The Quran in Faṣṣ ʿĪsā

﴿وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرْكَعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ﴾

• أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ¶26

  This recurring divine command to establish prayer serves as the example of God speaking from the rank of the commander.

﴿وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾

• أَحْيَا المُوَاتَ وَأَنْشَا الطَّيْرَ مِنْ طِينْ¶1

  Recalls Jesus fashioning birds from clay and bringing the dead to life by God's leave (also 5:110), presented as the effect of his divine spirit.

• يُحْيِي المَوْتَىٰ¶5

  Echoes Jesus' words 'wa-uḥyī al-mawtā bi-idhni llāh', the basis for assigning the reviving itself to God.

• وَتُحْيِي المَوْتَىٰ¶6

  This echoes Jesus's words 'wa-uḥyī l-mawtā bi-idhni llāh' (cf. 5:110, 'tukhriju l-mawtā bi-idhnī'), recast in the second person, and cites it as life-giving by way of reality.

• بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ¶6

  This quotes Jesus's own phrase 'by God's permission' as the third-person counterpart to bi-idhnī.

• فَيَكُونُ التَّكْوِينُ لِلطَّائِرِ طَائِرًا بِإِذْنِ اللهِ¶7

  This echoes Jesus' words 'fa-anfukhu fīhi fa-yakūnu ṭayran bi-idhni llāh', whose final phrase Ibn ʿArabī analyses for its two possible grammatical attachments.

• يُحْيِي المَوْتَىٰ¶8

  This recalls 'wa-uḥyī l-mawtā bi-idhni llāh' (cf. 5:110), Jesus's raising of the dead, which Ibn ʿArabī ties to the human form in which Gabriel appeared.

• لَا يُحْيِي المَوْتَىٰ¶9

  This echoes Jesus' words 'wa-uḥyī al-mawtā bi-idhni llāh', which the passage takes up to ask in what form Jesus exercised his reviving of the dead.

• بِمَا أَحْيَا بِهِ مِنَ المَوْتَىٰ¶10

  This echoes Jesus's miracle 'and I revive the dead by God's permission' (cf. 5:110), which the passage gives as the occasion for the doctrine of indwelling (ḥulūl).

• مِنْ إِحْيَاءِ المَوْتَىٰ¶12

  Echoes Jesus's words 'wa-uḥyī al-mawtā bi-idhni llāh' (I give life to the dead by God's leave), the miracle that leads some viewers to attribute him to God.

• فِيْ مَنْ نَفَخَ فِيهِ¶12

  Echoes 'fa-anfukhu fīhi fa-yakūnu ṭayran' (I breathe into it and it becomes a bird), Jesus's life-giving breath, which supports the gloss on rūḥ Allāh.

• نَفَخَ فِي النَّمْلَةِ الَّتِي قَتَلَهَا فَحَيِيَتْ¶14

  Abū Yazīd breathing into the dead ant so that it lives recalls Jesus breathing into the clay bird so that it becomes a bird by God's leave (also 5:110, fa-tanfukhu fīhā), which is why his vision is called ʿĪsawī.

﴿إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾

• اللهُ طَهَّرَهُ¶1

  Echoes God's words to Jesus 'and I will purify you' (wa-muṭahhiruka), here read as purification of body and spirit.

﴿فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۖ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾

• الغِنَىٰ عَنْ العَٰلَمِينَ¶18

  This echoes 'inna Allāha ghaniyyun ʿan al-ʿālamīn' (also 29:6) to show that the Essence lies outside the rule of the natures that governs the world.

﴿يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا تَغْلُوا۟ فِى دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ ۚ ٱنتَهُوا۟ خَيْرًا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًا﴾

• رُوحٌ مِنَ اللهِ¶1

  Echoes the description of Jesus as 'a spirit from Him' (wa-rūḥun minhu), stressing that his spirit is from God and no other.

• لِأَنَّهُ رُوحٌ إِلَهِيٌّ¶5

  Echoes 'wa-rūḥun minhu', Jesus as a spirit from God, given as the reason he could revive the dead.

