Second Category
Second Category
These are verses and passages, which declare his human deeds (PBUH), which are the same as any human being.
Scholars studied the life of Jesus (PBUH) - as mentioned in the Gospels- and they found that he is not different from the rest of human beings. They studied it from the time of the angel’s good news to his mother, his birth, his usage of nappies, his circumcision, his growth and education with children, his baptism by John the Baptist, until his assumed death, after his grief praying to Allah (S.W) to save him. Like the rest of us, he was born, he grew, he ate, he slept and died, so what is the thing that makes him different from us and makes him divine?
Covered with blood, he came out of a woman’s womb. “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.”(Luke 2:6)
He was breastfed, “As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”(Luke 11:27). One may ask the following question, did Mary know that her child, who came out of her womb and whom she took care of as any child, is Allah (S.W), as Christians claim, or did she not?
They circumcised him (PBUH) when he was eight days old. “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus”(Luke 2:21). Did the person who circumcised him know that he was circumcising a God, and what happened to that piece of flesh when split from the incarnated Gods’ body? Did it become un-divine or did it remain divine and lost or buried?
John the Baptist baptized Jesus (PBUT) in the River Jordan. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him”(Matt. 3:13). Did the Baptist not know that he was baptizing Allah (S.W)? Baptism is for repentance and the cleaning of sins, as mentioned in Matthew. “And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. I baptize you with water for repentance. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.”(Matt. 3:6-13). Was Allah (S.W) a sinner looking for someone to forgive him?
Furthermore, Jesus (PBUH) did what any human needs to do. He slept,“he was asleep”(Matt. 8:24) he felt tired as every human does, “so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey”(John 4:6) he needed a donkey to ride; therefore, he sent his disciples to bring it. “The Lord has need of it”(Mark 11:3)
He (PBUH) also felt upset and depressed, “And began to be greatly distressed and troubled”(Mark 14:33) and sometimes, he felt upset and sorrowful. “He began to be sorrowful and troubled.”(Matt.26:37)
Crying is the habit of human beings when they face difficulty and sadness, and such was what Jesus (PBUH) did. “Jesus wept.”(John 11:35)
The devil tried to seduce him, but could not. He took Jesus (PBUH) to a high mountain, and showed him the whole world and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours. And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”(Luke 4:6-8)
People beat and scolded him,“When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?”(John 18:22) but he could not defend himself except by words, because he was bound. “So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.”(John 18:12).
He felt hungry, he was looking for some food, “In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry”(Matt. 21:18) and he was thirsty. “Said, "I thirst.”(John 19:28) Then he ate and drank. “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.”(Luke 24:42-43)
He needed the food and the drink in order to grow physically and mentally. “And the child grew.”(Luke 2:40) “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”(Luke 2:52) The food helped him to grow physically, and the teaching of the teachers and the elders helped him grow mentally.“They found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”(Luke 2:46)
We are not supposed to mention here, while talking about Allah (S.W), that eating and drinking need other human actions; micturitionand defecation. (God forbid and forgive us for that)
Bringing this issue to our attention, Allah (S.W) mentions this to us in the Holy Quran. (Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle; many were the apostles that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food.) (Holy Quran, 5:75).
Anyone who eats and drinks needs to excrete the waste of that food, and it is blasphemy even to think about that for Allah (S.W).
The Gospels also mention Jesus’ (PBUH) sadness the eve of the crucifixion, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”(Mark 14:34) and when he was exhausted, an angel from heaven came to strengthen him. “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”(Luke 22:43)
According to the Gospels, when he was on the cross, he was exhausted and cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(Mark 15:34)
Not only did Jesus (PBUH) do the above mentioned, but also, as the Gospels claim, he died, how could anyone imagine a dead God?“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.”(Mark 15:37)
If someone tries to answer this question, saying that the dead was the human part and not the divine, and Allah (S.W) is immortal, I remind the reader, that the person who died on the cross is the Son of God and not the Son of Man. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish.”(John 3:16)
Trying to answer this fatal question, Turtellian (third century) could not find an answer except to say, “The Son of God had died! That is incredible; because it is something unbelievable and unacceptable by the mind. He was buried with the dead; it is certain, because it should have been impossible.”[1]In spite of this saying, Turtillian and Christians after him still believe that he is Allah (S.W).
The Gospels also mention Jesus’ (PBUH) prayer and supplication to Allah (S.W).“Prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”.(Matt. 26:39) “And there he prayed”(Mark 1:35)
Describing his prayer, Luke said,“and knelt down and prayed”(Luke 22:41) “he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.And when day came, he called his disciples”(Luke 6:12-13)
One may ask, to whom did Jesus (PBUH) pray all night, was he praying to himself or to the Allah (S.W) that dwells in him? Why would people leave worshipping the worshipped, to worship the worshipper?
Luke also mentioned that Jesus’ sweat was like drops of blood. He says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples.”(Luke 22:44) Explaining that, Yohanna Fam Ethahab said, “Who cannot be surprised, seeing God Kneeling and praying?”[2]
The description of Jesus’ condition (PBUH) when he raised Lazarus, which we find in The Gospel according to John, shows his weakness and his need for Allah’s (S.W) help.“And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”(John 11:41-42)
Prayer and worship are servants’ deeds, and it is unacceptable to attribute these deeds to Allah (S.W) or to the person in whom Allah (S.W) was incarnated.
Paul mentioned Jesus’ (PBUH) victory on everything including death, but he also mentioned his weaknesses and total submission to Allah (S.W). He said, “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.”(Co.1 15:28)
Finally, what proves that Jesus (PBUH) is human, is what he (PBUH) said regarding entering heaven, which Allah (S.W) has prepared for His faithful believers, and that he will eat and drink as his disciples, who are among those believers. “In my Father's house are many rooms.I go to prepare a place for you. That where I am you may be also.”(John 14:2-3) “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”(Matt. 26:29)
The Kingdom of God is heaven, where he (PBUH) will meet his disciples again and he will drink with them. Is the Son going to incarnate in the Hereafter again, and what is the point of doing so, or will he be back as human and live in Allah’s (S.W) heaven as all believers?
The conclusion of all the above, we take it from what Jesus (PBUH) mentioned about himself. He said, “A man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.”(John 8:40). Should we not take his testimony (PBUH)? If he is Allah (S.W), it is not right for him to hide this fact from us by saying this plain and clear sentence, which proves that he is only human.
When Christians insist on his divinity, they are ignoring and throwing Jesus’ (PBUH) and his disciples’ words in the ocean, and denying all these passages, which do not speak about incarnated God nor about a human that Allah (S.W) dwells in.
[1]- Christ in the Quran, the Torah and the Gospel, Abdul Kareem El Khateeb, pp 343
[2]- the frank opinion about the will and nature of Christ, Gebrial abdel Maseeh, pp 58