It is not befitting for Allah the
One and Self-Sufficient to take a wife or a son. Neither is it befitting for
Jesus (peace be upon him) to claim that he was the son of god. Such claims
were not established until the 4th century A.D., meaning that
they could not have been attributed to the disciples of Jesus. Rather, they
resisted this idea since its very beginning. In this chapter we will deal
with many quotations from the Bible, except the Gospel of John, which hint,
literally or by connotation, at the point that Jesus was the son of God.
This will clarify to the reader that such phrases are used metaphorically to
refer to prophethood and that they were not addressed to Jesus alone, but to
other prophets as well, such as Adam and Jacob, who were similarly
addressed, as were the disciples of Jesus and others in general.
Texts from the Torah:
*When men began to
increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of
God saw that the daughters of men...- And also afterward -when the sons of
God went to the daughters of men. (Genesis 6:1-4)
*Then say to Pharaoh,
‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son’. (Exodus 4:22)
*You are the children
of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 14:1)
Texts from the
Gospels:
*That you may
be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:45)
*Be careful not to do
your acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you
will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
*So that your giving
may be in secret. Then your Father, Who sees what is done in secret, in
secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:4)
*But when you pray, go
into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
(Matthew 6:6)
*Do not be like them,
for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8)
*After this manner
therefore pray ye: Our Father which art heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
*For if you forgive
men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)
*But when you fast,
put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to
men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your
father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:17-18)
*Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
(Matthew 5:9)
*In the same way, let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise
your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
*Look at the birds of
the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. (Matthew 6:26)
*For the pagans run
after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
(Matthew 6:32)
*For it will not be
you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew
6:20)
*And do not call
anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, which is in heaven.
(Matthew 23:9)
*And when you stand
praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your
Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
(Mark 11:25
- 26)
*Jesus said, ‘‘Do not
hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my
brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God.’ (John 20:17)
*Be merciful, just as
your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)
*And he said unto
them, When ye pray; say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us
day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive
every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but
deliver us from evil. (Luke 11:2
– 4)
*For the pagan world
runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. (Luke
12:13)
*…the son of Seth, the
son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:38)
Just as Jesus
addressed his people figuratively as the Sons of god, he used the same
expression when referring to himself. He also described himself as “the Son
of Man” as is shown in the following quotations:
*No one knows about
that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the
Father. (Matthew 24:36)
*Jesus replied, “Foxes
have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has
no place to
lay his head.” (Matthew 8:
20)
*Just as Moses lifted
up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. (John 3:14)
Jesus himself
endeavored to correct such a misconception and predicted the fallacies that
would be ascribed to him:
*He hath had no
beginning , nor will he ever have an end, but to everything hath he given a
beginning, and to everything shall he give an end. He hath no father nor
mother. He hath no sons, nor brethren, nor companions. And because God hath
no body. therefore he eateth not, sleepeth not, dieth not walketh not.
Moveth not, but abideth eternally without human similitude. (Barnabas 17)
*And having said this, Jesus smote his
face with both his hands, and then smote
the ground with his head. And having
raised his head, he said: “Cursed be every one who shall insert into my
sayings that I am the son of God.” At these words the disciples fell down as
dead , whereupon Jesus lifted them up, saying: “Let us fear God now, if we
would not be affrighted in that day.”
(Barnabas 53)
*Jesus answered: 'And
ye; what say ye that I am?' Peter answered: 'Thou art Christ, son of God.'
Then was Jesus angry, and with anger rebuked him, saying: “Begone and depart
from me, because thou art the devil and seekest to cause me offence!”
(Barnabas 70)
*do thou cure
eternally every one that shall corrupt my gospel that thou gavest me, when
they write that I am thy son. For I, clay and dust, am servant of thy
servants, and never have I thought myself to be thy good servant (Barnabas
212)
English
Interpretations of Qur’anic verses:
*They say: "Allah hath
begotten a son": Glory be to Him, nay, to Him belongs all that is in the
heavens and on earth: everything renders worship to Him. (2:116)
*The similitude of
Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said
to him "Be": and he was. (3:59)
*Yet they make the Jinns equals with Allah, though Allah did create the Jinns;
and they falsely, having no knowledge, attribute to Him sons and daughters.
Praise and glory be to Him! (For He is) above what they attribute to Him! To
Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: how can He have a
son when He hath no consort? He created all things, and He hath full
knowledge of all things.
(5:100-101)
*The Jews call 'Uzair
a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a
saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of
old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from
the Truth!”
(9:30)
*They say, "Allah hath
begotten a son!" Glory be to Him! He is Self-Sufficient! His are all things
in the heavens and on earth! No warrant have ye for this! Say ye about Allah
what ye know not?”
(10:68)
*Say: "Praise be to
Allah, Who begets no son, and has no partner in (His) dominion: nor (needs)
He any to protect Him from humiliation: yea, magnify Him for His greatness
and glory!" (17:111)
*Further, that He may
warn those (also) who say, "Allah hath begotten a son": No knowledge have
they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. It is a grievous thing that
issues from their mouths as a saying: What they say is nothing but
falsehood!” (18:4-5)
*Such (was) Jesus the
son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly)
dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget
a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it,
"Be," and it is. (19:34-35)
They say: "(Allah)
Most Gracious has begotten a son!" Indeed ye have put forth a thing most
monstrous! As if the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder,
and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin. That they should invoke a son
for (Allah) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of
(Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in
the heavens and the earth but must come to (Allah) Most Gracious as a
servant. (19:88-93)
*And they say:
"(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! They are (but)
servants raised to honour. They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in
all things) by His command. He knows what is before them, and what is behind
them, and they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable,
and they stand in awe and reverence of His (glory). If any of them should
say, "I am a god besides Him," such a one We should reward with Hell: thus
do We reward those who do wrong. (21:26-29)
*No son did Allah
beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods),
behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would
have Lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) from the (sort of)
things they attribute to Him! He knows what is hidden and what is open; too
high is He for the partners they attribute to Him! (23:91-92)
*He to Whom belongs
the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has
He a partner in His dominion: it is He Who created all things, and ordered
them in due proportions. (25:2)
*Is it not that they
say from their own invention, "Allah has begotten children?" But they are
liars! (37:151-152)
*Had Allah wished to
take to Himself a son, He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those
whom He doth create: but Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.) He is
Allah, the One, the Irresistible. (39:4)
*Say: "If (Allah) Most
Gracious had a son, I would be the first to worship." Glory to the Lord of
the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority)! (He is
free) from the things they attribute (to Him)! (43:81-82)
*And exalted is the
Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son. (72:3)
*Say: He is Allah, the
One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He
begotten; (112:1-3)
*And (remember) her
who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our Spirit, and We made
her and her son a Sign for all peoples. (21:91)
*Behold, the Lord said
to the angels: "I am about to create man from clay: "When I have fashioned
him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in
obeisance unto him." (38:71-71)
*The similitude of
Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said
to him "Be": and he was. (3:59)