The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 42
CH. 19 MARYAM haughty. All this talk seems to be a tissue of lies. Jesus could not and did not do any of these things while yet a baby but rather when he had attained to prophethood. It may be argued that the miracle consisted in the fact that Jesus could talk while yet a baby in the cradle but this purpose could equally have been served by his speaking only a few words. If only he had rebuked the elders of the Jews for calumniating his mother in a single sentence they would surely have been taken aback and completely confounded and the purpose of the miracle would have been fully served. But where was the necessity of putting a long discourse in Jesus' mouth which was not true? The truth is that the miracle did not lie in the supposed infantile talk of Jesus but in the imagination of the commentators themselves. In this and the preceding two verses Jesus has been described as saying that (1) he is a servant of God; (2) God has given him the Book; (3) He has made him a Prophet; (4) He has made him blessed; (5) He has enjoined upon him Prayer and alms-giving; (6) He has made him dutiful to his mother and that (7) He has not made him haughty and unblessed. All these words put in Jesus' mouth by the Quran have been amply supported and corroborated by the Bible: (1) As regards Jesus' being a humble servant of God, subject to human weaknesses and frailties and to the demands and calls of nature and not being God or Son of God, the Bible says: PT. 16 And when he had fasted forty days and nights, he afterwards hungered (Matt. 4:2). But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, but the father (Mark 13:32). And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? None is good save one, that is God (Mark 10:18). (2) About the fact that Jesus was given a Book which he followed and taught, the Bible says: Think not that I come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matt. 5:17, 18). (3) The Bible also supports the Quranic statement that Jesus was only a Prophet of God and not God or the Son of God. It says: 1956 And He that sent me is with me (John 8:29). Neither came I of myself, but He sent me (John 8:42). He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:15-22). And the multitudes said, This is the Prophet, Jesus, of Nazareth of Galilee (Matt. 21:11). (4) About Jesus' being blessed the Bible depicts Elizabeth, the mother of John, as saying to Mary, the mother of Jesus: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb (Luke 1:42).