Sayyiduna ‘Isa delivered following sermon to the Bani Israel whilst announcing his Prophethood and miracles. It has been mentioned in Surah Aal-e-‘Irnran of the Holy Quran:
وَرَسُوۡلًا اِلٰی بَنِیۡۤ اِسْرَآءِیۡلَ ۬ۙ اَنِّیۡ قَدْ جِئْتُکُمۡ بِاٰیَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمْ ۙ اَنِّیۡۤ اَخْلُقُ لَکُمۡ مِّنَ الطِّیۡنِ کَہَیۡئَۃِ الطَّیۡرِ فَاَنۡفُخُ فِیۡہِ فَیَکُوۡنُ طَیۡرًۢا بِاِذْنِ اللہِ ۚ وَاُبْرِیُٔ الۡاَکْمَہَ وَالۡاَبْرَصَ وَاُحۡیِ الْمَوْتٰی بِاِذْنِ اللہِ ۚ وَاُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِمَا تَاۡکُلُوۡنَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُوۡنَ ۙ فِیۡ بُیُوۡتِکُمْ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً لَّکُمْ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤْمِنِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ49﴾
And he will be a Messenger towards the Children of Israel, while uttering, ‘I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; I mould for you from clay, a birdlike figure, and I blow onto it and it immediately becomes a (living) bird, by the permission of Allah. And I heal him, who was born blind, and the leper, and I give life to the dead, by the permission of Allah, and I inform you (news of the unseen) that, what you eat and what you store in your homes; undoubtedly in these (miracles) is a great sign for you, if you are believers.’
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ayah 49)
In this sermon, Sayyiduna ‘Isa announced four of his miracles:
1. Making birds with clay and making them fly after blowing into them.
2. Curing the innate blind and the lepers.
3. Resurrecting the dead.
4. Revealing what people have eaten and what they have hidden in their homes.
Now read some details of these miracles:
1.) Making birds from clay and making them fly
When the Bani Israel demanded the miracle of producing a bird from clay and making it fly, Sayyiduna ‘Isa made bats from clay and made them fly. Sayyiduna ‘Isa chose bat among all of the birds because it is the most complete and the strangest bird among other birds because it has teeth like human beings, laughs like human beings, flies with its arms without wings, gives birth like animals (instead of laying the eggs) and it also experiences menstrual cycle. It has been reported that as long as the Bani Israel would watch these bats, they would continue to fly and when they would disappear from their sight; they would fall down and die. The reason behind it was to maintain difference between the one created by Allah and the one created by the bondman of Allah. (Tafseer Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 2, pp. 37; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ayah 49)
2.) Curing the innate blinds
It has been reported that by the virtue of supplication of Sayyiduna ‘Isa ‘ fifty blind men and lepers were cured in a single day based on the condition that they would embrace faith (Iman).
(Tafseer Jamal, vol. 1, pp. 419; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ayah 49)
3.) Resurrection of dead
It has been reported that Sayyiduna ‘Isa resurrected four dead people:
i. His friend ‘Aazar
ii. The son of an old lady
iii. The daughter of a tax collector
iv. Sayyiduna Saam Bin Nuh
i. ‘Aazar
‘Aazar was a devoted friend of Sayyiduna ‘Isa When he was about to die, his sister sent a messenger to Sayyiduna ‘Isa to inform him that his friend is dying. At that time, Sayyiduna ‘Isa was at a distance of three days journey from his friend. Sayyiduna ‘Isa reached after the death and burial of’ Aazar. He t)l;.;1 4,, went to the grave of’ Aazar and called upon him. ‘Aazar resurrected and came out of his grave, lived for many years and even became father.
ii. Son of an old lady
The son of an old lady had died and the people were carrying him for burial. Coincidentally, Sayyiduna ‘Isa was passing by there. He was resurrected by virtue of the supplication of Sayyiduna ‘Isa . He got up, dressed up and brought his death bed back home. He lived a long life and also became father.
iii. Daughter of tax collector
The daughter of a tax collector had died. She resurrected after one day of her death by virtue of the supplication of Sayyiduna ‘Isa . She lived for a long time and also bore several children.
iv. Sayyiduna Saam Bin Nuh
When Sayyiduna ‘Isa resurrected the three abovementioned deceased people, some cunning people of the Bani Israel alleged that these three people were not actually dead but they were in the fit of unconsciousness and, they have just regained consciousness. They demanded the resurrection of some dead person of the past.
In response to their demand, Sayyiduna ‘Isa said that four thousand years have passed since the death of Sayyiduna Saam Bin Nuh ; take me to his grave and I will resurrect him by the command of Allah . Sayyiduna ‘Isa invoked the Ism-e-A’zam beside his grave and Sayyiduna Saam Bin Nuh resurrected straightaway. He came out of his grave and inquired worryingly, ‘Has the Hour of Judgement reached?’ After this, he embraced faith in Sayyiduna ‘Isa and died after a short time.
4.) Revealing what people have eaten and what they
have hidden in their homes
It has been mentioned in Hadees that Sayyiduna ‘Isa would reveal the students (the children of the Bani Israel) of his seminary about whatever their parents eat and hide in their homes. When the parent would inquire from their children that how they came to know about these secrets, the children would reply that Sayyiduna ‘Isa informed them in the seminary. Hearing this, the parents restrained their children from going to that seminary and accused Sayyiduna ‘Isa of being a magician. When Sayyiduna ‘Isa entered the town of the Bani Israel in search of those children, the people hid their children inside a home and said that the children are not there. Sayyiduna ‘Isa asked, ‘Who is inside the home?’ These wicked people replied, ‘There are pigs inside the home.’ Sayyiduna ‘Isa said, ‘Ok. There must be pigs.’
Thereafter, when the people opened the door of the home, there were pigs inside it. This news spread among the Bani Israel and they boiled with rage and fury. They conspired to assassinate Sayyiduna ‘Isa . Seeing this, Sayyidatuna Maryam migrated to Egypt with her son, Sayyiduna ‘Isa – This is how Sayyiduna ‘Isa was secured from the wickedness of those people.
([afseer Jamal ‘alal ]alalayn, pp. 419; part 3, Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Ayah 49)
