Wa-innahu laAAilmun lissaAAati fala tamtarunna biha wattabiAAooni hatha siratun mustaqeem (surah Zukhruf: 61)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(43:61) Verily he [i.e., Jesus) is a portent of the Hour. *55 So be in no doubt concerning it and follow Me. This is the Straight Way.

Wa innahoo la`ilmul lis Saa`ati fala tamtarunna bihaa wattabi`oon; haazaa Siraatum Mustaqeem

*55) Another translation of this sentence can be: "He is a means of the knowledge of Resurrection." Here the question arises: What is implied by "he'? According to Hadrat Hasan Basri and Said bin Jubair it implies the Quran. That is, one can learn from the Qur'an that Resurrection will come. But this commentary is irrelevant to the context. There is nothing in the context on the basis of which it may be said that it refers to the Qur'an. Other commentators almost unanimous]y have expressed the opinion that it implies the prophet Jesus Christ, and this is suitable to the context. Now the question is: In what sense has Jesus Christ been called a Sign or a means of the knowledge of Resurrection? Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah, Suddi, Dahhak, Abul `Aliyah and Abu Malik say that this refers to the second coming of the Prophet Jesus as has been foretold in a large number of the Traditions, and the verse means that when he comes the second time to the world, it wilt become known that Resurrection is not far behind. But in spite of the great authority that these scholars hold it is difficult to believe that in this verse the second advent of the Prophet Jesus has been called a Sign of Resurrection, or a means of its knowledge. For it is contradicted by the next verse. His second advent, indeed, can be a means of the knowledge of Resurrection only for those people who will be living in that future period or will be born after that. How could he be regarded as a means of the knowledge for the pagans of Makkah, who are being asked "not to have any doubt about it"? Therefore, the correct interpretation in our opinion is the one that has been given by some other commentators, according to which the Prophet Jesus' birth without a father and his making a bird out of clay and his raising the dead back to life has been presented as a proof of the possibility of Resurrection. So, the Divine Words would mean: why do you think it is impossible for God to raise you and alI mankind from death when He can create a child without a father and a servant of His can breathe life into an image of clay and raise the dead back to life?"