Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:45-46)

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:45-46)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

The Birth of Isa (AS)

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٥﴾‏وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ‎﴿٤٦﴾

3:45 (And mention) when the angels said: “O’ Maryam, indeed Allah (SWT) gives you good tidings of a word (creation) from God, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Maryam – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near (to Allah (SWT)).

3:46 He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous.”

Commentary: Verse 3:45 refers to the angels speaking with Maryam (SA) and bearing good news that she would soon give birth to a child named the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam (SA) (بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ).

The word “Kalimah” (كَلِمَةٍ) in the phrase “Bikalimatin Minhu Ismuhu Almaseehu” (بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ) refers to the creation of prophet Isa (AS). Hence, the meaning of the Verse becomes:

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ … ‎﴿٤٦﴾

3:45 (And mention) when the angels said: “O’ Maryam, indeed Allah (SWT) gives you good tidings of a word (creation) from God, whose name will be the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam.”

The word “Kalimah” (کَلِمَة) means word. In the Qur’an however, it also refers to Allah’s (SWT) creation since God’s creation manifests His words. For instance, verse 31:27 (كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ) means Allah’s (SWT) creations:

وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ‎﴿٢٧﴾‏

31:27 And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea (was ink), replenished thereafter by seven (more) seas, the words (creation) of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

The word “Wajīhan” (وَجِيهًا) means honor, esteem, prestige, and eminence. The verse states that prophet Isa (AS) has an honorable position in this world and the Hereafter, and he would be among those who are granted nearness to Allah (SWT):

… وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ ‎﴿٤٥﴾‏

3:45 …distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those who are granted nearness to Allah.

Verse 3:46 states that the angels gave the good news that Isa would speak to the people in the cradle and maturity (وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا), and be one of the righteous (وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ).

Isa (AS) speaking in his cradle in the first few days of his birth was shown as a great miracle, as cited in verse 19:27-34. Speaking at a mature age is entirely normal. Why, then, does the verse mention them together?

Mentioning these two traits together in the above verse may indicate that Isa (AS) spoke thoughtfully in the cradle, like a maturely developed adult. It also may refer to a prophecy. According to the chronicles, Prophet Isa (AS) lived 33 years among the people and before reaching a mature age, Allah (SWT) took him to heaven. According to many traditions, he will return after the appearance of Imam Mahdee (AS) and speak with the people at his mature age[1].

The word “Almaseeh” (الْمَسِيحُ): The word “Almaseeh” (الْمَسِيحُ) means anointed. Isa (AS) was given this name since he was anointed with the blessing of divine purity. This word “Almaseeh” (الْمَسِيحُ) is the Arabicised form of the Meshiha (مشیحا), a term found in the Old and the New Testaments. The Scriptures state that when a king was crowned among the Children of Israel, the priests anointed him with the holy oil so that he might be blessed in his rule.

The king was therefore called Meshiha (مشیحا). It may be inferred that the messiah (الْمَسِيحُ) means the king or the blessed one[2]. This interpretation is confirmed by verse 19:31 (Maryam) in which Isa (AS) said, “He (Allah) has made me blessed wherever I am.” (وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ)

The word “Isa” (عِيسَى): The word “Isa” (عِيسَى) originally was “Yashū” (یشوع), which means sincerity or savior. Some Islamic traditions interpret it as ”He will live”. The latter meaning is more suitable with the name given to Zakaria’s son, Yahya, which means He will live. We have already said that there is a similarity between these two prophets in every aspect[3].

Isa (AS) the son of Maryam (SA) (عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ) emphasizes that Isa (AS) would be borne miraculously without a father and, therefore, would be known with this name. Verse 21:91 (Al-Anbiya) states that Allah (SWT) made Maryam and Isa as signs for mankind:

وَالَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا وَابْنَهَا آيَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ ‎﴿٩١﴾

21:91 And (mention) the one who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our (gifted created) spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.

