سورة الزخرف

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Isa ibn Abdullah al-Hashimi narrates from his forefathers: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said regarding the verse وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Marium is given, lo! your people raise a clamour thereat]: "Sudud in the Arabic language means laughing."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said [the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said]: O Ali! If I did not fear that people would say about you the same things the Christians said about Isa the Messiah (peace be upon him), I would say something about you today such that wherever you passed, the Muslims would take the dust of your feet as a blessing. Harith ibn Amr al-Fihri said to a group of his friends: "Muhammad found no one comparable to his cousin except Isa ibn Maryam, and he is on the verge of making him a prophet after himself. By Allah, the gods that we used to worship are better than him." So Allah revealed the verse وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلاً [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given as an example] up to وَ إِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِها وَ اتَّبِعُونِ هذا صِراطٌ مُسْتَقِیم [And indeed he is a sign of the Hour, so do not doubt it, and follow me; this is a straight path].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Asbagh ibn Nubata said: Ali (peace be upon him) said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to me: 'Indeed there is in you a likeness of Isa (peace be upon him). A group loved him and were destroyed on his account [through that love], and a group hated him and were destroyed on his account [through that enmity].' The hypocrites said: 'Does he accept no likeness for him except Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)!?' Therefore this verse was revealed: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلاً إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when the son of Maryam is given as an example, behold, your people raise a clamor at it]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla said: Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said to me: "My example among this ummah is like that of Isa (peace be upon him): a group loved him and went to excess and exaggeration in that love, and as a result they perished. Another group opposed him and bore malice toward him and went to extremes in that, and as a result they perished. But another group took the middle path in this matter, and as a result they were saved."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was sitting among a gathering of Quraysh. I came into the presence of that great one, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave me a meaningful look and said: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! Your example in this ummah is like that of Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him). A group went to excess in loving him, and another group went to the opposite extreme in enmity and malice." The group that was in the presence of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) laughed and said: "Look and see how he compares his cousin to Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)!" Jibrail descended and revealed the verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلاً إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when the son of Maryam is given as an example, behold, your people raise a clamor at it] [as a crushing reply to the mockery and misplaced laughter of that ignorant group].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to Imam Ali (peace be upon him): There is in you a likeness of Isa (peace be upon him). The Jews hated him so much that they slandered his mother, and the Christians loved him to such an extent that they placed him in a station he was not worthy of.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Abu al-Bakhtari narrated from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) that he said: Two groups have thrown themselves into the valley of destruction concerning me: one is the excessive lover who holds beliefs about us beyond all bounds, and the other is the excessive enemy who plants hatred and rancor toward us in his heart.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abdullah ibn Abi Hamsa said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) described Ali (peace be upon him) and likened him to Isa (peace be upon him), Allah the Exalted revealed: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Isa ibn Abdullah narrated that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: One day I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). While he was sitting among a group of Quraysh, he looked at me and then said: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! Indeed, your likeness in this ummah is like that of Isa (peace be upon him) among the Children of Israel: a group loved him and went to excess and extremism in this, and as a result perished. Another group showed enmity toward him and bore rancor against him and went to extremes in this. But another group took the middle path in this matter, and as a result attained salvation." This saying weighed heavily on them. For this reason they laughed and said mockingly: "Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is likening Ali (peace be upon him) to the prophets." At this moment the verse was revealed: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): In al-Manaqib it is reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "A man will enter through this door who is the most resembling of people to Isa (peace be upon him)." Then Ali (peace be upon him) entered. The people laughed at this saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and then these verses were revealed: لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [When a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: regarding وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Marium is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat]: Jibra'il was seated on the right side of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) when Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) arrived. Jibra'il laughed and said: 'O Muhammad! This is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) who is coming.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'O Jibra'il! Do the inhabitants of the heavens know him?' He said: 'O Muhammad! By the One who sent you in truth as a prophet, the people of the heavens know Ali (peace be upon him) better than the people of the earth do. In the battles, every takbir he raised, we too raised the takbir with him; every charge he made against the enemy, we charged with him; and he did not strike with a sword but that we struck with him. O Muhammad, whenever you long to see the face of Isa (peace be upon him) and his worship, and the asceticism of Yahya (peace be upon him) and his obedience, and the sovereignty of Sulayman (peace be upon him) and his generosity, then look upon the face of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)!' And Allah the Exalted revealed the verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلاً [And when the son of Marium is given as an example], meaning a likeness for Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) is a likeness for Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him); and إِذَا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّون [lo! your people raise a clamor thereat] means they laugh and are astonished.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Rabi'ah ibn Najidh said: I heard Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) saying: 'This verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Marium is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat] was revealed concerning me.'

