JESUS (AS) COMMUNICATES THE MESSAGE, AND SOME
OF THE DIFFICULTIES HE FACED
At the time Jesus (as) was sent, the people of
Israel were in complete turmoil, both in the political and
the economic sense. On one hand, there were the cruel conditions
inflicted on the public and, on the other, dissenting beliefs
and sects made life difficult. Under such conditions, people
desperately needed a way out.
The Messiah people waited for so long was Jesus
(as). By the will of Allah, Jesus (as) spoke when he was still
in the cradle and thus indicated to people that the Messiah
they expected had arrived. From then on, many placed their
hopes in him for guidance.
Yet, there were also some people who avoided accepting
Jesus (as). Supporters of the system of disbelief of his time,
especially, considered him merely a threat to their existence.
That is why they made plans to kill him as soon as they heard
about him. To their dismay, however, their plans were doomed
to failure from the beginning. Still, this did not stop them
being avowed enemies of Jesus (as) throughout his mission.
Nevertheless, those who reacted against him were
not limited to disbelievers. During that period, for various
reasons, a majority of the rabbis took sides against Jesus
(as) asserting that he was abolishing their religion, and
of course by that they became disbelievers because of their
opposition to a Messenger of Allah. What Jesus (as) did, in
reality, was only to summon people to the original way, and
eliminate the false rules introduced into Judaism by the rabbis
themselves. The people of Israel distorted their religion
by prohibiting what was allowed by the original revelation
and allowing what was prohibited by it. In this way, they
changed the true way revealed by Allah entirely. Upon this,
Allah sent Jesus (as) to purify the true religion of all the
innovations incorporated into it at a later stage. Jesus (as)
called his people to the Injil, which confirmed the original
Torah (Tawrah) revealed to Musa (as). The relevant verse in
the Qur'an is:
I come confirming the Torah I find already
there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously
forbidden to you. So have fear of Allah and obey me. (Surah
Al 'Imran: 50)
In another verse Allah informs us that the Injil
revealed to Jesus (as) was a guide to the true path for the
believers and to help them discern between good and evil.
It was also a book that confirmed the Torah:
And we sent Jesus son of Maryam following
in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before
him. We gave him the Injil containing guidance and light,
confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance
and admonition for those who have fear." (Surat al-Ma'idah:
46)
The prominent people among the Children of Israel,
concerned more about the rules which had become tradition,
doubted what Jesus (as) had brought. That was simply because
Jesus (as) did not stress the, by then, traditional rules
but rather summoned people to devotion to Allah, renunciation
of the world, sincerity, brotherhood and honesty. Encountering
a different understanding of religion, the Jews were frustrated
by what Jesus (as) advised. In the Qur'an, Allah gives an
account of how Jesus (as) communicated the commands of Allah:
And when Jesuscame with the
Clear Signs, he said, "I have come to you with Wisdom and
to clarify for you some of the things about which you have
differed. Therefore have taqwa of (heed) Allah and obey me.
Allah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. This is a straight
path." The various factions among them differed. Woe then
to those who did wrong on account of the punishment of a painful
Day! (Surat az-Zukhruf: 63-65)
The sincerity and different attitude of Jesus (as)
attracted people's attention. The number of his adherents
steadily increased.
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