Holy Islamville

Concerning the departure of Mary (peace be upon her) and Jesus (peace be upon him) to Egypt.

Allah (exalted be He) has said: “We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and sent them for refuge to a lofty place, where there was a secure spot and a spring.” Now when Herod, King of the Israelites, heard news of the Messiah he determined to kill him. (How the court got this news) was because they noticed a certain star that had appeared, and they know by calculations they had in a book of theirs. Consequently Allah sent an angel to Joseph the carpenter; informing him of what Herod was resolved upon and bidding him flee with the child and his mother to Egypt. Allah also spoke by revelation to Mary (peace be upon her) saying: “Run away to Egypt, for verily if Herod gets his hands on your son he will kill him. Then when Herod is dead, return to your land.” So Joseph carried Mary (peace be upon her) and her son upon his donkey until they reached the land of Egypt, for it was the lofty place which Allah had meant when He said: “We have sent them for refuge to a lofty place, where there was a secure spot and a spring.” (Holy Qur’an 23:50)

Abu Is’haq al-Thalabi mentions that in interpreting “A secure spot and a spring,” Abdallah ibn Salam said that it was Damascus; and Abu Huraira said that it was Ramleh; Qatada and Ka’ba said that it was Jerusalem, though Ka’b (also recorded the opinion that) it was that piece of land on earth nearest to heaven; Abu Zaid said that it was Egypt; Ad-Dahhak said that it was a place in Damascus; and Abu-e-Aliya said that it was Aelia; Saying that garar meant “level ground,” and Ma’in meant “pure water.”

Mary remained in Egypt twelve years spinning flax and gathering the grain after the harvesters. She used to gather the grain with the (babe’s) cradle attached to one shoulder, and the vessel in which the grain was to the other shoulder. This life in Egypt continued till Jesus (peace be upon him) reached the age of twelve years.

Concerning the Appearance and Exterior Qualities of Jesus

Ka’b al-Ahbar said that Jesus, son of Mary (peace be upon him and his mother) was a man of reddish brown complexion. His hair was lank (down), nor did he ever anoint his head. Jesus (peace be upon him) used to walk barefooted and possessed neither house, ornament, merchandise, fine clothes, nor possessions save his daily food. When the sun would set, he would draw up his feet and say prayers until dawn broke. He used to heal the born blind, and the lepers, raise the dead to life by permission of Almighty Allah, and tell his people that they were storing up for the morrow (Holy Qur’an 3:49). He used to walk on the water in the sea. His hear was disheveled, his face thin (since he was) an ascetic in this world, desirous of the next, and diligent in the service of Allah. He used to wander on the earth until the Jews sought him, desiring to kill him, whereas Allah raised him to heaven. And Allah knows best.

Mary and Jesus Return to Their Own Country After the Death of Herod

Wahb says that when Herod the King died in the twelfth year after the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) Allah, by revelation, gave Mary (peace be upon her) the news of Herod’s death and bade her return to Syria with her cousin Joseph the carpenter. So Jesus and his mother (on both of them be peace) returned and dwelt in Jebel Al-Jalil a village called Nasira, from whence comes the name Nasara (Qur’anic name for Christians). Now Jesus used to master in an hour the learning of a day, and in day that of a month, and in a month, that of a year. When he was thirty years of age, Allah spoke to him by revelation, telling him that he should come forth to the people and summon them to Allah, speaking to them in parables, curing the sick and the infirm, the bland and the mad, taming the devils, rebuking them and humbling them, so that they used to die for fear of Him.

Jesus (peace be upon him) did what Allah commanded him, so the people loved him and inclined towards him as they got accustomed to him, so that his followers increased and his fame grew immensely. At times the people would assemble before him the sick and the infirm, as many as fifty thousand in one hour. As many of them as were able to come to him, came to him, and those who were not able to come to him, Jesus (peace be upon him) visited. He used to heal them by prayer alone, on the condition of faith.

His prayer by which he used to heal the sick and raise the dead was: “Allahumma! Thou art Allah of whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is on earth. There is no God in them save Thee. Thou art the Omnipotent One among those in the heavens and those on earth, and there is no Omnipotent one in them save Thee. Thou are the King of whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is on earth and there is no King in them save Thee. Thou are the Ruler of whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is on the earth, and there is no Ruler in them save Thee. Thy power on earth is as Thy power in heaven, and Thy authority on earth is as Thy authority in heaven. I pray Thee by Thy Honorable names, for Thou has power over all things.”

