Tafseer Ibn Katheer: `Isa is the Servant of Allah and not His Son

Allah, the Exalted, says to His Messenger Muhammad , `This is the story which We have related to you about `Isa,' upon him be peace.

[قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتُرُونَ]

((It is) a statement of truth about which they doubt.) lThis means that the people of falsehood and the people of truth are in disagreement,

of those who believe in him and those who disbelieve believe in him. For this reason most of the reciters recited this Ayah with Qawlul-Haqq (statement of truth) as the subject, referring to `Isa himself. `Asim and `Abdullah bin `Amir both recited it Qawlal-Haqq (statement of truth) referring to the story in its entirety that the people differed about. It is reported from Ibn Mas`ud that he recited it as Qalal-Haqqa, which means that he (`Isa) said the truth. The recitation of the Ayah with the Qawlul-Haqq being the subject referring to `Isa, is the most apparent meaning grammatically. It has support for it in the statement of Allah [after the story of `Isa],

[الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ ]

((This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.) [3:60] When Allah mentioned that He created him as a servant and a Prophet, He extolled Himself, the Most Holy, by saying,

[مَا كَانَ للَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَـنَهُ]

(It befits not (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified be He.) Means glory be unto Him, He is far exalted above that which these ignorant, wrongdoing, transgressing people say about Him.

[إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ]

(When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: "Be!'' -- and it is.) Whenever He wants something, He merely commands it and it happens as He wills. This is as Allah says,

[إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ - الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ ]

(Verily, the likeness of `Isa before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be'' -- and he was. (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.) [3:59-60]