The expression “Our Spirit” (رُّوحِنَا) implies Our (gifted created) spirit. This interpretation is valid in similar verses such as:

1. “Faithasawwaytuhu Wanafakhtu Feehi Min Roohee”[4]^,[5] (فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي) means: And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My (gifted created) soul.
2. “Thumma Sawwahu Wanafakha Feehi Min Roohihi”[6] (ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِ) means: Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His (gifted created) soul.
3. “Waallatee Ahsanat Farjahafanafakhna Feeha Min Roohina”[7]^,[8] (فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا) means:  We breathed into her of Our (gifted created) spirit.

Appendix:

Verses 19:17-19 of Chapter Maryam also mentions that the angel named Ruh gave the news of the birth of Isa (AS) to Maryam:

… فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا ‎﴿١٧﴾‏ قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا ‎﴿١٨﴾‏ قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا ‎﴿١٩﴾‏ قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا ‎﴿٢٠﴾

‏19:17 Then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrael (Gabriel)), and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.

19:18 She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, (so leave me), if you should be fearing of Allah.”

19:19 He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you (news of) a pure boy.”

19:20 She said, “How can I have a boy while no man has touched me, and I have not been unchaste?”

The angel “Ruh,” according to commentators, is either the angel Jibrael or an angel even more superior to Jibrael and Michael, which are explained in the following paragraphs:

Ruh as a Superior Angle: Some commentators[9] believe that “Ruh” is one of the noble angels, superior even to the angel Jibrael. We read this in a hadith from Imam Sadiq (AS) that mentions “an angel greater than Jibrael and Michael.[10]”

Ruh is another name for the angel Jibrael: Different verses of the Quran mention that the Quran was revealed to the heart of the Prophet by Angel Jibrael[11] (جِبْرِيلَ), the Holy Ruh[12] (رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ), and the Trustworthy Ruh[13] (الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ). Hence, Al-Mizan, from these three expressions, deduces that Ruh is another name for the angel Jibrael (AS)[14].

Verse 3:45 states that the angels spoke to Maryam (SA), while verses 19:17-20 mention that the angel Ruh talked to her. This raises the question of who Maryam (SA) spoke to – was it the angels or Ruh? One possible explanation is that Ruh and a delegation of angels conveyed the good news to Maryam. Allah knows best.

Why is the word “kalimah” (کَلِمَة) used for the creation of Isa (AS)? Undoubtedly, everything comes into existence by the will of Allah (SWT), as stated in verse 36:82 (Yaseen). When He says, “Exist,” (كُن) it comes to existence (فَيَكُونُ):

إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ‎﴿٨٢﴾‏

36:82 His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, “Be,” and it is.

Every human is born according to the biological reproductive system, which is a manifestation of the command of “Exist,” (كُن). However, the birth of Isa was the word itself (“Exist” (كُن)); it occurred without going to a reproduction system like the creation of Adam (AS), as mentioned in verse 3:59 (Aal-Imran):

إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ‎﴿٥٩﴾‏

3:59 Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he was.

Verse 4:171 (An-Nisa) states Isa (AS) was the divine word of “Exit” (كُن) that was directed to Maryam (SA) and a soul created at command by Him:

… إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ ۖ … ‎﴿١٧١﴾

4:171 The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word (“Be” and he was) which He directed to Maryam and a soul (created at a command) from (by) Him.

The expression “a soul from Him” (وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ) means a soul, a gifted creation, from Allah (SWT).

 

[1] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.2, P. 550

[2] Al-Mizan, Vol. 3, P.304

[3] Al-Mizan, Vol. 3, P.305

[4] Al-Hijir. 15:29

[5] Sad, 38:72

[6] As-Sajda, 32:9

[7] Al-Anbiya, 21:91

[8] At-Tahrim, 66:12

[9] https://makarem.ir/main.aspx?typeinfo=25&lid=0&mid=243717&catid=22886

[10] (وَ مَلَکٌ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ جِبْرائِیْلَ وَ مِیْکائِیْلَ)

[11] Al-Baqara, 2:97 (قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ)

[12] An-Nahl, 16:102 (قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ)

[13] Ash-Shuara, 26:193-194 (نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ‏ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ)

[14] Al-Mizan, Vol. 14, P.46