Wahb says that when Allah informed him that he was to depart from the world, Jesus (peace be upon him) became distressed, so he summoned the Hawariyun (“the disciples” in Ethiopian language—“to glisten white” or “to whiten cloth” in Arabic) and made a feast for them, saying, “Come to me tonight, for I have something for you.” When they came to him that night he fed them, raising up and serving them. When they had finished eating he began to wash their hands and exhort them and wipe their hands on his garment. At this they were (somewhat) astonished and displeased with him, but he said: “Whosoever rejects anything that I am doing is not of me, nor I of him.” So they consented to it until he finished. Then he said to them, “Verily what I have to you this night in serving you food and washing your hands with mine, is so that you might have an example from me, though you see that I am better than you are. So let not any one of you consider himself greater than another, but sacrifice yourselves for one another as you have seen me sacrifice myself for you. Now this thing that I have to request of you is that you pray to Allah for me, and be insistent in praying that my time be delayed in coming.” But when they betook themselves to prayer, and were desirous of being diligent (therein), Allah sent on them sleep, so that they were unable to pray. He begun to awaken them and say: “Glory be to Allah; could Ye not endure for one night to help me therein?” They said: “By Allah, we do not know what is the matter with us. We used to stay up late and sit up much but this night we were not able to keep awake, for whenever we desired to pray some barrier came between us and it.” Then he said: “The Shepherd goes and the sheep are left behind, and he went on saying such things as that, meaning (by them) himself. Presently he said “One of you will surely disbelieve in me ere the cock crows three times, and one of you sell me for a few dirhams and will eat the price of me.” Then they all went out and dispersed.

Now the Jews were seeking him, so they seized Simon, one of the Hawariyun, saying “This is one of the companions of Jesus,” but he denied it, saying: “I am not his companion,” so they left him. Then others seized him, and he denied it likewise. Thereupon he heard the cock’s voice, and wept for that grieved him. When it was morning, one of the Hawariyun went to the Jews and said to them: “What will you give me if I guide you to him?” They gave him thirty dirhams, which he took and led them to him. But before that, he (the betrayer) was made to have his semblance for them so they took him and made him secure by blinding him with a rope. Then they started to lead him away, saying: “You used to raise the dead to life, and cure the born blind and the leper, are you not able to free yourself from this rope?” Also they spat on him and put thorns on him, and when they went to crucify him, Allah sent angels who came between them and Jesus (peace be upon him). Then He (Allah) cast the appearance of Jesus upon the betrayer, whose name was Judas, so they crucified him in his place, thinking that he was Jesus. Then Allah raised Jesus (peace be upon him) to heaven, according to His saying, “I am raising thee to Myself, and purifying thee from those who disbelieve.” (Holy Qur’an 3:55)

When they had crucified him who had taken on the appearance of Jesus, Mary (peace be upon her), the mother of Jesus came with a woman over whom Jesus had prayed so that she was free from a certain madness, that they might weep over the crucified. Jesus came to them and said: “For whom are you weeping?” “For you,” they said. “But Allah took me up,” said he, “So that nothing has befallen me save good. This (one whom you see crucified) is but another person who has been made to resemble me.” Muqatil says that the Jews put Jesus (peace be upon him) in charge of a man who was to be his jailer and go around with him wherever he went. When Jesus ascended the mount where an angel came and took him up to heaven, Allah threw the likeness of Jesus on the jailer so that the Jews thought that he was Jesus and seized him. He said to them: “I am not Jesus. I am so and so, the son of so and so,” but they believed him not, and so they put him to death by crucifying him. Qatada said, “It has been related to us that Jesus (peace be upon him), the Nabi of Allah, said to his friends: “Which of you will take upon himself my likeness so that he may be put to death (instead of me)?” One of the group said: ‘(Let it be cast) on me, O Nabi of Allah.’ So that man was killed, and Allah saved Jesus (peace be upon him) by raising him to Himself. It is said that the one who took the likeness of Jesus (peace be upon him) and was crucified in his place was an Israelite named Ashya bin Qandira. And Allah knows best.