Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 49

(Ayah 49) ➊ {اَنِّيْ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِاٰيَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ:} That is, when he will come as a Messenger, his call will be what is mentioned ahead.
➋ { اَنِّيْۤ اَخْلُقُ : } Here the word {’’ خَلَقَ ‘‘} is used in the sense of making an outward form and appearance, as in the hadith where on the Day of Resurrection Allah will say to the image-makers: [ اَحْيُوْا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ ] "Give life to what you have created." [بخاری، البیوع، باب التجارۃ فیما یکرہ…: ۲۱۰۵ ] In the sense of creating and giving life, the Creator is only Allah.
➌ { بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ:} Here the repetition of the word {”بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ“} is meant to show that if it were not for Allah's command, Jesus (peace be upon him) could not have shown these miracles, and this is the case with every prophet's miracles, that they are only in Allah's power.
➍ Allah Almighty granted each of His prophets miracles appropriate to their time. In the time of Moses (peace be upon him), magic and magicians were dominant, so Allah sent him with such miracles that all the magicians were astonished and bewildered, and eventually those magicians themselves became Muslim and were ready to be crucified in the path of Islam. In the time of Jesus (peace be upon him), medicine and natural sciences were prevalent, so Allah granted him such miracles before which all doctors and scientists could not help but admit their helplessness and incapacity. In the time of our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), eloquence, rhetoric, poetry, and literature were at their peak, so Allah revealed to him such a Book that made all the eloquent and articulate bow their heads. Allah gave them three kinds of challenges: first, to bring something like the whole Qur'an (Bani Isra'il: 88), then to bring ten surahs like it (Hud: 13), then to bring even one surah like it (Yunus: 38), but despite hearing the challenge repeatedly, they could not present even one surah like it, let alone ten such surahs. Why? Because the speech of the Creator does not resemble the speech of the creation. (Ibn Kathir, Razi)

49. 1. أخلق لکم. That is, here "خلق" does not mean creation in the sense of bringing into existence, for only Allah Almighty is capable of that because He alone is the Creator. Here, its meaning is to shape and form an apparent figure.

49. 2. By saying "باذن اللہ" (by Allah's permission) again, the purpose is precisely that no one should fall into the misunderstanding that I possess divine attributes or powers. No, I am merely His humble servant and only a Messenger. Whatever is being manifested at my hand is a miracle, which is being performed solely by Allah's command. Imam Ibn Kathir states that Allah Almighty granted every prophet miracles according to the circumstances of his time so that his truthfulness and superiority could be made evident. In the time of Musa (عليه السلام), magic was prevalent, so he was given such a miracle before which even the greatest magicians failed to display their tricks. In the time of Isa (عليه السلام), medicine was highly regarded, so he was granted such miracles as reviving the dead, curing those born blind, and healing lepers—miracles that no physician, no matter how skilled, could perform through his art. The era of our Prophet, the Noble Prophet ﷺ, was an era of poetry, eloquence, and rhetoric, so he was given the Qur'an, a speech so eloquent, miraculous, and unparalleled that all the eloquent ones and poets of the world have been unable to produce anything like it, and despite the challenge, remain unable to do so to this day and will remain unable until the Day of Judgment (Ibn Kathir).

49. (So when he came to the Children of Israel as a messenger, he said:) "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will make for you out of clay the shape of a bird, then breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s command. And I heal the blind by birth and the leper by Allah’s command, and I give life to the dead by Allah’s command. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Surely in these things [49] there is a sign for you, if you are believers."

[49] In the time of Jesus ؑ, the art of medicine had reached its peak. The great Greek physicians—Hippocrates, Socrates, Aristotle, and others—gained fame in this very era. Therefore, Jesus ؑ was also granted such miracles that were beyond the reach of physicians. For example, he would fashion a bird out of clay, then blow into it, and it would become alive and start flying. He would say to the dead, "Stand up by Allah's command," and they would stand up and begin to speak. He would pass his hand over the eyes of those born blind and over the bodies of lepers, and they would become completely healthy and well, the blind would regain their sight, and the bodies of the lepers would be cured. In addition, he would also inform people of what they had eaten before coming and what they had left behind at home, and all these things were clear proofs of his being a Messenger from Allah and of his purity.

The Miracles of Jesus ؑ:

If one looks closely, it becomes clear that the entire life of Jesus ؑ was filled and replete with miracles. His birth was also miraculous. He spoke while in the cradle, he would bring the dead to life, and by blowing into birds made of clay, he would turn them into living, breathing birds. Then, miraculously, he was raised up to the heavens, protected from the reach of his enemies. Near the Day of Judgment, his descent into this world will also occur, and these are such miracles in which Jesus ؑ is unique. Perhaps the reason for this is that his birth was not from a father's sperm but from the breath of Gabriel, and some angelic qualities may have come into him. And Allah knows best what is correct. As for what interpretations the deniers of miracles present regarding these few miracles of Jesus ؑ, it is submitted that in this regard, three gentlemen have exercised their intellect and reasoning. First is the Honorable Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Second is Hafiz Inayatullah Athari, who has surpassed all in the field of interpretations, and his interpretations are more interesting and ridiculous. Third is Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Parwez. It is not possible here to present all their interpretations and then comment on them. However, I have detailed them in my two books, "Rationalism and the Denial of Miracles" and "Aina-e-Parveziyat."