Appearance
The Occurrence and Realization of Jesus’s Miracles (a.s.)
The author of al-Manār says regarding the verse under discussion: Did Jesus (a.s.) actually perform these acts, or is it merely about his ability to perform such acts? Then he says: The apparent meaning of the verse does not indicate the occurrence of these miracles, but rather speaks of Jesus’s (a.s.) power and the possibility of these things occurring. We have no narration indicating that these matters actually took place, so what has been transmitted is not worthy of trust, and what is worthy of trust [the apparent meaning of the verse] does not indicate their actual occurrence.(408)
He also says regarding verse 260 of Sūrat al-Baqara: One cannot conclude from this verse that Abraham (a.s.) took those birds, killed them, cut them into pieces, distributed them on the mountains, then called them, and those animals came back to life and returned. Rather, the verse only tells Abraham (a.s.) to do this action, like when a student asks their teacher and mentor about how to make a chemical compound, and the teacher responds. The teacher’s response does not prove that the student definitely carried out that action.(409)
His student Rashīd Riḍā, while explaining this matter, says: One cannot conclude from the verse under discussion that Jesus (a.s.) performed such acts. However, from the verse in Sūrat al-Māʾida, one might be able to draw such a conclusion: “The day God will gather the messengers and say, ‘What was the response to you?’ They will say, ‘We have no knowledge. Indeed You are knower of all that is Unseen’.”(410) God will gather all the prophets on the Day of Resurrection and ask them: What response did you receive from the people? They will say: We do not know; You are the Knower of the unseen and You know what people have done. Then God says: “When God will say, O Jesus son of Mary, remember My blessing upon you and upon your mother, when I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so you would speak to the people in the cradle and in adulthood, and when I taught you the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel, and when you would create from clay the form of a bird, with My leave, and you would breathe into it and it would become a bird, with My leave; and you would heal the blind and the leper, with My leave, and you would raise the dead, with My leave; and when I held off [the evil of] the Children of Israel from you when you brought them manifest proofs, whereat the faithless among them said, ‘This is nothing but plain magic’.”(411) That is, remember Our blessings, that you used to perform these acts in the world.(412)
Rashīd Riḍā then says: Unless we interpret the verse of Sūrat al-Māʾida to mean that God will say to Jesus Christ on the Day of Resurrection: Remember the power We gave you; if you had wanted, you could have performed those acts. According to this interpretation, the verses of the blessed Sūrat al-Māʾida also do not indicate the occurrence of these miracles.(413)
He himself is aware of this explanation being contrary to the apparent meaning; however, such individuals are fundamentally opposed to accepting conventional miracles. The author of al-Manār, using this same explanation that the verse refers to the power to perform these miracles rather than their actual occurrence, has denied many miracles mentioned in the blessed Sūrat al-Baqara, and this is nothing but imposing Wahhabi thought on the apparent meaning of the verses of the Qur’an and can only be called exegesis based on personal opinion (tafsīr bi-l-raʾy), because he makes the verse with less clear indication the basis and refers back to the past in explaining the verse that has a clearer indication.(414)
Note:
The critique of the exegetical methods of the author of al-Manār and the demonstration of the weakness of what was built upon that basis has been discussed and pointed out many times, and God willing, we will continue to present such critiques in the future.
It might be ssuggestedaid that the verses about the miracles of Jesus (a.s.) in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān, which relate to this world, are not explicit about the occurrence of these miracles, and the verses of Sūrat al-Māʾida, which are explicit about the occurrence of miracles, relate to the Day of Resurrection. Therefore, it is possible that Jesus (a.s.) did not perform these acts in his time, but rather will come with these miracles during the “Return” (rajʿa) at the time of the appearance of the Guardian of the Age (may God hasten his appearance).
In response, it must be said that the Qur’an introduced Jesus (a.s.) with these attributes when he was commissioned with prophethood, and God also praises him with these characteristics on the Day of Resurrection while calling him the messenger to the Children of Israel. However, during the “Return” (rajʿa) when Jesus (a.s.) appears, he will be among the community of the Guardian of the Age (may God hasten his appearance), not as God’s messenger to the Children of Israel. That is, his return is not for fulfilling a prophetic mission or as one of the resolute prophets (ulū l-ʿazm), but rather he will be counted among the assistants of the Proof (a.s.).