And when disbelief was completely invalidated; by affirming His actions; from sending and revealing; and other aspects of His perfection; and He established the oneness in a general manner; He followed that by specifying what the addressees disbelieved in by the invalidation; so that was a specific proof after a general proof; and He said (glorified and exalted is He) - in a manner of restriction regarding prophethood; in response to those who are believed to have divinity; describing Him with two attributes; which can only belong to a created being -: "What is the Messiah"; meaning: the anointed one with the oil of sanctity; the purified; the born; because He is "the son of Mary except a messenger"; and He clarified that He was not an innovation among those who came before Him from His brothers; by saying: "Indeed, messengers have passed on before him"; meaning: there is no miracle for him except that there was something similar to it; or more astonishing than it for those before him; like Adam - peace be upon him - in his creation from clay; and Moses - peace be upon him - in turning the staff into a living serpent - and so on.

And when they disbelieved in His mother as well - peace be upon them both - He clarified what is the truth regarding her; so He said: "And his mother was a truthful woman"; meaning: one who is profound in truthfulness in herself; and in affirming what should be affirmed; so her rank follows the rank of the prophets; and for this reason she will be among the wives of our Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - in paradise; and this verse is among the evidences of those who said that Mary - peace be upon her - was not a prophetess; for He (glorified and exalted is He) mentioned her most noble attributes in the context of responding to those who claimed divinity for them; indicating the clarification of what is the truth in believing in their highest attributes; and whoever elevates one of them above that has praised him excessively; and whoever diminishes him from that has belittled him; so the aim is to be just between excess and deficiency; by believing that the greatest attribute of Jesus - peace be upon him - is prophethood; and the most complete attribute of his mother is her truthfulness.

And when the position is the position of clarification about their descent from the rank of divinity; he mentioned the furthest of the attributes from it; so he said: ﴿They both used to eat food﴾; and he specified eating because, while it is an evident necessary weakness, it is the essence of the needs that befall a human; so it is a reminder of others. It is clear that the deity should not have any weakness approaching His majesty; and his saying (glorified and exalted is He): ﴿And the Messiah said﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 72]; and His saying: ﴿They both used to eat food﴾; encompasses the noblest of human conditions; and the basest of them; for the noblest is the worship of Allah; and the basest is being preoccupied with it by eating, which is the beginning of needs. And when he clarified what is the truth regarding them; until their distance from what they claimed about them appeared as clear as the sun; he followed it with amazement at the completeness of His ability to manifest the signs; and at the misguidance after that clarification; so he said: ﴿Look how We clarify to them the signs﴾; meaning: We clarify in a comprehensive way the signs that are meant to guide to the truth; and to prevent from misguidance; and when blindness to this clarification is exceedingly far; he referred to it with a tool of delay; so he said: ﴿Then look how﴾; meaning: how; and from where; and when the amazement is their acceptance of the diversion; and their being affected by it; not because it is from a specific diverter; he built for the action the saying: ﴿They are turned away﴾; meaning: they are diverted from the truth; and the clarification of the path; the diversion of one who has no light at all; from any diverter; so their diversion is at the utmost lowliness; and the clarification of the signs is at the utmost elevation; so there is a great distance between them.