His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And when the son of Mary was cited as an example, your people turned away in aversion." "And they said, 'Are our gods better or is he?' They did not strike him as an example except for argument. Rather, they are a contentious people." "He is but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor and We made him an example for the Children of Israel." "And if We had willed, We could have made angels in the earth to succeed one another." "And indeed, it is knowledge of the Hour, so do not doubt about it and follow Me. This is a straight path." "And let not Satan avert you. Indeed, he is to you a manifest enemy." It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, and others in the interpretation of this verse, that when it was revealed: "Indeed, the example of Jesus in the sight of Allah is like that of Adam" [Al-Imran: 59], the mention of Jesus, peace be upon him, and his state and how he was created without a father was revealed with it. A group said: "What Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, intends by mentioning Jesus is nothing but that we should worship him as the Christians worship Jesus, peace be upon him." This was their aversion from him being cited as an example. Nafi, Ibn Amer, Al-Kisai, Abu Ja'far, Al-A'raj, Al-Nakhai, Abu Raja, and Ibn Wathab read: "They turn away" with a dammah on the letter 'sad', meaning: they avoid. The others, including Ibn Abbas, Ibn Jubair, Al-Hasan, and Ikrimah, read: "They turn away" with a kasrah on the letter 'sad', meaning: they mock. This was said by Ibn Abbas and others. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, denied the dammah on the 'sad', and it was narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Kisai said: "Both are two dialects with the same meaning, like 'ya'raishun' and 'ya'ra'ishun.'" And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And they said, 'Are our gods better or is he?'" is the beginning of a second meaning. This is because when it was revealed: "Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are the fuel for Hell" [Al-Anbiya: 98], Abdullah ibn Al-Zubairi and his peers came and said: "We argue with Muhammad, are our gods better or Jesus?" And they knew that the answer would be that Jesus is better. They said: "And is this verse of fuel for us or for all nations of disbelievers?" The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Rather, it is for each one of the previous or latter disbelievers." They said: "We are pleased that our gods be with Jesus, since he is better than them, and since he has been worshipped, he is then of the fuel." So Allah, exalted and majestic is He, said: "They did not strike him as an example except for argument." Meaning: they only made this comparison as an argument and a contradiction, and they forgot that Jesus, peace be upon him, did not worship by his own will or desire, nor does he have any sin in that.

Ibn Kathir and Abu Amr read "Are our gods" with an interrogative hamzah and a hamzah after it, followed by an alif. (p-558) Al-Susi, Ibn Amer, Hamzah, and Al-Kisai read it with two distinct hamzahs after the second alif. Warsh from Nafi read "Are our gods" without an interrogative: as a statement. Qalun from Nafi read "Are our gods" with one hamzah followed by a prolongation. In the Mushaf of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, it is written: "Is it better or this?" The reference is to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. This reading aligns with the first interpretation we explained. Likewise, a group among those who read said: "Is our god better or is he?" The intended meaning is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, which is the statement of Qatadah. Ibn Zayd and Al-Suddi said the intended meaning of "he" is Jesus, peace be upon him, and this is the more likely interpretation.

"Debate" among the Arabs means discussion with contradiction or verification or whatever is agreed upon in speech. The purpose of it is to prevail over the opponent in appearance, not to seek the truth in itself. Abu Umamah narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "A people do not go astray after guidance they have been given except that they are given debate." Then he recited: ﴿They did not strike you except for argument﴾. Abu Umamah said: "The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, saw a people disputing over the Qur'an and he became angry until it seemed as if vinegar had been poured on his face. He said: 'Do not strike the Book of Allah against one another, for a people do not go astray except that they are given debate.'" Then Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed about them that they are people of dispute and stubbornness.

And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed about Jesus, peace be upon him, that he is a servant whom Allah has blessed with prophethood and high status, and made him a parable for the Children of Israel. [His saying: "And if We wished" means: do not be astonished that Jesus was created without a male, for the power allows for that and more than it.

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: ﴿We would have made from you﴾ means: We would have made a replacement from you, that is: if Allah, glorified and exalted is He, had wished to make a replacement from the Children of Adam, angels who dwell on the earth and succeed the Children of Adam in it. Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said: some of them succeed one another.

The pronoun in His saying, "And indeed, it is knowledge of the Hour," is referred to by Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Mujahid, Qatadah, Al-Suddi, Al-Dahhak, and Ibn Zayd as pointing to 'Isa (peace be upon him). A group said it refers to Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). Al-Hasan and Qatadah also said it refers to the Qur'an. The majority of people read "knowledge" with a kasrah on the 'ayn and a sukoon on the lam. Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira, Qatadah, Abu Malik Al-Ghifari, Mujahid, Abu Nadrah Al-Munthir ibn Ka'b, and Malik ibn Dinar read it as "And indeed, it is the knowledge" with a fathah on the 'ayn and the lam. Ikrimah, the freedman of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), read it as "And indeed, it is the knowledge" with two lams. Ubayy ibn Ka'b read it as "And indeed, it is a reminder of the Hour." So, whoever said that the reference is to 'Isa (peace be upon him) has made it good with the interpretation of "knowledge" and "the knowledge," meaning it is a sign of the Hour and a condition of its signs, referring to his coming out in the end of times. Likewise, whoever said the reference is to Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), since he is the last of the prophets (peace be upon them), the Hour has been distinguished by him in a type and degree of distinction. The complete specification remains that which Allah, the Most High, alone knows. Whoever said the reference is to the Qur'an, his statement is good in the reading of those who read "knowledge" with a kasrah on the 'ayn and a sukoon on the lam, meaning it informs you about it and its states and attributes, and in the reading of those who read "a reminder."

And His saying, "So do not doubt," means: Say to them, O Muhammad, do not doubt in it. And His saying, "This is a straight path" refers to the Shari'ah. Then He commanded him to warn the servants against the devil and his temptations, and to alert them to his enmity.