Response to those who cited the saying of Allah the Exalted, "What is the Messiah, son of Mary"
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Q7: With this issue, there are texts that the Qadiyyan cite regarding the death and burial of 'Isa. I hope you will clarify those texts so we can respond to them? The first verse is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah 5:75] the verse.
A7: The purpose of this verse is to refute those who said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:17], and those who said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:73], and those who said: He is the son of Allah — by clarifying that 'Isa al-Masih (peace be upon him) is not a Lord or a God to be worshipped, but rather a Messenger whom Allah honored with the message. His status is the same as the messengers who came before him. His lifespan is limited, but this verse does not specify when he will die. The previous evidence from the Book and the Sunnah has clarified that he was raised up alive, and that he will descend as a just ruler, then die after his descent at the end of time and his judgment among the people. Then Allah the Exalted mentioned that 'Isa and his mother (peace be upon them both) used to eat food, which indicates that they are not gods alongside Allah, given their need for food to preserve their lives. Allah the Exalted is One, the Self-Sufficient, possessing absolute wealth. Everything other than Him needs Him, but He does not need anyone other than Himself. This supports the view that the intended meaning of the verse is what is mentioned in the verses preceding and following it. A verse preceded it: [Al-Ma'idah 5:17], and a verse: [Al-Ma'idah 5:73]. And after them, it mentioned the prohibition of exaggeration in religion, the denial of worshipping anyone other than Allah, and the cursing of those who do so or remain silent about it without refuting it. This is also clarified by the saying of Allah the Exalted in the Surah
al-An'am:[Al-An'am 6:14] the verse. The second verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Furqan 25:20] the verse. A: The purpose of the verse is to refute those who disbelieved in the message of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) because they claimed that a messenger must be from the angels, not from humans. Allah refuted their claim by clarifying that His practice in sending messengers to humans is to select them from among humans, and that they eat food and walk in the markets, their status in this being the same as that of humans. The verse does not specify a lifespan for 'Isa (peace be upon him). Other verses and hadiths have clarified his being raised up alive, then his descent and his judgment after his descent at the end of time, and then his death, as mentioned previously. The third verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Anbya 21:8]. A: This verse contains no indication of the death of 'Isa (peace be upon him) when the Jews conspired to kill and crucify him. Rather, it indicates that the prophets and messengers, including 'Isa, are not bodies that do not eat, but rather
they eat as people eat. It also rules that they do not remain in this world forever. The people of the Sunnah believe in this, and that 'Isa, like the other messengers, will be overtaken by death like the others, except that the Book and the Sunnah indicate that for him, this will not occur until after his descent from the sky to judge justly, break the cross, and kill the pig, as mentioned previously. The fourth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ahzab 33:62]. A: Although this phrase is general, it is specified by the verses and miracles that Allah performed through the hands of His messengers, which served as proof for their nations in establishing the message. For example, the splitting of the sea for Musa into twelve dry paths with a strike of his staff, and the healing by 'Isa of the blind and the leper, and the reviving of the dead by the permission of Allah, among many other known matters. The raising of 'Isa alive, his preservation for centuries, and his subsequent descent are exceptions to this generality, like other supernatural events that are the practice of Allah with His messengers, and there is nothing strange about that. The fifth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted: [Az-Zukhruf 43:59]. A: This verse establishes the servitude of 'Isa (peace be upon him), and that Allah
bestowed upon him the message, and that he is not a Lord or a God. He is a sign of the perfection of Allah's power, and a supreme example of good to be followed and guided by. Thus, it is similar in its purpose to the first verse, and it contains no indication of specifying a lifespan for 'Isa (peace be upon him). Rather, the clarification and specification of that is taken from other texts, as mentioned previously. The sixth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:17] the verse. A: At the beginning of the verse, it says: [Al-Ma'idah 5:17], so the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah 5:17] the verse: is a refutation of their claim that 'Isa (peace be upon him) is Allah, by clarifying that 'Isa and his mother are weak servants like the rest of Allah's creation. If Allah had willed to destroy him, his mother, and all the creatures on earth, He would have done so, but He did not destroy them all. Rather, He carried out His practice of destruction at specific times dictated by His wisdom. And it was part of His wisdom that He did not destroy 'Isa (peace be upon him) when the Jews conspired against him, nor after his raising. Rather, He raised him alive and kept him alive until he descends and judges among the people with the Shari'ah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and then causes him to die after that, as mentioned previously.
