DESCENT OF HEAVENLY FOOD TO THE DISCIPLES

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Quran,Translation and Commentary in Brief (Vol. 02)
Verses 116-118Verses 111-115

DESCENT OF HEAVENLY FOOD TO THE DISCIPLES

      The argument about the favours of Allah bestowed on Jesus and his mother is continued here with the descent of a table of heavenly food for the disciples of Jesus.

      At first God inspired to them to believe in Allah and in His Messenger. They answered:- ``We do believe!'' And called Allah to witness their belief.

      Then they asked for a table of heavenly food to be sent down to them.

      When Jesus heard that valueless request, he might have fallen in doubt as to their faith and truthfulness. But when they gave reasons saying:- ``We want to eat of the food and to assure our hearts, and know your truthfulness better, so that we might be witnesses of it.'' Jesus was satisfied with their reasoning and prayed to God saying:-``O, Our Lord! Send down upon us a table from the heaven to be a festival for us - the first and the last - and as a sign from you.''

      Allah did answer the prayer of His Messenger, but on a hard condition that was a little offensive to one's feeling; thus Allah said:-

      ``I will send down the table you asked, but after that, whoever of you disbelieves, I will chastise him with a chastisement that I have not inflicted on any one so far, the like of it.!''

      Perhaps the request of the disciples had a little want of faith, for them being newly converts, or for their too much attention to material food and drink, or else, their childish desire of miracles.

      It also could be for their doubtful saying:- ``CAN your Lord send down?!'' Which seems that they might have been in doubt of the ability of Allah to send down for them something to eat! All these could have been a reason for the threat of such a dreadful punishment.

      We may also put our reasonings in other way that:- ``Seeing the truth is far greater a degree than knowing it.'' Therefore after seeing, testing, and chewing, the miracles through, say, a table of food coming down from the skies; will increase and raise up the responsibility of the disciples towards their critical mission, and evidently their shortcoming or negligence in duties and obligations would have more dangerous consequences.

      In the New Testament, mention is not made of the above request as it is in Quran, but other aspects of the matter can be found, such as turning of water into wine (JOHN 2: 11) and the conversion of five loaves and two small fishes into food for 5000 men (JOHN 5: 5-13)

 

 

Verses 116-118Verses 111-115
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Lotus
Mitra
Nazanin
Titr
Tahoma