Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 116

Regarding the verse: "And [mention] when Allah said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favor upon you...'"

There are several issues concerning this verse:

This statement is connected (conjoined) to the preceding verse: "When Allah said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favor upon you...'" (Al-Ma'idah: 110).

1. Opinion 1: According to this view, Allah is addressing Jesus on the Day of Resurrection.
2. Opinion 2: Some say Allah addressed Jesus with this statement when He raised him up to Himself (ascension). This is based on the literal reading of "And [mention] when Allah said..." since idh (when) is typically used for the past.

The first opinion is stronger because Allah follows this narrative immediately with: "This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness" (Al-Ma'idah: 119), which clearly refers to the Day of Resurrection. As for relying on the word idh, the response to that has already been given (in previous discussions).

Regarding His saying: "Did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah'?" there are two questions:

1. How is this questioning appropriate for the Knower of the Unseen?
2. Since Allah knew that Jesus never said this, why did He address him with it?

If one argues that the purpose is to rebuke and admonish the Christians, we respond: None of the Christians hold the belief that both Jesus and Mary are gods while simultaneously denying the divinity of Allah. How then can this statement be attributed to them when no one among them holds this view?

The Answer to Question 1: It is a form of denunciatory questioning (inquiry of denial).

The Answer to Question 2: Divinity (ilah) is the Creator. The Christians believe that the Creator of the miracles that appeared through Jesus and Mary is Jesus himself, and that Allah did not create them at all. If this is the case, the Christians have asserted that Jesus and Mary are the creators (gods) of those miracles, while Allah is not their creator. Thus, this narration and account become correct under this interpretation.

Then Allah says: "He said, 'Exalted are You! It is not for me to say what is not rightfully mine to say.'"

As for His saying "Subhanak" (Exalted are You), we have already explained it in the verse: "Exalted are You! We have no knowledge..." (Al-Baqarah: 32).

Know that when Allah asked Jesus whether he said such a thing, Jesus did not reply by saying "I said it" or "I did not say it." Instead, he said, "It is not for me to say what is not rightfully mine to say." This is not rightfully his to say, which logically implies that he should not utter this statement. This response functions as a declaration of purity and transcendence, while the context demands humility and submission in the presence of Majesty. He did not claim to have said it, but rather referred the matter entirely to His Lord, whose knowledge encompasses everything.

He then said: "If I had said it, You would have known it." This is an exaggeration in etiquette and in demonstrating submission and meekness in the presence of Majesty, completely entrusting the affairs to the Truth, the Glorified.

Then Allah says: "You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself." There are two issues here:

The commentators have offered several interpretations:

• You know what I conceal, and I do not know what You conceal.
• You know what is with Me, and I do not know what is with You.
• You know what is in my unseen (future), and I do not know what is in Your unseen.
• You know what I did in the world, and I do not know what You will do in the Hereafter.
• You know what I say and do, and I do not know what You say and do.

The Anthropomorphists (Mujassimah) used this verse as evidence, arguing that Nafs (self/soul) refers to the person/body, which necessitates that Allah is a physical body.

The Response is twofold:

1. First: Nafs (self) is synonymous with Dhat (essence); they mean the same thing.
2. Second: The meaning intended is: "You know My known things (my actions/intentions), and I do not know Your known things." However, this statement is phrased in a manner of correspondence and parallelism (mutabaqah wa mushakalah), which is characteristic of eloquent speech.

Then Allah says: "Indeed, it is You who is the All-Knower of the Unseen."

This serves as confirmation of the two preceding statements: namely, "If I had said it, You would have known it," and "You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself."

"I said nothing to them except what You commanded me, [saying], 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was an overseer over them as long as I was among them. But when You took me up [in death/ascension], You were the Watcher over them, and You are, over all things, a Witness."