The seventh verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Mu'minun 23:50]. A: The bearing of Maryam of 'Isa (peace be upon them both) without a father, contrary to the cosmic norm for others, is among the clear signs indicating the perfection of Allah's power. And Allah sheltered them in a high place, a fertile spot with stability and a visible spring of water that eyes can see. The intended meaning is al-Bayt al-Maqdis in Palestine , as a mercy from Allah to them and a blessing from Allah upon them. And that was in Palestine , not in a country of Pakistan . And that was more than five hundred years before our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), not more than twelve centuries after the migration of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So, whoever interprets the "high place" as a location in Pakistan , or interprets "son of Mary" as Ghulam Ahmad , has distorted the verse and fabricated a lie against Allah, and deviated from historical reality. The eighth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted: [Ali 'Imran 3:55] the verse. A: The argument of the Qadiyyan with this verse regarding the death of 'Isa (peace be upon him) in the past is based on interpreting "tawaffa" (taking) as killing. This is contrary
to what is authentic from the Salaf in interpreting it as Allah taking His messenger 'Isa (peace be upon him) from the earth and raising him to Himself alive, thereby delivering him from those who disbelieved. This harmonizes the authentic texts of the Book and the Sunnah indicating his being raised alive, his descent at the end of time, and the faith of the People of the Book and others in him when he descends. As for what is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) interpreting "tawaffa" here as killing, its chain is not authentic due to its disconnection, as it is from the narration of 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah from him, and 'Ali did not hear from him nor see him. Also, what is narrated from Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani interpreting "tawaffa" as killing is not authentic, because it is from the narration of Muhammad ibn Ishaq from unnamed people from Wahb ibn Munabbih , and Ibn Ishaq was a tadlis narrator and has an unknown person in his chain. Furthermore, this interpretation does not amount to more than a possibility in the meaning of "tawaffa," as it has been interpreted with various meanings. It was interpreted as Allah taking him from the earth in body and soul and raising him to Himself alive, and as Allah putting him to sleep and then raising him, and as Allah killing him after his raising and descent at the end of time. The "wa" (and) does not imply sequence, but only the combination of the two matters. When opinions differ on the meaning of the verse, it is obligatory to resort to the opinion that agrees with the apparent evidence of other texts, to harmonize the evidence and refer the ambiguous to the clear, as is the practice of the firmly grounded in knowledge, unlike the people of deviation who follow what is ambiguous in the revelation seeking fitnah and seeking its interpretation. May Allah protect us from their evil.
The ninth verse: Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:117] the verse. A: The argument using this verse to prove that 'Isa (peace be upon him) died before being raised to the sky, or after being raised but before his descent at the end of time, is based on interpreting *tawaffa* as death, as mentioned previously in the discussion of the eighth verse. It has already been established that this interpretation is incorrect and contradicts the interpretation of the Salaf, who harmonized the texts of the evidence from the Book and the authentic Sunnah. The tenth verse : Allah the Exalted said: . A: This statement is part of what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) quoted in the Qur'an from the words of 'Isa (peace be upon him) in the cradle. It contains His command to him to establish prayer and pay zakah as long as he is alive, but it does not specify the duration of his life or the time of his death. The evidence mentioned previously clarifies this, so the general text must be understood in light of the detailed texts, and some texts should not be used to contradict others, nor should one stop at the ambiguous ones. Indeed, all of this is from Allah, and some of it clarifies some of it, and some of it corroborates some of it. The eleventh verse: Allah the Exalted said: [Maryam 19:33]
A: This is like the one before it; it affirms that Allah grants him peace and security in all his conditions, but it does not specify the duration of his life or the time of his death. Therefore, one must refer to the other texts that clarify this, as was explained earlier. The twelfth verse: Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:20-21] the verse. A: This verse was cited to refute those who worship other than Allah, such as the angels, 'Uzayr, 'Isa, al-Lat, al-'Uzza, and Manat, and to clarify that they do not create anything, not even a gnat; rather, they are created beings, under Allah's dominion, dead and not alive. However, the other proofs indicate that 'Isa (peace be upon him) remains alive until he descends and judges among the people with the Shari'ah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and then he dies. The thirteenth verse: Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:136] . A: In this verse, Allah commands faith in all the prophets and what was revealed
to them from their Lord, and clarified that He, Glorified is He, does not distinguish between them in the obligation of believing in them and in what was revealed to them from Allah. In this is a refutation of the Jews and the Christians who said, "Be Jews or Christians, you will be guided," and a clarification of what was summarized in the refutation of them in Allah's saying to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):[Ali 'Imran 3:95] , and the intended meaning is not the command not to distinguish between them in death and life, for the context of the speech does not indicate this, but rather it indicates what we have mentioned. Also, this is something the messengers did not call for, so interpreting the verse in this way distorts it from the meaning for which it was cited. And even if one were to interpret the saying: [Al-Baqarah 2:136] as being general enough to include not distinguishing between them in the type of death and life, the evidence of reality and the texts indicates that there is a difference between them in many attributes of death and life, their types, their time, their place, the length and shortness of life, and so on. Therefore, let the life of Isa and its extension, its place, and his death thereafter be something that differs from his brother prophets by the evidence of the previous texts. The fourteenth verse: Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:134]
