أوّل كلمة قالها في حياته لم تكن «أمّي». كانت دفاعًا عن أمّه أمام قوم جاءوا يتّهمونها. وكان عمره أيامًا معدودة، وهو في المهد.
خُلق عيسى عليه السلام من غير أب، بكلمة من الله: ﴿إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ﴾. وحملت به مريم، وهي التي نشأت في المحراب وعُرفت بالطهر. ثم جاءها المخاض فولدت وحدها تحت نخلة، وقالت من شدّة ما تعلم أن الناس سيقولونه: ﴿يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا﴾.
ثم رجعت مريم إلى قومها تحمله: ﴿فَأَتَتْ بِهِ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ قَالُوا يَا مَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئًا فَرِيًّا﴾. وكان الله قد أمرها ألّا تتكلّم: ﴿فَقُولِي إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا﴾. فلم تدافع عن نفسها بكلمة واحدة، ولم تشرح ولم تجادل. ﴿فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ﴾ — أشارت إلى الطفل. فقالوا مستنكرين: ﴿كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا﴾؟
فتكلّم الطفل. ﴿قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا﴾. وانتبه إلى أوّل كلمة نطق بها في حياته: «إني عبد الله». قبل أن يقول إنه نبيّ، قال إنه عبد. وهذه الكلمة بالذات هي التي ضلّ فيها من ضلّ من بعده، فرفعوه فوق منزلته التي وضعه الله فيها، وهو قد بدأ حياته بأن حدّدها بنفسه. ثم تابع: ﴿وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا * وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا﴾.
ولمّا كبر أيّده الله بآيات عظيمة: يخلق من الطين كهيئة الطير فينفخ فيه فيكون طيرًا، ويبرئ الأكمه والأبرص، ويحيي الموتى — وفي كل واحدة منها يقول القرآن: ﴿بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ﴾، فلا تُنسب قدرة إلى غير صاحبها. ثم مكر به الذين كفروا وأرادوا قتله، فقال الله: ﴿وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ﴾، ﴿بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا﴾. لم يصلوا إليه.
يقول الله تعالى يصف كلمات سيدنا عيسى وهو رضيع: {قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا}.
أشرف ما يُوصف به الإنسان أنه عبدٌ لله.
سكتت مريم ولم تدافع عن نفسها، فجاء الدفاع من حيث لا يتوقّعه أحد. هل صبرتَ يومًا على تهمة ظالمة؟ وماذا حدث بعدها؟
افعل اليوم شيئًا واحدًا يُفرح أمّك، من غير أن تطلب منك ومن غير أن تنتظر شكرًا.
القرآن الكريم، سورة مريم: 16-36 وآل عمران: 42-59 والمائدة: 110-118
الولادة والكلام في المهد والمعجزات ورفعه، كله بنص الآيات.
The first word he spoke in his life was not "mother." It was a defence of his mother, in front of people who had come to accuse her. He was a few days old, still in the cradle.
Isa, peace be upon him, was created without a father, by a word from Allah: {Indeed, the example of Isa to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, Be, and he was.} Maryam carried him — she who had grown up in the sanctuary and was known for her purity. Then the pains came and she gave birth alone beneath a palm tree, and said, knowing exactly what people would say: {Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.}
Maryam came back to her people carrying him: {Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, O Maryam, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented.} Allah had already commanded her not to speak: {And say, Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to any man.} So she did not defend herself with a single word, did not explain and did not argue. {So she pointed to him.} She pointed at the baby. And they said in disbelief: {How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?}
And the baby spoke. {He said, Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.} Notice the first words of his life: "I am the servant of Allah." Before saying he was a prophet, he said he was a servant. And that is precisely the word that those who went astray after him went astray over — raising him above the station Allah placed him in, while he had begun his life by defining it himself. Then he went on: {And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I remain alive. And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant.}
When he grew, Allah supported him with great signs: he would form from clay the shape of a bird and breathe into it and it would become a bird, and he would heal the blind and the leper, and revive the dead — and with every one of them the Quran says {by permission of Allah}, so that no power is attributed to anyone but its owner. Then those who disbelieved plotted against him and sought to kill him, and Allah said: {And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it was made to appear so to them}, {Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.} They never reached him.
The noblest thing a human being can be called is a servant of Allah.
Maryam stayed silent and did not defend herself, and the defence came from where no one expected. Have you ever borne an unfair accusation patiently? What happened afterwards?
Do one thing today that makes your mother happy — unasked, and without waiting to be thanked.
The Quran, Surah Maryam: 16-36, Aal-Imran: 42-59, Al-Ma'idah: 110-118
The birth, the speaking in the cradle, the miracles and his being raised are all in the verses.