Correcting the Deficiencies in the Disciples’ Request

The Disciples’ request contained deficiencies, and Jesus (a.s.) corrected it; then he presented it to God; these corrections are as follows:

1. Jesus (a.s.) placed the Disciples’ request in a beautiful form, so that this request would not merely be seeking a new miracle, since the Disciples had seen many miracles and their motivation was exclusively for requesting a new miracle.(253)

2. In the Disciples’ question, monotheistic etiquette (adab tawḥīdī) was not observed, because they said: “Is your Lord able” (254) and Jesus (a.s.) corrected it and said: “O God, our Lord”; meaning “O God, our Lord.” He mentioned two invocations (nidā) together to prove that both God’s divinity (ulūhiyya) is absolute and His lordship (rubūbiyya) is absolute.

It is recommended that before uttering supplication (duʿāʾ) God be praised, and here too Jesus (a.s.) with the mention of “O God, our Lord” - which expresses divinity and lordship and has not been used in the transmitted supplications in the Qur’an except here - praised God for His lordship.

3. In the Disciples’ question, the important purpose of the table’s descent had not been mentioned, but it was explained in Christ’s (a.s.) supplication: “Send down to us a table from the sky, to be a festival for us, for the first ones and the last ones among us.” The Disciples’ request was for the descent of a heavenly table, and Jesus (a.s.) preserved that expression; but he mentioned its purpose and chose a title for the descent of the heavenly table that encompassed his own and his companions’ purpose for the table’s descent: he requested from God that the day of the heavenly table’s descent be a festival (ʿīd) for him and his community (umma), so that day would be repeated and return for every generation as time passes.

Just as Muslims have the Festival of Breaking the Fast (ʿīd al-fiṭr) and the Festival of Sacrifice (ʿīd al-aḍḥā), and the Shi’a have the Festival of Ghadīr (ʿīd al-ghadīr), which are repeated every year and are a source of pride, honor, dignity, and glory for the Prophet himself - because blessings descended upon Islam and Muslims on that day - Jesus Christ also wanted the day of the heavenly table’s descent to be a festival for the Christian nation (millat) and an eternal miracle and honor for their first and last generations: “to be a festival for us, for the first ones and the last ones among us”, so that they would honor and venerate it every year.

Even if he had not said: “for the first ones and the last ones among us,” it would still be understood that it should be so, because if it were specific to one era and had no anniversary and did not return, it would not be a “festival” (ʿīd), since the characteristic of a festival is its annual return, just as the same meaning is understood from the word “for us” (lanā) - that it should be a festival for Jesus’s community (not just his contemporary followers). The inclusion of “for the first ones and the last ones among us” is probably to dispel the misconception of it being limited to those contemporaries.

Note:

a. Although the religious ceremonies of a festival in Christianity are specific to its followers, the principle of commemorating the anniversary of the table’s descent and the manifestation of unseen power can be universal and not be limited to the Christian religion.

b. Caring for the festival and striving to provide its essence and making efforts to preserve it has a significant share in maintaining national and religious unity and protecting denominational cohesion.

Perhaps the repetition of the letter lām in “for the first ones and the last ones among us” (li-awwalinā wa-ākhirinā), like repeating “first and last” after the word “for us” (lanā), is for this same point, otherwise the meaning would have been conveyed with the first letter.

c. Al-Zamakhsharī holds that the day of the table’s descent was Sunday, and for this reason Christians honor this day and consider it a festival. (255) Accepting this statement requires investigation.

4. Since Jesus mentioned the matter of the day of the table’s descent becoming a festival, he then said that the table’s descent should be a sign from God: “as a sign from You” (āyatan minka).

Being a festival day was the main purpose. Being a divine sign can also be a main purpose in itself. If the only main purpose of the table’s descent were for it to become a sign from God, the desired result would not be achieved, because everything that needed to be accomplished through witnessing divine signs and miracles should have come about by seeing many signs. Consequently, requesting a new miracle, which would be the only genuine goal, would deserve reproach and censure. For this reason, Jesus mentioned being a divine sign and miracle alongside another main purpose.

5. Human beings ask questions in two ways: sometimes according to natural and material standards and sometimes according to spiritual standards. Their expression of these, especially eating (akl) (not other titles) here was crude and according to material standards, and Jesus corrected it: their request was for eating, but Jesus referred to eating as “provision” (rizq): “and provide for us; for You are the best of providers” (wa-rzuqnā wa-anta khayru l-rāziqīn). Therefore, whenever a person speaks with God, they should not speak merely of their own eating, but should mention divine provision (rizq) and His grace: “And ask God for His grace” (wa-sʾalū llāha min faḍlih) (256) and seek your provision from Him, not specifically your own eating, just as Jesus, correcting the Disciples’ words who said “We wish to eat from it” (nurīdu an naʾkula minhā), said: “and provide for us; for You are the best of providers” (wa-rzuqnā wa-anta khayru l-rāziqīn).(257) That sacred persona’s request encompassed both the descent of the table and spiritual provision, and he mentioned that material benefit within the covering of a spiritual request, because “and provide for us” (wa-rzuqnā) is not limited to apparent provision.

Note:

a. In some texts it has come: “O God! Bless us in bread and do not separate us from it, for were it not for bread, we would not fast, nor pray, nor perform the obligations of our Lord.” However, the meaning of “bread” (khubz) in this tradition is the principle of economy, not specifically bread as opposed to rice, fruit, etc. (258)

b. One who is purely in need, in relation to the purely Self-Sufficient, seeks all their needs, and this matter is harmonious with the unity of lordship (tawḥīd rubūbī) and is desirable, just as it is appropriate with the instruction to request table salt from God. (259)