• كَمَا كَانَ النَّفْخُ لِجِبْرِيلَ وَالكَلِمَةُ لِلَّهِ¶5

  Recalls 'wa-kalimatuhu alqāhā ilā maryam' together with the breathing of the Spirit into Maryam (21:91, 66:12), dividing the breath to Gabriel and the Word to God.

• هُوَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ¶12

  Uses the Qurʾanic epithet ʿĪsā ibn Maryam, as in 4:171, to name the view of Jesus that looks only at his human form.

• رُوحُ اللهِ¶12

  Refers to 4:171, which calls Jesus God's word cast to Mary 'wa-rūḥun minhu' (and a spirit from Him), and Ibn ʿArabī glosses this as the manifestation of life through him.

• فَهُوَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ، وَهُوَ رُوحُ اللهِ¶13

  Echoes the verse calling the Messiah God's 'word which He cast into Mary, and a spirit from Him'.

﴿لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا إِنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُهْلِكَ ٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾

• هِيَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ¶11

  This echoes 'Those who say God is the Messiah son of Mary have disbelieved' (also 5:72), the statement whose sense Ibn ʿArabī is analysing.

﴿مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ﴾

• مَنْ أَحْيَا نَفْسًا¶15

  This echoes 'whoever revives a soul, it is as though he revived all people', which is here applied to reviving a dead soul with knowledge of God.

﴿إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَتِكَ إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا ۖ وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ ۖ وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَتُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِى ۖ وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ﴾

• تُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ¶6

  This quotes the healing of the blind and the leper as another act ascribed both to Jesus and to God's permission.

• بِإِذْنِى¶6

  This quotes God's repeated 'by My permission' as one of the forms of the permission formula.

• وَيَكُونُ الطَّائِرُ عَنِ النَّافِخِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ¶7

  This recalls the parallel verse 'fa-tanfukhu fīhā fa-takūnu ṭayran bi-idhnī', in which the breathing is ascribed to Jesus and the bird's coming-to-be to God's leave.

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ ۚ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُۥ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُۥ ۚ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِكَ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ﴾

• ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ¶22

  This is God's question to Jesus, quoted as the questioning (istifhām) that requires a courteous answer.

• سُبْحَـٰنَكَ¶22

  Jesus' opening word of glorification, which Ibn ʿArabī analyses as tanzīh delimited by the kāf of address.

• أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ¶22

  The continuation of Jesus' reply, glossed as what his ipseity and essence do not require.

• إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُۥ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُۥ¶23

  Jesus's reply to God's question about whether he told people to take him and his mother as gods, read here as meaning that God knows it because God is the one who spoke.

• تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى¶23

  The continuation of Jesus's answer, read so that the 'self' in question belongs to the Real as the true speaker.

• وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِيهَا¶23

  A paraphrase of the verse's 'wa-lā aʿlamu mā fī nafsika', in which 'your self' is recast as 'it', the same self, so that knowledge is denied to Jesus's ipseity.

• «إِنَّكَ أَنتَ»¶24

  These words open Jesus' reply «إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ», and Ibn ʿArabī comments on the emphatic separating pronoun in them.

• إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ¶32

  It is cited as an earlier instance of the separating pronoun (faṣl, ʿimād) in Jesus's address, so the passage keeps one consistent construction.

﴿مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾

• رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ¶25

  The continuation of the same verse is quoted to show that Jesus separated the relation of lordship by the first- and second-person pronouns.

• وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ¶27

  Jesus's words to God are quoted, and Ibn ʿArabī remarks that he said 'over them' and did not say 'over myself with them.'

• رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ¶27

  The phrase from the same verse is cited to contrast Jesus including himself with others there with his speaking only of witness 'over them.'

• شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ¶27

  The verse is quoted to establish that prophets are witnesses over their communities only for as long as they remain among them.

• فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى¶27

  The verse is quoted and then glossed as God raising Jesus to Himself and veiling him from his people.

• كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ¶27

  The verse's close is quoted and interpreted as God watching over them through their own substances, as their sight.

• عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ¶28

  Jesus' words 'I was a witness over them as long as I was among them' are quoted to show that he names himself shahīd and puts 'them' before his own title.

• ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ¶28

  The continuation 'You were the Watcher over them' is quoted to show the divine name al-Raqīb placed before 'them', which Ibn ʿArabī reads as precedence of rank.

