Chapter Two
GENEALOGICAL TREE












I`sa’s (Jesus)  Ancestral Line

The third chapter of the Quran has been named A`li Imran (The family of Imran), after I`sa’s maternal grandfather Imran (alayhima`s-sala`m). It is the thirty third verse of this chapter which explains the honorable status of the family of Imran . Allah says in this verse,

"Allah chose Adam, Nuh, the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above the Alamin (mankind and Jinn) [of their times]." The great scholar and exegete of Cordoba, Spain, Imam Shamsuddin Abu-Abdillah Al-Ansari Al-Qurtubi(d.671/1227), has stated that this verse highlights the great prophets and families which were chosen by Allah (God) to present His teachings and commandments to the world.

The approaches of Muslim scholars and exegetes (Mufassirs) to the explanation of this verse are quite different from one another. Zajjaj has stated that this verse indicates those who have been chosen for prophethood.

Imam Qurtubi, on the other hand, states that the import of the verse is that Allah has chosen the religion, of those mentioned, above all other religions, and that their faith is Islam.

Then again Imam Qurtubi has said that some scholars (without specifying which scholars) have referred to this verse as an indication of what each individual was chosen to be gifted with separately, enlarging upon this view he took into account the facts that Allah chose to give Adam  five distinctions which are as follows:

    1. God created him with his own hands.
    2. He taught Adam the names of all things.
    3. He ordered the Angels to prostrate to Adam.
    4. He gave Adam the chance to reside in Paradise.
    5. God made Adam the first Father of mankind.
Allah chose to give Nuh  the following five specialties:
    1. He was the Father of the people of his age, as his was the only family of the era that survived the flood.
    2. He was given a very long life consisting of approximately nine hundred and fifty years.
    3. His supplication was accepted against those who rejected his mission.
    4. God saved Nuh u from the flood by boarding him on the Ark.
    5. Nuh u was the first to be given a set of legal laws and rulings.
Allah also gave Ibrahim  five distinctions, which are as follows:
    1. God made Ibrahim u the Father of many prophets.
    2. He was chosen to be Khalilullah (Friend of Allah).
    3. God safeguarded him from fire - He cooled the heat of the flames for Ibrahim.
    4. He is the Imam - leader of the people.
    5. God guided Ibrahim u to fulfill the commandments by which he was tested.
Imam Qurtubi has also mentioned, in addition to the gifts or distinctions of the prophets above, that the gift of the family of Imran was that Musa and Harun  were given special livelihood known as Manna and Salwa and I`sa` (Jesus) was conceived in a supernatural manner, without a father.

In conclusion to the explanation of the verse, the above mentioned scholars and commentators of the Holy Quran are in dispute as to the actual meaning of the term "being chosen" and what it actually refers to. Zajjaj has limited it to meaning just prophethood or religion, while Qurtubi has mentioned that others (without specifying names) have given it the interpretation of God having assigned specialities or distinctions to those mentioned. Qurtubi states that other scholars have left the matter open to consideration as the verse does not actually specify what the cited were chosen with or for.

The Quran has started the story of I`sa u by mentioning that his astors were pious, honoured, and amongst those who were chosen by the Creator. This verse also honors Jesus  to be in the line of great prophets of the Creator, Allah Almighty, who share a noble character and enjoy a very power relationship and bond amongst themselves.
 

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