated with regret that those to whom this Teacher will address his message will, because of their pride in their large numbers and great material power, oppose and persecute him. They will not realize that numbers do not prove anything and material power should not deceive them. They are warned that if they rejected the new Message their numbers and their power will not avail them in any manner. They indulge in all sorts of vain talk and refuse to listen to the Holy Prophet. But when, as a result of their defiant and persistent rejection of truth and persecution of the Holy Prophet, Divine punishment will descend upon them, their faculties of seeing and hearing will become sharpened and they will begin to see the evil consequences of their misdeeds and will hear 1921