• وَجَعَلَهُ بِالِاسْمِ ٱلرَّقِيبُ¶28

  The phrase refers to Jesus' naming of God as al-Raqīb in the same verse, which Ibn ʿArabī reads as a way of separating the servant from his Lord.

• لِلْحَقِّ الرَّقِيبِ¶29

  This echoes 'you were the Watcher over them' (kunta anta al-raqība ʿalayhim) and takes al-Raqīb as a name of God.

• عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا¶29

  These are Jesus's words about himself, and Ibn ʿArabī uses them to show that Jesus took the name al-Shahīd for himself.

• وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ¶29

  This is the close of the verse, which Ibn ʿArabī analyses word by word ('every', 'thing', 'witness') to establish God's universal witnessing.

• وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ¶29

  Ibn ʿArabī quotes this to argue that God himself was the witness over Jesus's people even while Jesus was among them.

• كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ¶32

  It is cited as a second parallel use of the emphatic pronoun anta, showing the uniform style of Jesus's reply.

﴿إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ﴾

• إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ¶30

  This is Jesus's words to God in Sūrat al-Māʾida, quoted as the 'Jesus-like and Muhammadan word' that the Prophet repeated in prayer through an entire night.

• «إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ»¶31

  Jesus' words to God, 'If You punish them,' are quoted so that Ibn ʿArabī can comment on the third-person pronoun.

• «فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ»¶31

  The continuation of the same verse, 'they are Your servants,' is quoted, and its singular 'Your' is read as tawḥīd and as total servitude.

• وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ¶32

  These are Jesus's words of intercession for his people, which Ibn ʿArabī glosses as God veiling them from punishment.

• فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ¶32

  This is the close of the same verse, and its emphatic pronoun anta is shown to match the pattern of the preceding verses.

• إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ¶33

  Jesus's words to God are quoted as the verse the Prophet repeated all night, and Ibn ʿArabī reads them as surrender to God together with a plea for pardon.

• وَكَذٰلِكَ جَاءَ بِالِاسْمِ الحَكِيمِ¶34

  This refers to Jesus closing his intercession with 'fa-innaka anta al-ʿazīzu al-ḥakīm' rather than a name of forgiveness, and Ibn ʿArabī reads that choice of the name al-Ḥakīm as deliberate.

﴿وَإِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ ۖ أَنَّهُۥ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوٓءًۢا بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

• فَامْتَنَّ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ¶21

  This echoes 'kataba rabbukum ʿalā nafsihi al-raḥma' (also 6:12): God's mercy is bestowed first upon Himself, which links mercy to the Breath of the Merciful.

﴿لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُۥ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ﴾

• وَلَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ¶31

  The Qurʾānic formula lā sharīka lahu is applied to the master, who has no partner in his ownership of the servants.

﴿فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَـٰجِدِينَ﴾

• «فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ»¶13

  Quotes God's words about Adam, 'when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit' (also 38:72), to set ordinary creation, where fashioning precedes inbreathing, against Jesus' case.

﴿إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ﴾

• لِمَنْ أَبَىٰ عَنْ السُّجُودِ لَهُ¶19

  This recalls the Qurʾanic description of Iblīs refusing (abā) to be among those who prostrate before Adam.

﴿قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًا﴾

• كَلِمَاتُ اللهِ الَّتِي لَا تَنْفَدُ¶13

  Echoes the verses saying the sea would be exhausted before God's words are exhausted (also 31:27), applied here to the endless existents.

﴿فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا﴾

• تَمَثَّلَ الرُّوحُ الأَمِينُ¶3

  This echoes 'fa-tamaththala lahā basharan sawiyyan', and Ibn ʿArabī uses the verse's verb to describe Gabriel taking human form before Mary.

• بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا¶3

  This quotes the verse's description of the form in which the spirit appeared to Mary.

• تَمَثُّلِ جِبْرَئِيلَ فِي صُورَةِ البَشَرِ¶5

  Echoes 'fa-tamaththala lahā basharan sawiyyan', the Spirit appearing to Maryam as a well-formed man, which explains why Jesus took human form.

