نُکَلِّمُ

2174

Important Words:

For المھد see 3:47.

Commentary:

The words 'she pointed to him' indicate that Mary knew what answer Jesus would give if the elders of the Jews addressed their question to him. These words may also indicate that Mary knew that if she declared herself innocent nobody would believe her. The only evidence of her innocence was her son. She meant that such a holy and righteous son whom God had endowed with such noble qualities could not be the result of an immoral union and that his virtues and good qualities by themselves constituted a sufficient vindication of her innocence. So she pointed to him. The words may also signify that when the Jews accused Mary of adultery she felt embarrassed and pointed to Jesus who had by that time become a Prophet. Some Muslim commentators of the Quran seem to feel a peculiar delight in attributing all sorts of miracles to Jesus. By their misguided reverence for him they have virtually raised him to the pedestal of Divinity. In the words, How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle, they seem to have discovered one such miracle of Jesus. Among all men, even among all the great Prophets of God he alone, they say, could talk while yet a child in the cradle. But the talk which he gave to the elders of the Jews and which is contained in the next four verses (vv.31-34) could not possibly be the talk of a child and if it was, then the facts described therein were a tissue of lies. Jesus says:(a) "God has made me a Prophet"; (b) "He has given me the Book"; (c) "He has enjoined me to say Prayers and give the Zakah"; (d) "He has made me dutiful to my mother and has not made me haughty", and (e) "Peace was on me the day I was born, and peace there will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again." All these affirmations from the lips of a baby sound like so many lies and who would call these lies a miracle? Jesus was neither a Prophet at that time, nor did he say Prayer or give Zakah or was given a Book. Moreover, these commentators appear to ignore the quite obvious fact that at another place in the Quran (3:47) this miracle is stated as having consisted in Jesus’ speaking to the people in the cradle and when of middle age (فی المھد وکھلاً). But talk by a man when he is کھل i.e. of middle age, is no miracle; and by joining the word مھد (cradle) with the word کھل (of middle age), the Quran implies that the talk of Jesus in مھدand when he was کھل (of middle age) was no miracle in the sense in which it is understood by the commentators, but it was a miracle in the sense that he spoke words of exceptional wisdom and intelligence in childhood as well as in middle age. The joining of these two words also implied a prophecy that Jesus would not die young but would live up to a good ripe age. This prophecy did constitute a real miracle. But if the word مھدwere to be taken in the sense of "period of preparation" which is also one of the meanings of this word, the verse یکلم الناس فی المھد و کھلاً (3:47) would mean that he would speak to people words full of extraordinary wisdom and spiritual knowledge much beyond his years and experience, both in the period of preparation which is youth and in his middle age. Thus the words, How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle, present no difficulty. When Mary, on being taunted by the elders of the Jews, directed their attention to Jesus, they disdained to talk to him and contemptuously said, how could they talk to "a child in the cradle" i.e. a mere boy, who was born and brought up before their very eyes. Old and learned people are wont to talk like that when invited to learn wisdom from one who is much younger to them in age. The words merely constitute an expression of contempt and disdain for Jesus. See also 3:47.