Translation Chapter 9
‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)sends out the Twelve
9‘Īsā called together the twelve and gave them power and authority over all jinn[1]and to heal diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of Allah[2]and to heal the sick. 3He said to them, ‘Take nothing with you on your journey. Don’t take a staff, a bag, bread, money, or a change of clothes. 4 Whichever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people don’t welcome you, leave that town shaking the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’[3]
6 They left and travelled from one village to another, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
Herod hears about ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)
7 Herod the ruler heard about all that was happening and he was thoroughly perplexed because some people were saying that Yahyā had been raised from the dead.[4]8 Others were saying that Ilyās had appeared, and still others that some prophet from ancient times had risen. 9 Herod said, ‘I was the one who had Yahyā beheaded. So who is this I’m hearing such things about?’ And he looked for an opportunity to see him.
‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)feeds five thousand
10 The apostles[5]returned and told ‘Īsā all they had done. Then, taking them with him, he withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out and followed him. ‘Īsā welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of Allah, and healed those in need of healing.
12 As evening drew near, the twelve came and said to him, ‘Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and farms to find a place to stay and something to eat. We’re in a remote place here.’
13 ‘Īsā said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’
They replied, ‘We’ve only got five loaves of bread and two fish. Surely you don’t want us to go and buy food for all this crowd?’ 14 (There were about five thousand men.)
‘Īsā said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit in groups of about fifty people each.’
15 The disciples did this, getting them all to sit down. 16 ‘Īsā took the five loaves of bread and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks for them. Then he broke them into pieces and handed them to the disciples to give out to the crowd. 17 They all ate their fill, and twelve baskets of broken pieces were picked up from the leftovers.
Peter (pbuh)declares that Prophet ‘Īsā (hpbuu)is Allah’s Masīh
18 One day ‘Īsā was praying by himself, although the disciples were with him. He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’
19They replied, ‘Some say Yahyā who gave ritual washing,[6]others say Ilyās, still others say that some prophet from ancient times has risen.’
20‘What about you?’ ‘Īsā asked them, ‘Who do you say I am?’
Peter replied, ‘You are Allah’s Masīh.’[7]
Al-Masīh ‘Īsā (hpbuu)predicts his own martyrdom[8]and resurrection
21‘Īsā warned them and ordered them not to tell this to anyone. 22He said, ‘The Son of Man[9]must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the Jewish high priests and the ulemā. He must be killed, and on the third day be raised to life.’
23Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to come after me, let them disregard themselves, and take up their cross[10]every day, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life because of me will save it. 25 What good is it for a person to gain the entire world, but lose or forfeit their own self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the heavenly Father[11]and of the holy angels.
27 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not die before they see the kingdom of Allah.’
The disciples see ‘Īsā al-Masīh’s (hpbuu)glory
28 About eight days after ‘Īsā said these things, he took along Peter, John and Ya’qūb and climbed up a mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothing became radiant like lightning. 30 Suddenly two men were talking with ‘Īsā. They were Mūsā and Ilyās, 31 who appeared in splendour. They were speaking about ‘Īsā’s departure,[12]which he would soon fulfil in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were overcome with sleep, but when they became fully awake, they saw ‘Īsā’s glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the two men were leaving ‘Īsā, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it’s good that we are here. Let us make three shelters; one for you, one for Mūsā and one for Ilyās.’
Peter did not know what he was saying. 34 But as he was speaking, a cloud came and began to cover them, and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came from out of the cloud, ‘This is my spiritual Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!’ 36As the voice was speaking, they found ‘Īsā by himself.
The disciples kept quiet and told nobody at that time about what they had seen.
‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)drives out a jinn
37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met ‘Īsā. 38 A man from the crowd cried out, ‘Teacher, I beg you, look at my son; he’s my only child. 39 A jinn[13]seizes him and he suddenly shrieks; it throws him into fits and he foams at the mouth; it hardly ever leaves him and it’sdestroying him. 40 I pleaded with your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t do it.’
41 ‘Īsā replied, ‘You unbelieving and corrupt generation. How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.’
42 As the boy was coming, the jinn[14]attacked him and threw him into a fit. But ‘Īsā rebuked the evil jinn,[15]healed the child, and gave him back to his father. 43 And everyone was amazed at the mighty power of Allah.
‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)again predicts his own suffering
While everyone was still astonished by all that he was doing, ‘Īsā said to his disciples,44 ‘Get a firm grasp of what I’m about to say to you! The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.’
45 But they did not know what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they were unable to understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
True greatness
46 An argument arose among them about which one of them would be the greatest. 47‘Īsā knew about their argument and what was in their hearts, so he took a little child and made him stand by his side. 48 Then he said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me. For the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.’
49 John replied, ‘Master, we saw someone driving out jinn[16]in your name and we told him to stop, because he doesn’t follow you with us.’
50 ‘Īsā said to him, ‘Don’t stop him, because whoever is not against you is for you.’
‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)sets out for Jerusalem and is rejected in a Samaritan village
51 When the time drew near for him to be taken up,[17]‘Īsā set out with firm resolve to go to Jerusalem.
52 He sent messengers ahead of him, who went into a Samaritan[18]village to make preparations for him. 53 But the village did not welcome him, because he was going in the direction of Jerusalem. 54 When they saw this, his disciples, Ya’qūb and John said, ‘Master, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up?’[19]
55 But ‘Īsā turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went to another village.
The cost of following ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)
57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to ‘Īsā, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’
58 ‘Īsā replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have places to roost, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.’
59 He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’
He replied, ‘Master, first let me go back to bury my father.’[20]
60 ‘Īsā said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of Allah.’
61 Someone else said, ‘I will follow you, Master, but first let me take leave[21]from my family.’
62 ‘Īsā replied, ‘No one who puts their hand to the plough and keeps looking back is fit for the kingdom of Allah.’
[2]Also v11, 27, 60, 62. See, Appendix D, The Kingdom of Allah.
[3]Some Jews who travelled to pagan cities or lands would shake the dust off their shoes when they returned as a sign of shaking off pagan uncleanness. Shaking the dust from Jewish towns and villages of people who refused to welcome the twelve was a sign that these people were no longer fit to be considered part of the Banī Isrā’īl.
[4]There are fuller accounts of the martyrdom of Prophet Yahyā (pbuh)at the hands of Herod in Injīl, Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29.
[5]In the Greek language in which the Injīl was originally written, the word is ‘apostoloi’ or ‘sent ones’.
[6]Prophet Yahyā’s ritual washing was a ritual washing of tauba for the forgiveness of sins(3:3).
[7]For Peter and many other Jews of that time, hope and expectation was very much focussed on al-Masīh as the coming king who would be the heir of King Dāwūd (pbuh),and who would deliver his people from their pagan enemies.
The Qur’an also attributes the title ‘al-Masīh’ exclusively to ‘Īsā ibn Maryam (hpbuu)eleven times (Āl-’Imrān 3:45, an-Nisā’ 4:157, 171, 172, al-Mā’idah 5:17 [twice], 72 [twice], 75, at-Tawbah, al-Barā’ah 9:30, 31).
For more details, see Appendix C, ‘The Title: “Al-Masīh”‘.
[8]For further details on the martyrdom of ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu)and on how the Injīl’s and the Qur’an’s teaching on this matter can be understood to be in agreement with each other, see Appendix F, The Suffering and Martyrdom of ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu).
[9]‘The Son of Man’ is a title al-Masīh ‘Īsā (hpbuu)often used for himself. (Also v26, 44, 58). See Appendix E, The Son of Manfor more details.
[10]The cross was the Roman instrument of torturing and putting to death ordinary criminals. The criminal’s feet were attached, often by nails to the upright beam while nails held the wrists to the cross beam. It was the custom for condemned criminals to carry their cross to the place of execution. When ‘Īsā al-Masīh(hpbuu)speaks of his disciples taking up their cross, he is nottalking about the custom some Christians have adopted of wearing an ornamental cross. Rather he means that his disciples must die to themselves and their own desires and wishes every day.
[11]When Sayyidnā ‘Īsā (hpbuu)speaks of Allah as ‘the Father’ he does not mean a physical or biological relationship. So when the Qur’an says of Allah, ‘He begets not, nor was he begotten’ (al-Ikhlās 112:3) there is no need to see a contradiction with the Injīl, because the Injīl does not teach that Allah physically begets or is begotten. To highlight this, we have translated into English as, ‘heavenlyFather’, and also in v35 as ‘my spiritualSon’. For more discussion on this, see Appendix B, The Translation: ‘spiritual Son of God‘.
[12]In the Greek language in which the Injīl was originally written, literally, ‘exodus’. ‘Exodus’ is the name of the second book in the Taurāt, which describes the exodus (literally, ‘going out’) of the Banī Isrā’īl from the land of their slavery and oppression in Egypt under Pharaoh. Allah Ta’ālā used the Prophet Mūsā (pbuh)to lead them out to freedom. For further discussion of ‘Īsā al-Masīh’s exodus or departure, see Appendix G,Fulfilment of Prophecy in the Death and Resurrection of ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu).
[17]This seems to refer to ‘Īsā al-Masīh’s martyrdom and resurrection from the dead (which he has predicted in v22) and also his being taken up into heaven. See Qur’an, Āl-’Imrān 3:55: ‘God said, “O Jesus, I shall cause you to die and make you ascend to Me...”’ (TK). For more details, see Appendix F, The Suffering and Martyrdom of ‘Īsā al-Masīh (hpbuu).
[18]The Samaritans were racially and religiously distinct from the Jews. At that time, there was great hostility between Samaritans and Jews.
[19]See 2ndBook of Kings 1:9-12 where Prophet Ilyās (pbuh)calls fire from heaven down on those who had come to arrest him.
[20]This man’s father was still alive. He was asking permission to stay with his father until he died and was buried; then he would come and follow al-Masīh ‘Īsā (hpbuu).