Quran Garden

Session 380

Chapter 3

Verse 46

He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous.

(Chapter 3: Verse 46)

What a wonderful verse that refutes many of the falsehoods attributed to our beloved Prophet Jesus! Let's take a few moments to examine it. 

God mentioned that Jesus will speak to people "in the cradle and in maturity" to direct our attention, but towards what? We answer that Allah wants you to know that Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary, was subject to change like each one of us.  He started as a weak infant in the cradle and then went through boyhood and puberty to reach maturity.  Since Jesus was subject to the effects of time, people must know that he is not fit to be a deity or the son of one.  God says, explaining Jesus' mortality and needs for sustenance:

The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a messenger; other messengers had come and gone before him. His mother was a virtuous woman, and both ate food.  See how clear We make these signs for them, see how deluded they are. (5:75)

We ask those who claim that Jesus is a God, when was his divinity? In the cradle, during the teenage years, or at maturity? If his divinity were in the cradle, it would be incomplete because he did not remain in that state.  Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, was created subject to the effects of time and vulnerable to life's circumstances just like the rest of us. Thus, he cannot be a god.

The phrase "He will speak to the people in the cradle" also refers to the miracle God granted our beloved Jesus while he was an infant.  From the moment of his birth, Mary's honor and dignity were subject to accusations, and that was understandable.  Thus, it was necessary to present an irrefutable sign to stop such allegations once and for all.  How do you explain to rational people the wonder of an unmarried chaste, and righteous woman giving birth? The explanations came directly from the mouth of the infant.  God says:

She went back to her people carrying the child, and they said, "Mary! You have done something terrible! O sister of Aaron, your father was never a bad man, nor was your mother unchaste."  Mary pointed to him. They said, "How can we talk to one in the cradle, an infant boy?"  He said, "I am a servant of God. He has granted me the Scripture, and made me a prophet.  He made me blessed wherever I may be, commanded me to pray, give alms as long as I live, and dutiful to my mother.  And He has not made me arrogant or wretched.  Peace was on me the day I was born and will be on me the day I die, and the day I am raised to life again."  Such was Jesus, the son of Mary: in the words of the truth about which they have been doubting.  (19:27-34)

An infant who speaks and argues eloquently is a wondrous miracle.  But what is genuinely puzzling is that this miracle has been completely erased from Christian history.  Why would people who glorify their prophet to a God status omit such a miracle from their books?  The news of a talking infant must have spread like wildfire in the community at the time.  It was probably the subject of conversation for months.  But the first question anyone would ask about a talking infant is, "Well, what did he say?" And there lies the problem!

The first words that came out of Jesus, the infant, confirmed his humanity: "I am a servant of God." These words do not support those who came later and claimed that Jesus is God or the son of God.  Thus, it was necessary not only to erase these words but also to deny the miracle altogether.  

Now, let's look into the second part of the phrase, "He will speak to the people in the cradle and maturity."  Maturity refers to the age from the late thirties and into the forties.  As narrated in Christian history, the events of the crucifixion occurred before Jesus reached that age.  In other words, Prophet Jesus' speech in maturity remains unfulfilled.  Thus, a time must come for Prophet Jesus to return to earth and speak to people before the Day of Judgment.  God says:

And when the son of Mary is presented as an example, your people turn from it in disdain; they say, "Are our gods better or he?" They only cite him to you for the sake of arguing.  Rather they are a contentious lot.  Indeed, Jesus was not other than a servant, whom We favored, and We made him a miraculous example for the Children of Israel.  If We had so willed, We could have made some from among you angels, succeeding each other on the earth.  He is certainly a sign of the approach of the Last Hour.  So have no doubt about it, and listen to me.  This is the straight path. (43:57-61)

The birth of our beloved Jesus and his speech as an infant were a miracle and a controversy.  His death is also controversial.  Jesus' return to earth will be another miracle and a sign for the approach of the Day of Judgment.  Lastly, on the Day of Judgment, Jesus will have time to speak and clear his name and that of his mother from all the falsehoods people attributed to them.  God says:

When God says, "Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to people, 'Take me and my mother as two gods alongside God'?" he will say, "May You be exalted! I would never say what I had no right to say. If I had said such a thing, You would have known it: You know all that is within myself, though I do not know what is within Yours, You alone have full knowledge of the unseen matters.I told them only what You commanded me to: 'Worship God, my Lord, and your Lord.' I was a witness over them during my time among them. Ever since You took my soul, You alone have been the watcher over them: You are witness to all things." (5:16-17)

On the Day of Judgment, Allah will question our beloved Jesus before all humanity.  This question is not a question of reprimand.  To the contrary, it is an exoneration for Jesus and his mother, and a scolding to all those who deified them. 

Let's look into Jesus' response to the question "Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to people, 'Take me and my mother as two gods alongside God'?"  His comprehensive answer came in five parts that refuted all false claims.   

In the first part of the answer, Jesus said, "May You be exalted! I would never say what I had no right to say." In other words, he, peace be upon him, denied having uttered such words and glorified God above the absurd claims of polytheism.

In the second part, Jesus not only denied to have said what he was not supposed to, but he also affirmed that he delivered God's message verbatim as instructed: "I told them only what You commanded me to: 'Worship God, my Lord, and your Lord.'"

Then, to complete this argument, the Prophet simply pointed out that "if I had said such a thing, You would have known it."

The fourth part of the answer is the most interesting.  Jesus says, "You know all that is within myself, though I do not know what is within Yours, You alone have full knowledge of the unseen matters."  What is the purpose behind this statement? The purpose is to give us insight into Jesus’ thoughts.  By pointing out that God has full knowledge of our thoughts and feelings, Prophet Jesus denies that even the idea of claiming divinity had never occurred to him.      

Lastly, some people say that even if Jesus did not claim divinity, he might have smiled or nodded approvingly when he heard others attribute it to him.  To refute such claims, Jesus says, "I was a witness over them during my time among them," meaning that he was watchful for any signs of corruption of faith around him. 

Indeed, our beloved Prophet Jesus was one of the righteous.