When the angels said: "O Maryam, Allah gives you the good news of a word from Him whose name is Masih 'Isa, the son of Maryam (the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary) a man of status in this world and in the Hereafter and one of the nearest. [45] And he shall speak to the people in the cradle as well as in the middle age, and shall be one of the righteous."[46] (3:45-46)

The previous verse (44) appeared parenthetically between the present verses 45 - 46 and verses 42 - 43 and the purpose was to affirm the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him. The present verse resumes with the story of Sayyidah Maryam which actually prepares the ground for a fuller account of the birth, mission and miracles of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S).

Commentary

One of the qualities of Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) mentioned in this verse is that 'he shall speak in the cradle' which means that he will speak while still a child, although no child has the ability to do so. When soon after the birth of infant Jesus, as mentioned in another verse, people chided Sayyidah Maryam on the basis of a false accusation, this new-born infant, Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) spoke up, saying: (I am a servant of Allah). Then following immediately, it was said that he will also talk to people when he will be in the later middle of his age (kahl). It is worth noting here that the incidence of speaking in infancy was certainly a sign and a miracle and it is quite appropriate to mention it at this point. But, speaking to people during one's middle age is very normal, something everyone does no matter whether he is a Muslim, or a non-Muslim, learned or illiterate. Why has this been mentioned here as something special? What could it mean?

One answer to this question appears in Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi who says that the real purpose here is to particularly focus on the miraculous nature of meaningful infant speech. The reference to the speech in the middle age is there to indicate that his childhood speech too would not be the usual baby-talk, rather it would be rational, even learned and eloquent, as man does in his advanced years. If we were to look into the true historical background of Sayyidna 'Isa, we would discover that this reference to him as speaking to people in his middle age provides a great standing argument in favour of the Islamic position which, according to the Qur'anic belief, is that Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S) has been raised alive onto the heavens.

Hadith narrations prove that Sayyidna 'Isa (A.S), while so raised, was in the approximate age bracket of 30-35 years which is youth at its best. Middle age, kahl in Arabic, was something he never reached during his life in this world. So, his talking to people in his middle age can happen only when he were to grace this world once again with his presence. Therefore, the way his childhood speech was a miracle, his speech in the middle age could be nothing else but another miracle. [Ma'ariful Qur'an]

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 29th November 2011

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