Quran Garden

Session 383

Chapter 3

Verse 49

Acontinuation

He will send him as a messenger to the Children of Israel: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will create the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God's permission, it will become a real bird; I will cure the blind and the albino, and bring the dead back to life with God's permission; I will tell you what you eat and what you store up in your houses. There truly is a sign for you in this, if you are believers."

(Chapter 3: Verse 49)

In the previous session, we discussed Prophet Jesus' miracles, specifically the miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead.  In today's session, let's examine the miracle of creation.  The Quran narrates Jesus' words: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will create the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God's permission, it will become a real bird." 

The verb"create" means to bring something into being with prior planning.  To create something, you would imagine it first, plan its function, and then make it according to your plan.  However, if the object deviates from your plan, then it is not creation.  Similarly, if you take a piece of clay and mess with it for a while making different shapes, you would not be creating; you would be just playing.  Creation requires purposeful planning. 

For example, a glassmaker who takes sand and makes it into a glass cup is a creator.  This person has the skill, a plan, and a goal.  From collecting the sand, to melting it, adding chemicals, removing impurities, and shaping the glass, each step was according to the original plan.  The glass cup did not exist and later came into being according to the glassmaker’s vision.  This is creation.

What about God's creation? Does He create with planning, or is it just play?  He says:

We did not create the heavens and the earth and what lies between them for play. (21:16)

And in another chapter:

Does man think that he will be left alone without purpose? Was he not a drop of ejaculated sperm, then a blood-clot which God created and shaped, fashioning from it the two sexes, male and female? Does He Who can do this not have the power to bring the dead back to life? (75:36-40)

So Allah creates with planning and purpose.  But there are big differences between the creations of man and those of God.  We build from raw materials, while Allah creates from nothing.  In fact, we need to use God's creations to make something new.  In the example above, the glassmaker could not have made a glass cup from thin air; he or she had to use sand and fire –both creations of Allah.  Allah, on the other hand, created the entire universe from nothing. 

Another difference between man's creation and God's creation is that the Almighty instills in some of His creations a secret that humans can never give to theirs:  life.  Life fosters growth and multiplication.  In our example, when a glassmaker creates a cup, it remains a cup.  Have you ever seen two glasses get together and give birth to small shot glasses?  Have you seen a chair grow up to be a bigger wiser couch?  Man creates his craft, but it remains as is, while God's work contains life, growth, and learning.  When the power of man touches dirt, it produces glass, but when the power of God touches dirt, it produces a human that changes the face of an entire planet.  God says:

We created the human from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of ?uid in a secure depository, then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh.  Then We have caused it to grow into another creation.  Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators! (23:12-14)

Allah did not deny humans the power to create, but He is the best of creators.   

This brings us back to the verse.  Our beloved Jesus said, "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will create the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God's permission, it will become a real bird." Anyone can make a bird-like figure from clay, but God gave Jesus the miracle of blowing life into it.  The key phrase in this verse is "with God's permission." Jesus, peace be upon him, could not have created except with God's permission.  Take note that the words "with God's permission" came from Jesus' mouth as a confession that he did not possess this ability. 

Sadly, over the ages, people forgot these words and started attributing divinity to Jesus.  They claimed him a God or the son of God.  We say to anyone with such belief, if you were captivated by Jesus blowing life into a bird of clay, you should have equally been fascinated by Abraham when he butchered four birds into pieces, mangled them, and left parts of them on different mountains.  Abraham then called them back to life, and they came rushing to him.  He, peace be upon him, did not need to breathe life into them; he merely called them to life.  God says:

And when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You will restore life to the dead!" God said, "Why? Do you not believe?" Abraham said, "Yes, but that my heart may be at peace." He said, "Then take four birds of different kinds, and tame them to yourself to know them fully. Then chop them into pieces, mix them, and put on every one of the hills a piece from each.  Then summon them, and they will come to you walking in haste.  And know that God is Almighty and All-Wise." (2:260)

Abraham's miracle is also a grant from God.  He could not do so by himself, nor could Jesus, peace be upon them all. 

Similarly, if you were captivated by the fact that Jesus came into the world without a father, then the creation of Adam and the birth of Eve should have been more fascinating.  Adam came to be without a mother and a father, while Eve was created from a male without a female. 

As we mentioned previously, the miracle of creation was not inherent to Jesus.  In other words, it required God's direct permission every single time.  Prophet Jesus could not blow life into any object at will; instead, he, peace be upon him, created in a very limited scope.  The purpose of such miracle was to prove his message's authenticity so the children of Israel would believe.

The miracles of prophets and messengers prove the existence of a superior and overwhelming power.  This power can overrule all laws and tear the fabric of the universe at will.  Thus, when people see the effects of such power through miracles, they should develop faith in the message brought to them by the prophets and messengers.  Jesus, peace be upon him, was sent to a people who were immersed in materialism.  Their hearts were far from spirituality, and they did not believe in the unseen.  Thus, it was necessary to present miracles that centred around the unseen –such as life and creation– to turn their hearts and minds back to the Lord.