Tafsir of Surah Al Ma'idah

وَإِذْقَالَٱللَّهُيَٰعِيسَىٱبْنَمَرْيَمَءَأَنتَقُلْتَلِلنَّاسِٱتَّخِذُونِىوَأُمِّىَإِلَٰهَيْنِمِندُونِٱللَّهِقَالَسُبْحَٰنَكَمَايَكُونُلِىٓأَنْأَقُولَمَالَيْسَلِىبِحَقٍّإِنكُنتُقُلْتُهُۥفَقَدْعَلِمْتَهُۥتَعْلَمُمَافِىنَفْسِىوَلَآأَعْلَمُمَافِىنَفْسِكَإِنَّكَأَنتَعَلَّٰمُٱلْغُيُوبِ ١١٦

Saheeh International

And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?'" He will say, "Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.

en: Ibn Kathir

Tafseer 'Ibn Kathir' (EN)

`Isa Rejects Shirk and Affirms Tawhid

Allah says;

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ

And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection):

Allah will also speak to His servant and Messenger, `Isa son of Maryam, peace be upon him, saying to him on the Day of Resurrection in the presence of those who worshipped `Isa and his mother as gods besides Allah,

يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ

O `Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men:`Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah!'

This is a threat and a warning to Christians, chastising them in public, as Qatadah and others said, and Qatadah mentioned this Ayah as evidence,

هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ

"This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth." (5:119)

Allah's statement,

قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ

He will say:"Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say)...

contains Allah's direction for `Isa to utter the perfect answer.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

"`Isa will be taught his argument in reply to what Allah will ask him,

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ

يَاعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ

(And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection):"O `Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men:`Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah!')."

Abu Hurayrah then narrated that the Prophet said that Allah taught `Isa to say,

سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ

Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say)...

Ath-Thawri narrated this Hadith from Ma`mar from Ibn Tawus from Tawus.

`Isa's statement,

إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ

Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it.

means, had I said it, You, my Lord, would have known it, for nothing escapes Your knowledge. Rather, I have not said these words nor did the thought even cross my mind, this why he said,

تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