﴿قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَـٰمًا زَكِيًّا﴾

• لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَـٰمًا زَكِيًّا¶4

  The rest of the same verse is quoted, with جِئْتُ inserted, as the announcement of the gift of a pure son.

﴿قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّا﴾

• وَهُوَ عَبْدُ اللهِ¶13

  Recalls the infant Jesus' words in the cradle, 'I am the servant of God'.

﴿فَٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ مِنۢ بَيْنِهِمْ ۖ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾

• فَوَقَعَ الخِلَافُ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ المِلَلِ فِي عِيسَىٰ¶12

  Echoes 'fa-khtalafa al-aḥzābu min baynihim' (the factions differed among themselves), which follows the account of Jesus, and recasts the sectarian dispute as differing standpoints of viewing.

﴿إِذْ رَءَا نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ ٱمْكُثُوٓا۟ إِنِّىٓ ءَانَسْتُ نَارًا لَّعَلِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ هُدًى﴾

• فِي طَلَبِ القَبَسِ فَرَآهُ نَارًا¶21

  This refers to Moses seeing a fire and going to fetch a brand (qabas) from it (cf. 27:7, 28:29), and the fire is then read as a theophany of light.

﴿قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِى نَفْسِى﴾

• قَبَضَ السَّامِرِيُّ قَبْضَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ¶2

  This recasts al-Sāmirī's words 'fa-qabaḍtu qabḍatan min athari al-rasūli' in the third person, and identifies the messenger as Gabriel, the Spirit.

• فَقَبَضَ قَبْضَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ¶2

  The verse's phrase 'qabḍatan min athari al-rasūli' is repeated nearly verbatim here and used as the basis for discussing the ṣād/ḍād readings.

﴿وَٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا وَٱبْنَهَآ ءَايَةً لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾

• فَلَوْ نَفَخَ فِيهَا¶3

  This echoes 'fa-nafakhnā fīhā min rūḥinā' (cf. 66:12), the breathing of the spirit into Mary, which Ibn ʿArabī places hypothetically at the moment of her contracted state.

• نَفْخِ جِبْرِيلَ¶8

  This echoes the divine breathing into Mary ('fa-nafakhnā fīhā min rūḥinā', also 66:12), here attributed to Gabriel as its agent.

• ثُمَّ نَفَخَ، فَفَصَلَ بَيْنَ الصُّورَةِ وَالنَّفْخِ¶11

  This echoes 'We breathed into her of Our spirit' (also 66:12), the breath that Ibn ʿArabī separates from the form that delivers it.

﴿نَزَلَ بِهِ ٱلرُّوحُ ٱلْأَمِينُ﴾

• الرُّوحُ الأَمِينُ¶3

  This is the Qurʾānic epithet for the angel who brings down revelation, and Ibn ʿArabī explicitly glosses it as Jibrāʾīl.

﴿قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْغَيْبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ﴾

• لَا يَعْلَمُ الغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللهُ¶24

  This echoes «لَا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللهُ» and gives the reason Jesus ascribes knowledge of the unseen to God alone.

﴿ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ﴾

• نَفَخَ فِيهِ هُوَ تَعَالَىٰ مِنْ رُوحِهِ¶13

  Echoes 'then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit', the basis for ascribing every human spirit to God.

﴿وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ ٱلَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظْلِمُونَ﴾

• فِي سَلْخِ النَّهَارِ¶21

  This echoes 'wa-āyatun lahumu al-laylu naslakhu minhu al-nahār', the day being stripped from the night, as an image for the drowsy man's dusk in which knowledge appears like a dream.

﴿إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُۥٓ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ﴾

• مَنْ يَقُولُ «كُنْ»¶14

  This echoes the verse that when God wills a thing He says to it 'Be' and it is (also 2:117, 16:40), and raises the question of who the sayer of that 'Be' is when God appears in a form.

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَهَبْ لِى مُلْكًا لَّا يَنۢبَغِى لِأَحَدٍ مِّنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ﴾

• رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى¶26

  This prophetic petition for forgiveness (found also at 7:151, 28:16, 71:28) serves as the example of the servant using the imperative, which places God in the rank of the commanded.

