Commentary:
Following to the discussions upon the aberrations of the Jews, which were delivered in the former verses, in this verse and the verses next to it, the words are about the deviations of the Christians. At first, it begins with the greatest swerve of Christianity, i.e. Godship of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It says:
" Certainly they are infidels who say: ' Verily Allah, He is the Messiah, son of Mary;'..."
They say so while Jesus (a.s.) himself vividly told the Children of Israel to worship Allah, their Lord. The verse says:
"... and the Messiah (himself) said: ' O' Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord, ..."
Also, for an emphasis on this subject, and in order to prevent any ambiguity and fault, the words of Jesus continue adding:
"...verily whoever associates with Allah anything, then Allah has forbidden to him the Paradise and his abode is the Fire, ..."
And again, for a further emphasis and confirming this fact that polytheism and extremism is a kind of manifest wrongdoing, they were told such:
"...and there shall be no helpers for the unjust '."
What is found in the above mentioned verse regarding the Messiah (a.s.) persisting on the theme of theism,(1) is a subject matter which also adapts to the existing sources of Christianity.(2) This very matter is counted among the evidences for the significence of the Qur'an.
(1) Mark, Chapter 12, No. 29, indicates Jesus invites people to theism and says: "... O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord."
(2) Matthew, Chapter 6, No. 24 is also like that. It speaks of one God.
(73) لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلاَثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِلاَّ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُواْ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
73. " Certainly they disbelieve who say: ' Verily Allah is the third of the three,' while there is no god save the One God; and if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall befall those among them who disbelieve."
Commentary:
This fact should be noted that what was referred to in the previous verse was the subject of extremism and unity with Allah. But, in this verse, the Qur'an points to the plurality of gods from the view point of the Christians, viz. threefoldness in Divine Unity. It says:
" Certainly they disbelieve who say: ' Verily Allah is the third of the three,'..."
In answer to them the Qur'an decisively says:
"... while there is no god save the One God; ..."
Then, the Qur'an, with a strong and severe tone, emphatically warns them:
"... and if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall befall those among them who disbelieve."
(74) أَفَلاَ يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
74. " Will they not then turn to Allah and ask forgiveness of Him? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
This holy verse contains significance to the fact that: perverted beliefs should be repented of.
The deviated persons from the straight path should be invited to the right path through the statement of the divine forgiveness and mercy. It can be done by saying that Allah both forgives and bestows His mercy on the servants.
The verse says:
" Will they not then turn to Allah and ask forgiveness of Him? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
(75) مَّا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ كَانَا يَأْكُلاَنِ الطَّعَامَ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الآيَاتِ ثُمَّ انظُرْ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ
75. " The Messiah, son of Mary, a messenger (that) messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him, and his mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food. See how We make the Signs clear for them (people), and see how they are turned away (from the truth)."
Commentary:
Allah introduces three reasons in this verse which prove that Messiah (a.s.) is not God.
1- He (a.s.) has been born and he (a.s.) is son of Mary.
2- There have been some prophets like him, too, and he is not matchless.
" The Messiah, son of Mary, a messenger (that) messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him, ..."
3- Like anybody else, he is in need of food and other necessities, and he gains his strength from food. Therefore he does not possess an absolute power to be God. Whoever needs food cannot be the creator of the food. These are clear statements of the Qur'an that people understand. However, having some privileges, such as: miracles and exceptions, do not prove divinity for a person. Other prophets worked miracles, too. Or, Adam had not parents, either.
"... and his mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food. ..."
Allah (s.w.t.) is neither material, nor born, nor necessitous, and He has no place.
"... See how We make the Signs clear for them (people), and see how they are turned away (from the truth)."
By the way, Mary is one of God's saints. The Qur'an honours women and counts Mary ' a truthful woman '. In another verse of the Qur'an, it is said that Mary testified Allah's word and she was of the obedient ones:
" ...and she testified the truth of the words of her Lord, and His Scriptures and she was of the obedient ones." (1)
(1) Sura Al-Tahrim, No. 66, verse 12
(76) قُلْ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلاَ نَفْعًا وَاللّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
76. " Say: ' Do you worship besides Allah that which possesses for you neither harm nor profit? And Allah ِ He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
Commentary:
To complete the former reasonings about Jesus, the Qur'an in this verse remarks to the Christians that they knew that the Messiah was fully in need of what a human being needs. He was not even the possessor of his own harm and his own profit, then how could he be the possessor of their harm and profit? It says:
" Say: ' Do you worship besides Allah that which possesses for you neither harm nor profit? ..."
That was why that many times Jesus was captured by his enemies, or his friends were involved in some inflictions. So, had not been the Grace of Allah, he (a.s.) could do nothing.
And, at the end of the verse, the Qur'an warns them not to imagin that Allah does not hear their vain words, or He is not aware of their inside, because He is both Hearing and Knowing. The verse says:
"... And Allah - He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
Explanations:
1- For realizing that the path of polytheism is invalid, refer to your own human intellect and sensibility.
2- Except Allah, other gods are incapable even of hearing and knowing your necessities; much less of supplying them.
(77) قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ أَهْوَاء قَوْمٍ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ مِن قَبْلُ وَأَضَلُّواْ كَثِيرًا وَضَلُّواْ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ
77. " Say: ' O' People of the Book! do not exagerate in your religion other than the truth, and do not follow the vain desires of the people who had gone astray aforetime, and led many astray, and went astray from the right path."
Commentary:
In this verse following to the manifestation of the fault of the people of the Book in the field of exaggeration about Divine prophets, the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to invite them, with clear reasonings that they formally return from this way. The verse says:
" Say: ' O' People of the Book! do not exagerate in your religion other than the truth, ..."
The exageration of the Christians is clear, of course, but the exageration of the Jews, who are also involved in those whom the Qur'an addresses to by the phrase: " O' People of the Book! , is probably a hint to the statement they said about prophet Ezra (a.s.) and considered him the son of Allah.
And, since the origine of exageration is often following the vain desires of the misguided ones, to complete this meaning, the verse continues saying:
"...and do not follow the vain desires of the people who had gone astray aforetime, and led many astray, and went astray from the right path."
This phrase points to the fact that this meaning is recorded in the history of the Christianity, too. The idea of trinity and exageration about Jesus (a.s.) was not mainly found among them in the early centuries of the Christianity. When the Indian Idolaters, and the like, joined the religion of Christ, they added something from the remaining belief of the former creed, viz. trinity and polytheism, to the Christianity.
(78) لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُواْ يَعْتَدُونَ
