Explanation of Ayah 110 of Surat ul Maidah

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

Dear Brother,

I pray this message reaches you in good health and iman.

First of all, it is better to avoid getting into disputes with non-Muslims, especially regarding the Qur'an. No matter how convincing the explanation you offer, a lot of people like to contend just for the sake of contention. If someone genuinely wants to know, then help them out. Otherwise, don't let people bog you down into useless theological debates.

The Qur'an is very clear on the issue of the divinity of Jesus. Jesus (peace be upon him) was a man, a mortal, born of the Virgin Mary. His birth was one of the signs of Allah, as was his life, and his return to Allah Most High.

The Qur'an say, "O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs." (Al-Nisa, 4:171).

According to Pickthall's translation, the verse in question reads:

"When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how thou didst shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My permission, and didst blow upon it and it was a bird by My permission, and thou didst heal him who was born blind and the leper by My permission; and how thou didst raise the dead by My permission; and how I restrained the Children of Israel from (harming) thee when thou camest unto them with clear proofs, and those of them who disbelieved exclaimed: This is naught else than mere magic." (Al-Maidah, 5:110)

The great exegetes, like Ibn Kathir, usually interpreted the "Holy Spirit," or Ruh al-Qudus, as the Archangel Gabriel, peace be upon him, the angel who visited all the prophets with revelation. Similarly, other great works, such as the Tafsir al-Jalalayn, also state that the "Holy Spirit" refers to Gabriel.

I also checked al-Tabari's tafsir, another important exegesis. Grammatically speaking, the verse indicates that Allah Most High strengthened and supported Jesus with the Holy Spirit, that is, Gabriel. There is no indication that the Holy Spirit was divine, or that Jesus was somehow imbued with divinity. The usage of the Arabic verb, "ayyadtuka," clearly indicates that God assisted His prophet Jesus, by sending him Gabriel, or the Holy Spirit, as a means of strength and support. Al-Tabari also goes on to say that this support was extended to both Jesus and his mother, Mary. This interpretation is borne out by the fact that Mary, peace be upon her, was visited by the angel Gabriel with the announcement that she would bear a child, as a miracle of Allah Most High and a sign to humanity.

(Source: Altafsir.com)

I pray this is helpful.

And Allah knows best.