Tafsir of Al Imran 3:59

"Indeed, the example of Jesus..." The state of Jesus and his extraordinary condition is like the state of Adam.

"He created him from dust" This sentence explains the aspect in which Jesus is likened to Adam; meaning, Adam was created from dust without a father or a mother, and such is the case of Jesus.

If you ask: How can he be likened to him when he was created without a father, while Adam was created without a father or mother? I say: He is his equal in one of the two aspects. The fact that Adam is uniquely characterized by the other aspect does not prevent the comparison, because "likeness" is a sharing of some attributes. Furthermore, he is likened to him because both came into existence in a manner outside the continuous norm; in that, they are counterparts. Moreover, existence without a father and mother is stranger and more disruptive to the norm than existence without a father. Thus, the "strange" was likened to the "stranger" to be more decisive against the opponent and to cut off the root of his doubt when he considers what is even stranger than what he found strange.

It is narrated that a scholar was taken captive by the Romans. They asked him, "Why do you worship Jesus?" He replied, "Because he has no father." He said, "Then Adam is more worthy of worship, for he has neither father nor mother." They said, "He used to revive the dead." He said, "Ezekiel is more worthy, for Jesus revived four people, while Ezekiel revived eight thousand." They said, "He used to heal the blind and the leper." He said, "Then George is more worthy, for he was cooked and burned, yet he rose up unharmed."

"He created him from dust" He fashioned him as a body of clay.

"Then He said to him, 'Be'" Meaning, He brought him into existence as a human, similar to His saying: "Then We developed him into another creation" (Al-Mu'minun: 14).

"And he was" This is a narration of a past state.

"The truth is from your Lord, so do not be among the doubters."