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Ahmad ibn Hanbal has related in the book al-Mubtada: The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'O Ali (peace be upon him), your likeness in this Ummah is like the likeness of Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him): a group loved him but went to excess, and a group were his enemies and they too went to excess.' Then this verse was revealed: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Marium is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said: [The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said]: "O Ali, if I did not fear that people would say about you what they said about Isa the Messiah (peace be upon him), I would today say something about you such that wherever you passed, the Muslims would take the dust from beneath your feet as a blessing." Harith ibn Amr al-Fihri said to a group of his friends: "Muhammad found no likeness for his cousin except Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), and he is close to making him a prophet after himself. By Allah, the gods we used to worship are better than him." So Allah revealed the verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ وَ قالُوا أَ آلِهَتُنا خَیْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ما ضَرَبُوهُ لَکَ إِلّا جَدَلاً بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ إِنْ هُوَ إِلّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنا عَلَیْهِ وَ جَعَلْناهُ مَثَلاً لِبنی اِسْرائیلَ وَ لَوْ نَشاءُ لَجَعَلْنا مِنْکُمْ مَلائِکَةً فِی الْأَرْضِ یَخْلُفُونَ وَ إِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِها وَ اتَّبِعُونِ هذا صِراطٌ مُسْتَقِیمٌ [And when the son of Maryam is cited as an example, at once your people laugh aloud thereat. And they say: Are our gods better, or he? They only put it forth to you for the sake of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people. He was nothing but a servant on whom We bestowed favour, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if We willed, We could have made from among you angels succeeding one another on the earth. And indeed, he is a sign of the Hour, so do not be in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Umayr narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) sent Ali (peace be upon him) to Makkah, where he faced much fatigue and hardship, and when he returned, he said to him: "O Ali! The news of you and the deeds you did has reached me, and I am pleased with you." Ali (peace be upon him) wept. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Why did you weep? Is it weeping of sorrow or of joy?" He said: "It is weeping of joy. Why should I not be joyful while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) is pleased with me?" He said: "Allah, the angels, Jibril and Mikail are also pleased with you. By Allah! If I did not fear that groups from my ummah would say about you what the Christians say about Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), I would today say something about you such that whenever you passed by any gathering of them, whether large or small, they would take the dust from beneath your feet for blessing." On hearing this, the Quraysh said: "He was not satisfied until he raised him to the rank of Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)!" So Allah revealed the verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when the son of Maryam is cited as an example, at once your people clamour thereat], [meaning] they raised an outcry.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) — Ibn Mubarak al-Suri narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was among a group of Quraysh when he suddenly said: "In this valley there is a man who resembles Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)." So the people of Quraysh fixed their eyes on that place, but no one appeared. And when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) went off to attend to some need, suddenly Ali (peace be upon him) appeared from that valley. When they saw him, they said: "It would be easier for us to apostatise and worship idols than to accept that Muhammad likens his own cousin to Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)." When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) returned, Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! They said such and such." With one voice they said: "Abu Dharr is lying," and they swore to it. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) rejected the notion that any such lie could come from Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him), and he had not yet left that place when the verse was revealed: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamour thereat] — that is, "they cry out" — وَ قالُوا أَ آلِهَتُنا خَیْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ما ضَرَبُوهُ لَکَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنا عَلَیْهِ وَ جَعَلْناهُ مَثَلًا لِبَنِی إِسْرائِیلَ [And they say: "Are our gods better, or is he?" They do not set it forth to you save by way of disputation; nay, they are a contentious people. He was naught but a servant on whom We bestowed favour, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel]. Then the Messenger of Allah said: "The earth and the sky have not carried upon themselves, nor cast their shade over, any speaker more truthful than Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him)."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) — Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A group came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) used to bring the dead back to life. Do this for us as well." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whom do you wish to be brought back to life?" They said: "So-and-so, who died recently." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) called Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said something to him in a low voice which we did not hear. Then he said to him: "Go with them to that dead person and call him by his name and his father's name." Imam Ali (peace be upon him) went with that group until he reached the grave of the dead man. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) called him by his name and his father's name. Suddenly the dead man came to life! That group asked him some questions. Then he lay down again in his grave and passed away. They left from there while saying: "This too is another one of the wonders of the Banu Abd al-Muttalib," and they uttered words of this kind. As a result, Allah revealed the following verse: وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): While the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was sitting among a group of his companions, he said: "Right now a person will come in upon you who, among my ummah, resembles Isa (peace be upon him)." Abu Bakr came in. The companions asked: "Is that person Abu Bakr?" The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "No." Umar came in. The companions of the Messenger of Allah asked: "Is Umar the one who among your ummah resembles Isa (peace be upon him)?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "No." At that moment the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) came in upon that gathering. They asked: "Is that person Ali (peace be upon him)?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Yes." A group of them said: "Certainly worshipping Lat and Uzza is easier than bearing this matter." At that moment Allah revealed the following verse to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): وَ لَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ مَثَلًا إِذا قَوْمُکَ مِنْهُ یَصِدُّونَ * وَ قالُوا أَ آلِهَتُنا خَیْرٌ [And when a description of the son of Maryam is given, lo! your people raise a clamor thereat, and they say: Are our gods better?].