﴿مَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنْ عِلْمٍۭ بِٱلْمَلَإِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰٓ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ﴾

• وَصَفَهُمْ اللهُ بِالِاخْتِصَامِ- أَعْنِي المَلَأَ الأَعْلَىٰ¶17

  This echoes 'mā kāna liya min ʿilmin bi-l-malaʾi l-aʿlā idh yakhtaṣimūn'; Ibn ʿArabī explains the disputing of the Exalted Assembly by the opposition inherent in Nature.

﴿إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقٌۢ بَشَرًا مِّن طِينٍ﴾

• البَشَرِ المَوْجُودِ مِنْ طِينْ¶1

  Recalls God's announcement 'I am creating a human being from clay' (innī khāliqun basharan min ṭīn), applied to the human form Gabriel assumed.

• سَمَّاهُ بَشَرًا¶19

  This echoes God's announcement to the angels that He will create a bashar from clay, the naming that Ibn ʿArabī explains.

• بَشَرًا مِنْ طِينٍ¶20

  This quotes 'I am creating a human being from clay', which Ibn ʿArabī uses to locate man's superiority over the other elemental species in his being made of clay.

﴿قَالَ يَـٰٓإِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَىَّ ۖ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْعَالِينَ﴾

• مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَىَّ ۖ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ¶19

  God's rebuke to Iblīs is quoted as proof that Adam's creation with the two hands is a mark of divine care for the human species.

• أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ العَالِينَ¶19

  The end of the same verse is quoted and glossed phrase by phrase, so that al-ʿālīn means those above the elements.

• بِالعَالِينَ¶20

  This echoes God's question to Iblīs, 'Are you arrogant, or are you one of the exalted (al-ʿālīn)?', and the passage reads the term as naming a class of angels superior to man.

﴿ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَهِىَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلْأَرْضِ ٱئْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرْهًا قَالَتَآ أَتَيْنَا طَآئِعِينَ﴾

• مِنْ دُخَانِ العَناصرِ¶17

  This recalls 'thumma stawā ilā l-samāʾi wa-hiya dukhān'; Ibn ʿArabī reads the smoke from which the heavens were made as smoke rising from the elements, which makes the seven heavens elemental.

﴿أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ وَهُوَ يُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾

• يُحْيِي المَوْتَىٰ، وَهُوَ مِنَ الخَصَائِصِ الإِلَهِيَّةِ¶9

  This echoes 'wa-huwa yuḥyī al-mawtā', where reviving the dead is God's own act, and that is why the onlooker is perplexed to see a human doing it.

﴿إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ﴾

• وَصَيَّرَهُ مَثَلًا¶1

  Recalls Jesus as one 'We made an example (mathalan) for the Children of Israel'.

﴿ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَوْلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَأَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ﴾

• وَإِنَّ اللهَ مَوْلَانَا¶15

  This echoes 'God is the Protector (mawlā) of those who believe', set against 'we are servants in truth' to pair lordship with servanthood.

﴿وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ ٱلْمُجَـٰهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَا۟ أَخْبَارَكُمْ﴾

• «حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ»¶22

  The phrase is taken from God's statement that He tests people "until We know" the strivers, and here it names the station in which God questions Jesus.

﴿فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ﴾

• رُوْحًا وَرَيْحَانًا¶16

  This echoes «فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ», the repose and fragrance granted to those brought near, and here it describes what one becomes by nourishing creation from God.

﴿وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ﴾

• فَنَفَخَ فِيهَا¶4

  This echoes فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا (cf. 21:91 فِيهَا), the breathing of spirit into Mary, here attributed to Gabriel as the agent.

﴿بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ﴾

• فِي تِلَاوَتِهِ «عَبَسَ»¶21

  It names Sūrat ʿAbasa by its opening word, and its recitation is said to relieve every grief.

﴿كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلْفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍ﴾

• تَدْعُوهَا بِسِجِّينْ¶1

  Takes the Qurʾānic term Sijjīn, where the record of the wicked lies, and uses it as a name for nature.

﴿بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ﴾

• وَانْشَرَحَ صَدْرُهَا¶4

  The phrase echoes the Qurʾanic expansion of the breast (أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ) to describe Mary's relief.