لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْداً لِّلّهِ  

The Messiah has never disdained to be a servant of Allah,

nor do the Angels close to Him;

    Jesus the Messiah was a man, son of Mary the Virgin, and he never resented or felt indignant to be a servant of his Lord, Allah Almighty.  Jesus the Messiah was of flesh and blood, and he was selected by Allah to be His Messenger, just as other Messengers before him.  He knew well the nature of the Creator on the one hand, and the nature of the created on the other hand, and he knew that the essence of those two natures are vastly different and could not be joined, blended, integrated, or incorporated.

Ø Jesus the Messiah knew that the created can never be like the Creator or a part of Him!  And Jesus the Messiah knew that his servitude to Allah, the Lord, is his greatest favor, since a Prophet knows best the delicate relationship between a Prophet and his Lord.

Ø This is not only the case with Prophet Jesus but also with the favored angels, among whom is the Holy Spirit Angel Gabriel Jubra'eel).

Ø Therefore, once and for all, the Quran corrects the misinformation prevalent in many parts of the world.  It sheds light on this matter and brings forth the truth.

Ø As to Allah (swt):

1. Islam emphasizes the Oneness of Allah and His singularity.

2. Allah has no partners, nor that there is anything similar to Him.

3. Allah is different from anything we know:  He does not physically look like a man. We are created in His image only in that we try to emulate (though feebly) His perfect attributes.

Ø Since Allah is different from anything we know His essence remains unique to Him and so will His unique characteristics, attributes, or sovereignty.  That is why no one shares in His Essence, so there is "no partner nor son".

Ø What Allah creates is a testimony to His limitless Power and everything created glorifies Him, and submits to Him.  Allah is the Lord and Master, He is the Most High, the Creator, so all of mankind (being His subjects) will be in servitude to Him.

Ø The Quran goes further to describe Allah's servant and Prophet, Jesus the Messiah. Allah says that the Messiah, son of Mary, never disdained or felt indignant to be the servant of Allah.  the Messiah was no different than any human being, all of them are subjects of Allah's.  The best of mankind are the servants of Allah's.  Jesus recognized this fact better than others and emphasized it to his contemporaries.

  وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيهِ جَمِيعًا  

and those who disdain Allah's worship and are conceited, (should remember) that Allah will gather them all together unto Himself;

    Though being a Prophet of Allah, Jesus the Messiah never disdained his servitude to Allah nor felt indignant about it.  The people who love and worship Allah felt the same.

    The disbelievers are different, they reject the faith and resent worshiping Allah or be obedient to Him.  They arrogantly declare so.

    Allah says that such people will sooner or later die, and He will gather them to account for their beliefs and deeds.  They are to answer for any and every deed they did during their earthly life, and will be judged accordingly, so the disbelievers will end in Hell.

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ   

فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزيدُهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ    

As to those who believe and do good deeds,

He will give them, then, their due recompense—

and more, out of His grace;

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْتَنكَفُواْ وَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ فَيُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلُيمًا   

but as to those who are disdainful and conceited, He will punish them with a painful torment.

    The disbelievers are the ones who resent Allah's worship and refuse to be His servants.  They will be gathered unto Him like anyone else and account for their deeds and will receive the  punishment they deserve.  Theirs will be the painful doom in Hell-Fire, for variable periods depending on their misdeeds and sinful acts.

    But why, one may ask, does Allah want us to believe and be of service to Him?  And does He need all of this?

Ø The answer is that Allah does not need anything.  His dominion will be the same whether we glorify Him, be of service to Him or believe in Islam.

Ø Just the opposite, it is humanity that needs Allah's guidance and laws.  Society rests best on the belief in Allah Almighty.  Through this belief and through serving Allah, a society which is best for the greater whole, will be established and maintained.

وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلاَ نَصِيرًا   

And they will not find for themselves, besides Allah, any guardian or helper.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا  

O' Mankind!  An undeniable proof has come to you from your Lord;  We have sent down a manifest light (the Quran) to you;

    The Quran carries its proof to people, evident, clear, and convincing.  This evidence is clear to the open mind.  It invites the mind to learn about it, study it, and find the true answers.  The Quran's secret is within it.

Ø The evidence of the truth is in the Holy Quran, the proof is in it.  The Quran is wide open for all, free for all, its guidance free for the taking, and it will be so for the years to come.

Ø The design of the Quran, its depth of meaning, its commands to the good and prohibitions against evil are indications of the works of the Divine Being, Allah (swt).  The eloquent but resilient style of its writing, the injunctions and precepts it carries, the design it has put for humanity are clear evidence of the works of the Divine Being too.

Ø This is why it says, "We have sent a light that is manifest," since the Quran is a light by which humanity can see its way best.  The Quran disperses the darkness of evil and shows people the correct course to take, and the pitfalls to avoid.  The Quran's light touches upon the heart, mind, and thoughts of a person.  The Quran touches upon life, dealing with its intricacies and showing it clearly, so people can choose their way.

Ø When man lives by the values of the Quran, he will be at peace inside, comfortable and secure.

    فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَاعْتَصَمُواْ بِهِ

فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ  وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

As for those who believe in Allah, and hold fast to Him, He will soon admit them to mercy and grace from Him, and guide them to Himself (by) the straight path.

    To hold fast to Allah is to be His servant, under His guidance, in His sanctuary, and in His protection.

    And it is such people that Allah will guide unto Him by a straight course.  The word "unto Him" has a special meaning here, since it indicates that Allah is with them, correcting their direction, taking hold of them, channeling them toward Him in the most direct way, and bringing them nearer to Him step by step.  As the believer holds fast to Allah he will feel as if in every moment he is guided by the High above, and the road ahead of him is open clearly and made easier, as if every moment he is coming nearer and nearer to Allah.

    The believers will be the Heavenly winners too, they will be in Paradise, as Allah has promised.

This selection in brief: