وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِى ٱسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ 6
Translations
And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allāh to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."
Transliteration
Wa-idh qala Isa ibnu Maryama ya bani Isra'il inni rasulu Allahi ilaykum musaddiqan lima bayna yadayya mina al-Tawrati wa-mubashshiran bi-rasuli ya'ti min ba'di ismuhu Ahmad, fa-lamma ja'ahum bi-al-bayyinati qalu hadha sihrun mubin
Tafsir (Explanation)
In this ayah, Prophet Jesus ('Alayhi al-Salam) addresses the Children of Israel, declaring himself a messenger of Allah who affirms the Torah and brings good news of a messenger to come after him whose name is Ahmad (i.e., Prophet Muhammad). Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that this prophecy of the coming Prophet Muhammad is one of the clear evidences of Jesus's prophethood and authenticity of his message. However, despite presenting clear miracles and signs, the disbelieving Jews responded by rejecting his message and attributing it to magic, demonstrating their obstinate rejection of truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah As-Saf (The Ranks), a Medinan surah revealed to the Muslim community in Medina. It comes in a context addressing believers about steadfastness and fighting in the cause of Allah, and references Jesus's explicit prophecy about the coming of Prophet Muhammad to further establish the continuity of the prophetic message and challenge those who reject it.
Related Hadiths
In Sahih Muslim, it is reported that Prophet Muhammad said, 'My name in the Gospel (Injil) is Ahmad.' Additionally, in Sunan Ibn Majah, there is a hadith where the Prophet mentions that Jesus gave glad tidings of his coming using the name 'Ahmad.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that truth and clear proofs may be rejected by those whose hearts are hardened, reminding believers to remain steadfast in conveying the message of Allah regardless of rejection. It also highlights the importance of recognizing the prophetic lineage and understanding that all messengers came with the same fundamental message of monotheism.