Then Allah mentions Isa bin Maryam and says:

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ﴿٥٩﴾

وَلَوْ نَشَاء لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَائِكَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ ﴿٦٠﴾

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ ...

He was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth. And he (Isa) shall be a known sign for the Hour.

meaning, the miracles and signs that happened at his hands, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, are sufficient as signs of the approach of the Hour.

... فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ ﴿٦١﴾

Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the straight path.

Ibn Jarir mentioned that Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ (And when the son of Maryam is quoted as an example, behold, your people cry aloud thereat).

"This means the Quraysh, when it was said to them:

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ

Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you will enter it. (21:98)

The Quraysh said to him: `What about Isa bin Maryam'

He said:

ذَاكَ عَبْدُاللهِ وَرَسُولُه

He is the servant and Messenger of Allah.

They said,

`By Allah, he means that we should take him as a lord just as the Christians took Isa son of Maryam as a lord.'

Then Allah said:

مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ

They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people.

وَقَالُوا أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ...

And say: "Are our gods better or is he?''

Qatadah said,

"They were saying, `our gods are better than him'.''

Qatadah said;

"Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, recited it أَآلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُدَا (Are our gods better or is this (person)),''

they mean Muhammad.

...مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا...

They quoted not the above example except for argument.

means, for the sake of stubborn argument, for they knew that he (Isa ) was not included in the Ayah (21:98), because that would not make sense.

The words,

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ

Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (21:98)

are addressed to the Quraysh, for they used to worship idols and false gods -- they did not worship the Messiah so why should he be included in what the Ayah says? What they said was only for the sake of argument; they did not really believe in it.

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"The Messenger of Allah said:

مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ، إِلَّا أُوْرِثُوا الْجَدَل

No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to (futile) argument.

Then the Messenger of Allah recited this Ayah: مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ (They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people).''

It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn Jarir.

At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, we do not know it except from the Hadith of Hajjaj bin Dinar...''

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ ...

He (Isa) was not more than a servant. We granted Our favor to him,

means, Isa, peace be upon him; he was no more than one of the servants of Allah whom Allah blessed with Prophethood and messengership.

... وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.

means, `a sign, proof and evidence of Our power to do whatever We will.'

وَلَوْ نَشَاء لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَائِكَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ

And if it were Our will, We would have made angels to replace you on the earth.

As-Suddi said,

"They would have taken your place on (the earth).''

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Qatadah said,

"They would have succeeded one another just as you succeed one another.''

This view is implied by the former view.

Mujahid said,

"They would have populated the earth instead of you.''

Allah's saying:

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ ...

And he (Isa) shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.

The correct view concerning this phrase is that it refers to his descent before the Day of Resurrection, as Allah says:

وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

And there is none of the People of the Scripture but must believe in him before his death. (4:159).

-- meaning before the death of Isa, peace be upon him --

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً

And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them (4:159)

This meaning has the support from an alternate recitation of the Ayat وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ (And he shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour.) means, evidence that the Hour will surely come.

Mujahid said: وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ (And he shall be a sign for (the coming of) the Hour).

means, sign and "One of the signs of the Hour will be the appearance of Isa son of Maryam before the Day of Resurrection.''

Something similar was also narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Abbas, `Abu Al-`Aliyah, Abu Malik, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others.

Many Mutawatir Hadiths report that the Messenger of Allah said that Isa will descend before the Day of Resurrection as a just ruler and fair judge.

... فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا ...

Therefore have no doubt concerning it.

means, do not doubt that it will surely come to pass.

... وَاتَّبِعُونِ ...

And follow Me.

means, `in what I tell you about it.'