Reports on how Allah favoured Isa (peace be upon him)

Mujahid said: Maryam said: When I was in seclusion, Isa would talk to me and I would talk to him, and when some person came before me, he would glorify Allah in my womb and I would hear it.

Mujahid, through another chain, reports that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Isa (peace be upon him) did not speak except with those verses that he had uttered, until he reached the age of boys.

Hilal bin Yasaf said: No one spoke in the cradle except three children: Isa (peace be upon him), the child who bore witness for Yusuf (peace be upon him), and the child who bore witness for Jurayj.

Mujahid reports from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), in explaining "And indeed he is a sign of the Hour" [Al-Zukhruf: 61], that he said: This refers to the descent of Isa (peace be upon him).

Thabit bin Hurmuz reports, through a shaykh, from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "That He may make it prevail over all religion" [Al-Tawbah: 33] refers to the descent of Isa (peace be upon him).

Sa'id bin Jubayr reports that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: When Allah Almighty willed to raise Isa (peace be upon him) to the heaven, he came out to his disciples, who were twelve at that time. He had come out from a spring in the house, and drops of water were falling from his head. He said: Some of you will disbelieve in me twelve times after having believed in me. Then he said: Which of you is prepared to have my likeness cast upon him and be killed in my place, and he will be with me in my rank? A young man stood up and said: I am prepared. Isa (peace be upon him) said: Sit down. He asked again, and the young man stood up again, and he said: Sit down. He asked a third time, and the young man stood up and said: I am prepared. He said: Very well, you are the one. So the likeness of Isa (peace be upon him) was cast upon him. He said: Isa (peace be upon him) was raised to the heaven through a skylight in the house. The force of the Jews came, seized his look-alike, killed him and then crucified him. Some of them disbelieved in him twelve times after having believed in him. After that they split into three groups. One group said: Allah Almighty was among us for a time, then He went up to the heaven; these are the Jacobites. Another group said: The son of Allah was among us, then Allah raised him up; these are the Nestorians. And another group said: The servant of Allah and His Messenger was with us for a time, then Allah raised him up; these are the Muslims. The disbelieving groups overpowered the Muslims, fought them and killed them, and Islam remained obliterated until Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and Allah revealed the verse: "Then a group of the Children of Israel believed," meaning the group that believed and was in the time of Isa (peace be upon him), "and a group disbelieved," which was in the time of Isa (peace be upon him). "So We supported those who believed," meaning those who believed in the time of Isa (peace be upon him), "against their enemy," by making the religion of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) prevail over the religion of the disbelievers, "and they became dominant" [Al-Saff: 14].

Ubayd bin Umayr said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) would not save the evening meal for the morning, nor the morning meal for the evening. He used to say: Every day comes with its own provision. He would wear clothing made of hair, eat the leaves of trees, and sleep wherever evening found him.

Khaythamah said: A woman passed by Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) and said: Glad tidings to the womb that carried you and to the breast that nursed you. Isa (peace be upon him) said: Glad tidings to the one who read the Qur'an and acted upon what is in it.

Muhammad bin Ya'qub said: Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) said: Do not talk much without the remembrance of Allah, for that will harden your hearts, and hard hearts are far from Allah, but you do not know. Do not look at the sins of the servants as though you were their lords; rather, look at your own sins. For people are of two kinds: those who are afflicted with trial and those who are in well-being. So show mercy to those afflicted with trial, and praise Allah for well-being.

Abu Salih reports, tracing it back to Isa (peace be upon him), that Isa (peace be upon him) said to his companions: Make the mosques your dwelling, regard houses as way-stations on the road, escape from this world in safety, and eat the herbs of the wilderness. Al-A'mash adds to this: And drink plain water.

Al-Ala bin Musayyab reports, through a man, that the disciples said to Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him): What do you eat? He said: Barley bread. They said: What do you wear? He said: Wool. They said: What is your bed? He said: The earth. They said: All of this is very hard. He said: You will not attain the kingdom of the heavens and the earth until you use these things despite the pleasure; or he said: despite the desire.

Abu Husayn reports from Sa'id bin Jubayr concerning the saying of Allah, "Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell; you will come to it," that he said: They mentioned Isa (peace be upon him) and Uzayr, that they too used to be worshipped. So after it this verse was revealed: "Indeed, those for whom the best has already gone forth from Us, they will be kept far from it." He said: This refers to Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him). [Al-Anbiya: 98, 101]