56 Page Notes

03 Surah Ali-Imran (continued)

Page __ Grammar 

Page 56 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

3:46

3:47

3:48

3:49

3:50

3:51

3:52

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 56 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 56 of the standard Madinah Quran covers Surah Ali 'Imran (Chapter 3), verses 46 through 52. This section delves into the miracles of 'Isa (Jesus), his speaking in infancy, the creation of a bird out of clay, healing the blind and the leper, and his call to the Children of Israel to worship Allah alone, culminating in the allegiance of the Disciples (Al-Hawariyyun).

Prophetic traditions (Hadith) provide profound clarity on the miracles, traits, and status of 'Isa mentioned across these verses.

1. Verse 46: Speaking in Infancy and the Cradle

"He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."

This verse speaks of a rare miracle: an infant speaking clearly to defend his mother and proclaim his prophethood.

The Three Infants Who Spoke in the Cradle

• The Hadith: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "No infants spoke in the cradle except three: 'Isa (Jesus), and the companion of Jurayj..." (The Hadith goes on to detail the story of a miraculous testimony that cleared a pious man named Jurayj of false accusations, and a third infant from the people of Israel).

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 104) and Sahih Muslim (Book 45, Hadith 7).

• Connection: This Hadith acts as the ultimate confirmation of verse 46. Commentators note that while other infants spoke under rare, isolated circumstances, 'Isa's speech was a public, definitive sign meant to establish a brand-new theological reality.

2. Verse 47: The Divine Decree of Creation

"She said, 'My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?' [The angel] said, 'Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.'"

The Creation of 'Isa Compared to Adam

• The Hadith Core: To understand how Allah creates purely through the word "Kun" ("Be"), the Sunnah connects the miracle of 'Isa to the physical creation of Adam. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that 'Isa is fundamentally a creation and a slave of Allah, not a divine entity.

• Citation Context: In the famous delegation of the Christians of Najran to Medina (recorded in Sirat Ibn Hisham and referenced by Tafsir al-Tabari under this passage), the Prophet ﷺ debated their view of Jesus' divinity. He answered their confusion over a fatherless birth by pointing out that Adam had neither a father nor a mother, yet was created by the exact same word: "Be."

3. Verses 48–49: The Miracles of 'Isa (Birds of Clay, Healing, and Secret Knowledge)

"...And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses...'"

Every miracle 'Isa performed was bounded strictly by the phrase "by permission of Allah" (bi-idhni-Allah), ensuring no divinity was attributed to him.

The Description of 'Isa's Miracles and Physical Appearance

• The Hadith on Healing: The Prophet ﷺ frequently praised the unique medical and physical miracles granted to prior prophets. He noted that 'Isa was given the power to heal diseases that completely baffled the physicians of his era (such as leprosy and congenital blindness) as a direct proof of his message.

• The Physical Description: The Prophet ﷺ described meeting 'Isa during the Night Journey (Isra' wal-Mi'raj): "I saw 'Isa, Moses, and Abraham. 'Isa was of a moderate complexion, red and white, with a well-built chest, and his hair was so smooth it looked as if drops of water were falling from it."

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 60, Hadith 101).

4. Verses 50–52: Reviving the Law and the Allegiance of the Disciples

"'And [I have come] confirming what was before me of the Torah and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you...' But when Jesus felt disbelief from them, he said, 'Who are my supporters for [the cause of] Allah?' The disciples said, 'We are supporters for Allah; we have believed in Allah and testify that we are Muslims [submissive to Him].'"

The Disciples (Al-Hawariyyun) and Their Islamic Counterparts

In verse 52, 'Isa asks for elite helpers, and the Hawariyyun step forward. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ directly used this Quranic terminology to honor his own companion, Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam.

• The Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on the day of the Battle of the Trench: "Every Prophet has a disciple/sincere helper (Hawari), and my disciple is Az-Zubayr."

• Citation: Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 57, Hadith 2) and Sahih Muslim (Book 44, Hadith 48).

• Connection: Commentators like Ibn Kathir explain that the Hawariyyun are defined in the Sunnah as the inner circle of pure, unyielding supporters who defend the Prophet of their era when the rest of society turns to disbelief—matching the exact structural narrative of verse 52.