CHAPTER 2: SECTION TWO: REFUTING THE SECOND CHRISTIAN CLAIM
Glorifying Jesus Christ and His Mother
It is very true that Christ and his mother are highly praised in the Qur’an, so are those who adhered to his religion before it was distorted before the advent of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its verses also contain praise of those who abided by Christianity until Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent, whereupon they believed in him. Such are regarded as true Muslim believers. Similar to them are those who followed the undistorted religion of Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) and adhered to it until Christ was sent, whereupon they believed in him. Such are also true Muslim believers.
The Jews were deprived of Tayyibat, [(i.e. all good and lawful) as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.]which were prohibited for them. They exaggerated much in avoiding filth to the extent that they did not eat with, drink with or sleep with menstruating women. They also used to cut any places on their clothing that had sexual impurities instead of rubbing or cleaning them. They also refused to extract blood from their veins, and to do many such things, which had been enjoined on them.
Contrary to the Jews, we find that most Christians regard almost nothing as forbidden or unclean except that which one naturally loathes. According to them, one may even pray while he is in a state of major or minor ritual impurity or while carrying anything that is filthy. They also eat forbidden foods such as blood, dead animals and pork, except for whoever dislikes such foods, and people are considered to be free to choose to eat them or not. But Muslims are different; they adopt a middle course, as Allah, the Almighty says,
which means, “And My Mercy embraces all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqun (pious – see), and give Zakat; and those who believe in Our ‘Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and revelations, etc.) Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad (peace be upon him)) whom they find written with them in the Tawrah (Torah) (Deut, xviii, 15) and the Injil (Gospel) (John xiv, 16) – he commands them for Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from Ai-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of ail kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Taiyibat ((i.e. all good and lawful) as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khaba’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allah’s Covenant), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad (peace be upon him)), honor him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur’an) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.” (Al-A’raf, 7:156-157)
The Issue of Monotheism
Jews attribute to the Creator the characteristics of His creatures, which include the defects and shortcomings that characterize human beings and which should not be ascribed to the Lord. The following verse is such an example. Some Jews said,
which means, “Truly, Allah is poor and we are rich!” (Al- ‘Imran, 3:181)
Some other Jews said,
which means, “Allah’s Hand is tied up (i.e. He does not give and spend of His Bounty).” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:64)
They also said, “After Allah created the world, He became tired, so He had to have a rest.” Some of them even said, “Allah wept upon the event of the Flood so much that His eyes turned sore, so the angels paid Him a visit.” They also said, “He cried over some of those He ruined from amongst His servants, just as one cries over the deceased from one’s family.” They mentioned many such examples above which Allah is highly Exalted and Glorified in His Highness.
On the Contrary, Christians attribute to the created being the divine features of the Creator. So they render Christ as the lord of the universe, the creator and the knower of everything, and the omnipotent. Both the Jews and the Christians took their rabbis and monks as their lords. The Christians also took Christ, the son of Maryam (Mary) as their lord, while they, i.e., the Jews and Christians, were commanded to worship none but one God, besides Whom none has the right to be worshiped. Praise and glory be to Him, far above is He from having the partners they associate with Him. They also regarded the angeis and the prophets as lords besides Allah, for whom they made statues, which they regarded as intercessors for them, that might intercede on their behalf in front of Allah, just like idolaters did.
Muslims adopt a middle course in that concern, as they describe Allah with the same attributes, which He or His Messengers use for His Description, without any TahrTf (misinterpretation-changing the text), Ta’til (denial), Takyif (detailed description) or Tamthil (likening). They ascribe to Allah all the Attributes of Perfection and free Him from any defect or imperfection that may never be ascribed to the Creator.
Christians say that Christ is God and also the Son of God, and that he is a full god and a full human being. On the other hand, the Jews said that he is an illegitimate child, that he is the son of Joseph the carpenter and that Maryam conceived him after committing adultery,
Allah, the Almighty demonstrates their falsehood in this verse,
which means, “And uttering against Maryam (Mary) a grave false charge (that she has committed illegal sexual intercourse).” (An-Nisa’, 4:156)
The Jews also said that Christ was a lying magician.
On the other hand, Muslims regard Jesus Christ as a servant of Allah, His Messenger, and His Word, which He bestowed on the Chaste Virgin Maryam (Mary) and a spirit created by Him. He is held in honor in this world and in the hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah. In addition, Muslims describe Christ just as Allah does; they neither exaggerate in his status like the Christians, nor do they demean him like the Jews.
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
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