THE PROPHET JESUS (AS) COMMUNICATED THE MESSAGE, AND SOME
OF THE DIFFICULTIES HE FACED
At the time the Prophet 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 messenger that was to relieve this society of its difficulties was the Prophet Jesus (as). By the will of Allah, the Prophet Jesus (as) spoke when he was still in the cradle and thus indicated to people that the Messiah they expected had arrived. Some of the people realised that the Prophet Jesus (as) was a messenger who had been sent, and believed in him.
Yet, there were also some people who avoided accepting the Prophet Jesus (as). Supporters of the system of disbelief of his time, especially, considered him merely a threat to their irreligious system. That is why they made plans to prevent 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 trying to realise their aim.
Nevertheless, those who reacted against him were not limited to disbelievers. During that period, for various reasons, some of the rabbis took sides against the Prophet 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 the Prophet Jesus (as) did, in reality, was only to summon people to the original way, and eliminate the false rules introduced into Judaism by some rabbis themselves. Some of 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. Following this, Allah sent the Prophet Jesus (as) to purify the true religion of all the innovations incorporated into it at a later stage. The Prophet Jesus (as) called his people to the Injil, which confirmed the original Tawrah revealed to the Prophet Moses (as), as stated in the Qur'an:
"I come confirming the Tawrah 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 the Prophet Jesus (as) was a guide to the true path for the believers to help them discern between good and evil. It was also a book that confirmed the Tawrah:
And we sent Jesus son of Maryam following in their footsteps, confirming the Tawrah that came before him. We gave him the Injil containing guidance and light, confirming the Tawrah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who have fear." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 46)
Some among the Children of Israel doubted what the Prophet Jesus (as) had brought, but the Prophet Jesus (as) summoned people to devotion to Allah, renunciation of the luxuries of this world, sincerity, brotherhood and honesty. He told them to avoid false beliefs and practices. In the Qur'an, Allah gives an account of how the Prophet Jesus (as) communicated the commands of Allah:
And when Jesus came 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 wise communication of the Prophet Jesus (as) attracted people's attention. The number of his adherents steadily increased. |
