lo, thy people, the polytheists, cried out in joy thereat, and they said, [Are] our gods better, or [is] he? We e are content for our gods to be with him.-They proposed not it (namely the instance) unto thee otherwise than as a cause of dispute (knowing that the word 'what' applieth to that which is not endowed with reason; so that it doth not reflect upon Jesus, on whom be peace!): yea, they are a contentious people. He (namely Jesus) is no other than a servant whom We favoured with the gift of prophecy; and We proposed him, by reason of his having come into existence without a father, as an instance of the divine power unto the children of Israel. And if. We pleased, We would substitute for you angels to succeed in the earth.1 And

2

verily he (namely Jesus) shall be a sign of the [last] hour: it shall be known by his descending: wherefore doubt not thereof.—And say unto them, Follow ye me in confessing the unity of God: this, which I command you to follow, is a right way. And let not the devil turn you away from the religion of God; for he is unto you a manifest enemy. And when Jesus came with manifest proofs (with miracles and ordinances), he said, I have come unto you with wisdom (with prophecy and with the ordinances of the Gospel), and to explain unto you part of [the things] concerning which ye disagree: therefore fear ye God, and

Jesus, supposing him to be the son of God; whereas the angels were more worthy of that honour than he.-S. (B.)

1 As easily as we produced Jesus without a father [B.]. The intent of the words is to show how just and reasonable it is to think that the angels should bear the relation of children to men rather than to God, they being His creatures as well as men, and equally in His power.-S.

2 For some time before the resurrection Jesus is to descend on earth according to the Mohammadans near Damascus, or as some say near a rock [or rather a mountain-road]

named ['Akabet] Afeek, with a lance in his hand, wherewith he is to kill Antichrist, whom he will encounter at Ludd, or Lydda, a small town not far from Joppa. They add that he will arrive at Jerusalem at the time of morning-prayer, that he shall perform his devotions after the Mohammadan institution, and officiate instead of the Imám, who shall give place to him; that he will break down the cross, and destroy the churches of the Christians, of whom he will also make a general slaughter, excepting only such as shall profess El-Islám.-S. (B.)

obey me. Verily God is my Lord and your Lord;
wherefore worship ye Him: this is a right way. But
the parties disagreed among themselves respecting Jesus,
whether he were God, or the son of God, or the third of three:
and woe unto them that transgressed in that which they
said respecting Jesus, because of the
afflicting day!

punishment of an
(xliii. 57-65.)
in the sight of
He created him

Verily the similitude of Jesus God is as the similitude of Adam. (Adam) of earth: then He said unto him, Be,—and he was. In like manner he said unto Jesus, Be, without a father, and he was. This is the truth from thy Lord: therefore be not thou of those who doubt. And whosoever of the Christians argueth with thee respecting him, after the knowledge that hath come unto thee concerning him, say, Come ye, let us call our sons and your sons and our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves will assemble: then we will invoke, and will lay the curse of God on those who lie, saying, O God, curse the liar respecting the nature of Jesus!-And the prophet invited a company from Nejrán to do so, when they had argued with him respecting Jesus; and they said, [Wait] until we consider our case: then we will come unto thee. And their counsellor said, Ye know his prophetic office, and that no people have execrated a prophet but they have perished. They however quieted the man, and departed, and came into the prophet. And he had come forth, having with him El-Hasan and El-Hoseyn and Fáțimeh and 'Alee; and he said unto them, When I pray, say ye Amen. But they refused to execrate, and made peace with him on the condition of their paying tribute.-Verily this is indeed the true history, and there is no deity but God, and verily God is indeed the Mighty, the Wise. (iii. 52-55.)

O people of the Scripture (that is, of the Gospel), exceed not the just bounds in your religion, nor say of God

1 Either by rejecting and contemning Jesus, as the Jews do; or raising

[aught] but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, [was] only the apostle of God, and His Word, which he transmitted unto Mary, and a spirit (that is, a being possessing a spirit) from Him. (He is mentioned in conjunction with God, in order to show him honour, and is not, as ye assert, the son of God, or a God with Him, or the third of three; for the being possessing a spirit is compound, and the Deity must be confessed to be pure from the imputation of composition and the relationship of a compound being to Him.) Therefore believe in God and His apostles, and say not, There are three gods, God and Jesus and his mother.1 Abstain from this, and say what will be better for you; that is, assert the unity of God. God is only one

god. Extolled be His purity from the imputation of His having a son! To Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth: and God is a sufficient witness thereof. The Messiah doth not disdain to be a servant unto God, nor do the angels who are admitted near unto Him. (iv. 169, 170.)

him to an equality with God, as do Trinity to be composed of those three; the Christians.-S. (B.)

1 For the Eastern writers mention

a sect of Christians which held the

but it is allowed that this heresy has

been long since extinct.-S.