Surah Al-Ma'idah (5): Verse 17

{Laqad kafaralladhīna qālū inna Allāha huwa al-Masīḥu ibnu Maryam} (Certainly have disbelieved those who say, "Indeed, Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.")

Issue and Response Regarding the Statement of the Christians

The Question: There is an issue regarding this verse: None of the Christians explicitly state, "Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary." How then does God recount this statement against them when they do not profess it?

The Answer: Many proponents of Ḥulūl (Incarnation/Indwelling) say that Allah Almighty may indwell in a specific human body or spirit. If this is the case, it is not far-fetched that some Christians adopted this view. In fact, this view is closer to what Christians assert than their explicit claims.

This is because Christians say that the Aqnum (Hypostasis/Person of the Trinity) of the Word united with Jesus (peace be upon him). Now, this Aqnum of the Word is either an Essence (Dhāt) or an Attribute (Ṣifah).

1. If it is an Essence: Then the Essence of Allah Almighty indwelt and united with Jesus, meaning Jesus is God according to this assertion.
2. If the Aqnum is an Attribute: The transfer of an attribute from one Essence to another Essence is illogical. Furthermore, assuming the Aqnum of Knowledge transferred from the Essence of Allah to Jesus would necessitate Allah's Essence being devoid of knowledge. Whoever is not knowing is not God. Therefore, in this case, the God becomes Jesus, according to their doctrine.

Thus, it is established that even if Christians do not explicitly state this phrase, the essence of their doctrine amounts to nothing less than this.

Divine Proof Against Their Doctrine

Then, the Almighty proves the falsehood of this doctrine by saying:

{Qul faman yamliku mina Allāhi shay’an in arāda an yuhlika al-Masīḥa ibna Maryama wa ummahu wa man fī al-arḍi jamī‘ā} (Say, "Then who has authority over Allah at all if He intended to destroy the Messiah, the son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on the earth?")

This is a conditional sentence where the consequence (Jazā’) precedes the condition (Sharṭ). The meaning is: If He intended to destroy the Messiah, his mother, and everyone on earth, who has the power to repel that from His will and decree?

• {Faman yamliku mina Allāhi shay’an}: Meaning, who possesses anything of Allah's actions? Possession (Milk) here means power (Qudrah). That is, who has the power to repel any of Allah's actions or prevent any of His intentions?
• {Wa man fī al-arḍi jamī‘ā}: Jesus shares with everyone on earth in form, creation, corporeality, composition, and the changing of states and conditions. Since you (Christians) affirm that He (Allah) is the Creator and Manager of everything, He must also be the Creator of Jesus.

Divine Sovereignty and Creation

Then the Almighty states:

{Wa lillāhi mulku al-samāwāti wa al-arḍi wa mā baynahumā} (And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them.)

He mentioned {wa mā baynahumā} (and whatever is between them) after mentioning the heavens and the earth, rather than saying "between them" (referring only to the feminine plural of heavens/earth), because He was following the pattern of referring to the two categories (Ṣinfayn) and the two types (Naw‘ayn).

Then He says:

{Yakhluqu mā yashā’} (He creates what He wills.)

There are two interpretations for this:

1. Meaning: He creates what He wills. Sometimes He creates humans from a male and a female, as is customary. Other times, He creates without a father or mother, as in the creation of Adam (peace be upon him). And sometimes, He creates from the mother without a father, as in the case of Jesus (peace be upon him).
2. Meaning: He creates what He wills. For instance, if Jesus shapes a bird figure from clay, Allah Almighty creates the flesh, life, and ability within it as a miracle for Jesus. Other times, He revives the dead and heals the congenitally blind and the leper as miracles for him. There is no objection to anything Allah does.

Verse 18

{Wa qālat al-yahūdu wa al-naṣārā naḥnu abnā’u Allāhi wa aḥibbā’uh. Qul fa-lima yu‘adhdhibukum bi-dhunūbikum bal antum basharum mimman khalaq. Yaghfiru liman yashā’u wa yu‘adhdhibu man yashā’. Wa lillāhi mulku al-samāwāti wa al-arḍi wa mā baynahumā wa ilayhi al-maṣīr.} (And the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones." Say, "Then why does He punish you for your sins? Rather, you are humans from among those whom He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the final destination.")