Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:59
Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His words: "He is nothing but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor" (43:59). The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: ʿĪsā is nothing but a servant among Our servants, upon whom We bestowed favor with success and faith, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel — He says: and We made him a sign for the Children of Israel, and a proof from Us against them by sending him to them to call to Us. And he is not as the Christians claim, namely that he would be the son of Allah, the Exalted — exalted is Allah above that.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the scholars of exegesis have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "He is nothing but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor" — by this He means ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam; ʿĪsā, the son of Maryam, was nothing more than that: he was only a servant upon whom Allah had bestowed favor.
And in accordance with what we have also said about His words: "And We made him an example for the Children of Israel" they have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "an example for the Children of Israel" — I think he said: a sign for the Children of Israel.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "And We made him an example for the Children of Israel" — that is: a sign.