A: The purpose of this verse is to clarify that every person is recompensed for his own deed, and it does not extend to others, nor is he asked about anyone else, as in Allah's saying:[At-Tur 52:21] , and His saying: [Al-An'am 6:164] . Therefore, he must strive his utmost to earn good and avoid evil, and not rely on others for boasting about them or hoping for salvation from the punishment on the Day of Resurrection through their kinship with him, their connection to him, or their exaltation of him in this world. And although Isa (peace be upon him) falls under the general description of the past nation, the proofs from the Book and the Sunnah have specified him by his raising to the sky and his remaining alive, and then his descent at the end of time, as previously explained. And from the known principles in the Islamic Shari'ah is that specific texts take precedence over general texts and specify them, and the texts we are discussing are of this type. The fifteenth verse: Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:157-158] . The sixteenth verse: Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:159]
A: The discussion of these two verses has already been presented in the discussion of the first, second, third, and fourth verses. In summary, the Qur'anic verses that the Qadiyyan use to prove their claim that Isa (peace be upon him) died and was buried are: 1. Either general texts that have been specified by other proofs from verses and hadiths indicating that Isa (peace be upon him) was raised alive and remained so until he descends at the end of time and judges by the Shari'ah of the Qur'an, and the Qadiyyan stopped at the general texts after they were specified, which is invalid because it contradicts the Islamic rules and principles. 2. Or summarized verses that have been interpreted by other texts to which one must resort, and the Qadiyyan stopped at the summarized texts, using them as an excuse for their falsehood without referring to the clear text that interpreted them; this is the condition of those in whose hearts is deviation and hypocrisy, who follow what is ambiguous in the texts of the Book and the Sunnah seeking fitnah and seeking its interpretation in a way that suits their desires. 3. Or words they relied on in their interpretation from reports that are not authentically attributed to the Salaf, and this was clarified previously in the discussion of the eighth verse:[Ali 'Imran 3:55]
So these people rejoiced in these reports because they suited their desires, and they used them to mislead the ignorant, without looking at their chains of narration, either out of ignorance or out of deception and fraud to promote their falsehood, and this is only due to their falseness and their desire for fitnah. Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:7] , and al-Bukhari and others narrated from A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: . And with this, it becomes clear to the questioner that he should refer to what remains of the verses to what has been explained previously of their kind, and the discussion of them follows the same pattern as what has preceded. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food
مَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلانِ الطَّعَامَA7: The purpose of this verse is to refute those who said:
that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَAllah is the third of three
إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلاثَةٍThey have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَThey have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allah is the third of three."
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلاثَةٍal-An'am:
Say, "Is it other than Allah I should take as a protector, Creator of the heavens and the earth, while it is He who feeds and is not fed?"
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلاَ يُطْعَمُAnd We did not send before you, [O Muhammad], any of the messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلا إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الأَسْوَاقِAnd We did not make the prophets forms not eating food, nor were they immortal [on earth].
وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لاَ يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَthey eat as people eat. It also rules that they do not remain in this world forever. The people of the Sunnah believe in this, and that 'Isa, like the other messengers, will be overtaken by death like the others, except that the Book and the Sunnah indicate that for him, this will not occur until after his descent from the sky to judge justly, break the cross, and kill the pig, as mentioned previously. The fourth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:
and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.
وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاJesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَbestowed upon him the message, and that he is not a Lord or a God. He is a sign of the perfection of Allah's power, and a supreme example of good to be followed and guided by. Thus, it is similar in its purpose to the first verse, and it contains no indication of specifying a lifespan for 'Isa (peace be upon him). Rather, the clarification and specification of that is taken from other texts, as mentioned previously. The sixth verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:
Say, "Then who could prevent Allah at all if He had intended to destroy Christ, the son of Mary, or his mother or everyone on the earth?"
قُلْ فَمَنْ يَمْلِكُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ وَمَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًاThey have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَSay, "Then who could prevent Allah at all
قُلْ فَمَنْ يَمْلِكُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًاThe seventh verse: The saying of Allah the Exalted:
And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and sheltered them within a high ground having level [areas] and flowing water.
وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ آيَةً وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ[Mention] when Allah said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allah alone] superior to those who disbelieve
إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواto what is authentic from the Salaf in interpreting it as Allah taking His messenger 'Isa (peace be upon him) from the earth and raising him to Himself alive, thereby delivering him from those who disbelieved. This harmonizes the authentic texts of the Book and the Sunnah indicating his being raised alive, his descent at the end of time, and the faith of the People of the Book and others in him when he descends. As for what is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) interpreting "tawaffa" here as killing, its chain is not authentic due to its disconnection, as it is from the narration of 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah from him, and 'Ali did not hear from him nor see him. Also, what is narrated from Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani interpreting "tawaffa" as killing is not authentic, because it is from the narration of Muhammad ibn Ishaq from unnamed people from Wahb ibn Munabbih , and Ibn Ishaq was a tadlis narrator and has an unknown person in his chain. Furthermore, this interpretation does not amount to more than a possibility in the meaning of "tawaffa," as it has been interpreted with various meanings. It was interpreted as Allah taking him from the earth in body and soul and raising him to Himself alive, and as Allah putting him to sleep and then raising him, and as Allah killing him after his raising and descent at the end of time. The "wa" (and) does not imply sequence, but only the combination of the two matters. When opinions differ on the meaning of the verse, it is obligatory to resort to the opinion that agrees with the apparent evidence of other texts, to harmonize the evidence and refer the ambiguous to the clear, as is the practice of the firmly grounded in knowledge, unlike the people of deviation who follow what is ambiguous in the revelation seeking fitnah and seeking its interpretation. May Allah protect us from their evil.
The ninth verse: Allah the Exalted said:
And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them
وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْAnd He enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive.
وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّاAnd peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."
وَالسَّلامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّاA: This is like the one before it; it affirms that Allah grants him peace and security in all his conditions, but it does not specify the duration of his life or the time of his death. Therefore, one must refer to the other texts that clarify this, as was explained earlier. The twelfth verse: Allah the Exalted said:
(20) And those they invoke other than Allah create nothing, and they [themselves] are created. (21) They are, [in fact], dead, not alive
وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ (20) أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍSay, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْـزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْـزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَto them from their Lord, and clarified that He, Glorified is He, does not distinguish between them in the obligation of believing in them and in what was revealed to them from Allah. In this is a refutation of the Jews and the Christians who said, "Be Jews or Christians, you will be guided," and a clarification of what was summarized in the refutation of them in Allah's saying to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):
the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of the polytheists."
قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَWe make no distinction between any of them
لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْThat was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.
تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُمْ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلاَ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَA: The purpose of this verse is to clarify that every person is recompensed for his own deed, and it does not extend to others, nor is he asked about anyone else, as in Allah's saying:
Every person, for what he earned, is retained.
كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌand no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى(158) Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا (157) بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًاAnd there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.
وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًاA: The discussion of these two verses has already been presented in the discussion of the first, second, third, and fourth verses. In summary, the Qur'anic verses that the Qadiyyan use to prove their claim that Isa (peace be upon him) died and was buried are: 1. Either general texts that have been specified by other proofs from verses and hadiths indicating that Isa (peace be upon him) was raised alive and remained so until he descends at the end of time and judges by the Shari'ah of the Qur'an, and the Qadiyyan stopped at the general texts after they were specified, which is invalid because it contradicts the Islamic rules and principles. 2. Or summarized verses that have been interpreted by other texts to which one must resort, and the Qadiyyan stopped at the summarized texts, using them as an excuse for their falsehood without referring to the clear text that interpreted them; this is the condition of those in whose hearts is deviation and hypocrisy, who follow what is ambiguous in the texts of the Book and the Sunnah seeking fitnah and seeking its interpretation in a way that suits their desires. 3. Or words they relied on in their interpretation from reports that are not authentically attributed to the Salaf, and this was clarified previously in the discussion of the eighth verse:
[Mention] when Allah said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to
إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّSo these people rejoiced in these reports because they suited their desires, and they used them to mislead the ignorant, without looking at their chains of narration, either out of ignorance or out of deception and fraud to promote their falsehood, and this is only due to their falseness and their desire for fitnah. Allah the Exalted said:
It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْـزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلا أُولُو الأَلْبَابِThe Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "It is He who has sent down to you the Book; in it are clear verses, which are the foundation of the Book, and others are ambiguous. But as for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow that which is ambiguous in it, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation. And no one knows its interpretation except Allah." up to His saying: "those of understanding." She said: (The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see those who follow that which is ambiguous in it, those are the ones whom Allah has named, so beware of them.")
تلا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هذه الآية: هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْـزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلا اللَّهُ ، إلى قوله: أُولُو الأَلْبَابِ قالت: (قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: فإذا رأيت الذين يتبعون ما تشابه منه فأولئك الذين سمى الله فاحذروهم
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.