Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 116

(Ayah 116) ➊ {وَ اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ … :} Its connection is with the previous verse: «اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِيْ», as if first, as a preface, Allah enumerated His favors upon Isa (peace be upon him), and now the main purpose is beginning. This question will be asked on the Day of Resurrection, because it is mentioned further that Allah will say: «هٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ صِدْقُهُمْ» The purpose of this address is not to rebuke Isa (peace be upon him), but rather to rebuke those who made Masih (peace be upon him) and his mother objects of worship. So that they may know that the Masih and his mother whom they made objects of worship and granters of needs, they themselves will be answerable before Allah and will be questioned because of the shirk of their community. Secondly, it is known that the Christians made the mother of Masih (peace be upon him) also an object of worship along with him. Thirdly, Isa (peace be upon him) and his mother are also {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (besides Allah), not only idols made of stone, wood, or any metal are {’’مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, calling upon whom makes a person a mushrik, as today’s grave-worshippers are misled by saying that the Prophets and the Awliya are not {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, so asking them for needs and seeking help from them is permissible. This is completely wrong, because in {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} Masih (peace be upon him), his blessed mother, and all the Prophets and the righteous are included. To consider any of them as granters of needs, removers of difficulties, or owners of divine powers is clear major shirk, for which there is no forgiveness with Allah.
➋ {سُبْحٰنَكَ:} You are pure from every partner, then how can I and my mother be Your partners.
➌ {مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْۤ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ … :} That is, I am only one of Your servants, then how can a servant dare to claim divinity in opposition to his Master.
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهٗ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهٗ:} That is, even if, hypothetically, I had said such a thing, You would surely have known it, because nothing can be hidden from You.
➎ {تَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِيْ …:} When You know what is in my heart, then why would You not know what is uttered by my tongue? From this verse, the existence of a self (nafs) for Allah is established.
➏ {اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ:} No one has knowledge of the unseen except You; whatever knowledge any servant possesses is all granted by You alone. No one else’s knowledge, compared to Yours, is even as significant as a drop of water compared to the ocean. And the one who has only as much knowledge as he is told, he is not the Knower of the unseen; the Knower of the unseen is only the One who knows everything without being told, and that is only Your pure Self.

116. 1. This question will be asked on the Day of Resurrection, and its purpose is to rebuke and reprimand those who took others as deities besides Allah, that those whom you considered as deities and fulfillers of needs are themselves answerable in the court of Allah. The second point learned is that the Christians made both Hazrat Masih (Jesus) ؑ and Hazrat Maryam (Mary) (علیہا السلام) deities (objects of worship) besides Allah. The third point learned is that "besides Allah" (min doonillah) does not only refer to those whom the polytheists made into idols of stone or wood and worshipped, as the grave-worshipping scholars of today mislead their followers by making them believe, but according to Allah, even those servants are included in "besides Allah" whom people worshipped in any manner, just as the Christians did with Hazrat Isa ؑ and Maryam.

116. 2. Hazrat Isa (Jesus) ؑ is denying the knowledge of the unseen regarding himself in such clear words.

116. And (remember) when Allah will say, "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother [166] as gods besides Allah'?" He will say, "Glory be to You! It is not for me [167] to say what I have no right to say. If I had said it, You would surely have known it. You know what is within myself, but I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, You are the Knower of all that is hidden."

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When Did the Deification of Mary Begin?

Granting Lady Maryam ؑ a divine status and the belief in her worship is a later development than the doctrine of the Trinity. In the doctrine of the Trinity, the deities were: Allah, Isa, and the Holy Spirit, and this doctrine was officially established in the fourth century CE. Whereas the belief in Lady Maryam ؑ being a deity is an invention of the fifth century CE. Lady Maryam was given the title "Mother of God," and this belief became so widespread that it overshadowed the first three deities. Lady Maryam was elevated to the status of a goddess, and her statues and images were made, which to this day adorn Christian churches, and Christians bow their heads in reverence before them. The image of Lady Maryam was made on the national flags of Christian governments. In the era of the Prophet ﷺ, Heraclius, the king of Rome, also had this image on his flag, and during war, prayers for victory and help were made through her.

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Three Questions to Sayyiduna Isa ؑ Regarding His Divinity on the Day of Judgment:

On the Day of Judgment, after reminding Isa ؑ of the aforementioned favors, Allah Almighty will ask him whether he had told people to take him and his mother as gods instead of Allah and to seek all their needs from them. Was this the recompense for My favors? Isa ؑ will reply with utmost humility, "O Allah, how could I say something that was not befitting for me? Moreover, You know all hidden and open matters well. If I had said such a thing, it would surely have been in Your knowledge." It should be clear that this conversation of the Day of Judgment is not mentioned so that Allah Almighty may come to know of this matter, but rather it is stated for the warning and admonition of those followers of Sayyiduna Isa ؑ who, after him, made him and his mother deities, so that testimony may be established against them by their own Messenger whom they continued to worship.