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Refutations

Did Jesus Creating a Bird from Clay Prove He Is God? — Qur'an, Gospel & Scholars Answer

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Did Jesus Create the Bird from Clay? — Apologetics & Response

Table of Contents

Two Aspects of Refuting the Doubt

The Two Pillars of the Refutation First: Jesus — peace be upon him — was not created from nothing, and his role was limited to blowing, so the clay turned into a bird by God’s permission. Therefore, our master Jesus — peace be upon him — has no merit in this creation that raises him to the status of divinity.

Second: The Gospel indicates that Jesus did not claim divinity, nor did he claim knowledge of the unseen, which is one of the characteristics of divinity. So how can they attribute divinity to him, and their book — despite being distorted — did not attribute it to him?

First — Jesus Did Not Create the Clay from Nothing

Quranic Evidence — Creation Belongs to Allah Alone

Creation from Nothing Is Exclusive to Allah Jesus — peace be upon him — was not created from nothing, and this type of creation that no one is described with except Allah the Most High was not attributed to him in the Qur’an. This creation — which is the creation from nothing independently — is not for anyone except Allah, and the Noble Qur’an has proven it for Allah — the Almighty — and denied it for anyone else, and challenged that any of the deities that are worshipped besides Allah would create anything like the creation of Allah.
Luqman 11 “This is the creation of Allah, so show me what those other than Him have created.”
An-Nahl 20 “And those they invoke besides Allah do not create anything, and they are themselves created.”
Al Imran 49 “And a messenger to the Children of Israel, [saying], ‘I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I create for you from clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, then I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s permission.’”
What the Verse Makes Clear It is clear from the verses that the transformation of clay into a bird was not by the hand of Jesus — peace be upon him — but rather by the permission of Allah. As for the role of Jesus — peace be upon him — it is merely to blow into it so that it becomes a bird with God’s permission, and this is a miracle for him — peace be upon him — that God performed through his hands as He performed the same through some of the prophets of the Children of Israel.

The Role of Jesus Was Only to Breathe

The Author of “The School of the Prophets” Explains The Prophet of God Jesus, son of Mary — peace be upon him — made a statue from clay in the form of a bird (it was said: in the form of a bat), then he breathed into it and it became a bird with God’s permission. In this context, the Holy Qur’an says:

“And when you created from clay, as it were, the form of a bird.” — Al-Ma’idah 110

The Meaning of “Creation” When Attributed to Jesus vs. Allah

Two Meanings of “Creation” It is not understood from attributing creation to Jesus — peace be upon him — that he participated with God in creation, because:
  • The meaning of creation when attributed to a human being is: making and estimating with a previous example.
  • The meaning of creation when attributed to God is: making, estimating, and creating without a previous example — i.e. creation from nothing.

Accordingly:

  • Jesus made a statue from clay — and clay did not come into existence from nothing. God is the Creator of clay, which is the material of the bird.
  • Jesus made the statue in the form of a bird — so he did not invent its form on his own. God is the Creator of the form and image.
  • Jesus only did that with the permission of God, who taught him the craft, and without the divine permission he would not have been able to do that.
  • The breath that he breathed into the clay, transforming it into a bird, was with the permission of God — and this means that the whole matter depends on the permission of God, the Creator and Giver of the soul.
The Carpenter Analogy It is said in the Arabic language: “This carpenter created from wood a door” — meaning he made a door out of wood.

The question remains: Can a carpenter create a stick from arak (siwak)?

Answer: No. And the meaning of creation here remains the making, which is the transformation of matter from one form to another. Therefore, the Almighty says about Himself: “So blessed be Allah, the best of creators.”

True Creation vs. False Creation
  • True creation: creation from nothingness — exclusive to Allah.
  • False creation: Allah the Most High says about the latter: “And you invent a lie.” — Al-Ankabut 17

So Christ did not create water or clay from nothingness; rather, he transformed a bird from clay — just as Moses transformed a snake from wood — by permission of Allah.

The Word “By Allah’s Permission” — From Jesus’ Own Mouth

Jesus’ Own Admission The word (by the permission of Allah) came from the words of Jesus — peace be upon him — and on his tongue. So this is an admission from him that this is not his doing, but by the permission of Allah, and that he is a human being and a servant of Allah who does what Allah permits him to do.

It is as if he — peace be upon him — wanted to say to his people: If you are tempted by this, then you should have been tempted by Abraham — peace be upon him — all the more, when he cut the birds and placed a part of them on every mountain and then called him.

Miracles Do Not Indicate Divinity

Miracles Confirm Prophethood, Not Divinity With this statement it becomes clear to us that the miracles of the Lord Christ — peace be upon him — and the Qur’an mentioned some of them, are like all the miracles of the prophets. They do not indicate his divinity, but rather indicate the truth of his prophethood and humanity — peace be upon him.

Second — The Gospel Indicates Jesus Did Not Claim Divinity

Overview The Gospel indicates that Jesus — peace be upon him — did not claim divinity, and did not claim knowledge of the unseen — which is one of the characteristics of divinity.

Jesus Did Not Know the Hour

Mark 13:32 “But of that Day and that Hour no one knows, not even the angels who are in heaven, nor the Son, except the Father.”

Jesus Did Not Know Where Lazarus Was Laid

John 11:34 When he was asked to revive Martha’s brother, his sister Mary went with him to the cemetery, and there he asked her: “Where have you laid him?”

Jesus Did Not Know the Duration of the Madman’s Illness

Mark 9:21 He did not know the duration of the madman’s illness, so he asked his father: “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From his youth.”

Jesus Did Not Know the Fig Tree Was Bare

Matthew 21:19 He and his companions came to the fig tree to obtain from it what would satisfy their hunger, but they found nothing on it: “And he saw a fig tree by the wayside, and came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only.”

Jesus Showed He Was the Messenger of God

John 5:30 “I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.”
John 11:22 Martha also testified to him that he was the Prophet of God and his beloved: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you.”
Matthew 26:39 He called on God during his ordeal, saying: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as you are willing.”

How His People Knew Him

Luke 24:17–19 He was known among his people as a prophet: “And they said, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.’”
John 20:16 Mary Magdalene also called him, saying: “Rabboni” (which means, Teacher).

And the rabbis are the teachers in the temple from the lineage of Levi — and these are not attributes of God, but rather attributes of the creature who communes with his Lord.

Conclusion

Summary of Findings

  • Jesus — peace be upon him — did not create the clay from which he created the bird, and he did not create the bird. All his role was to breathe into this clay so that it became a bird by the permission of God Almighty.

  • The meaning of creation attributed to Jesus — peace be upon him — is estimation and depiction, according to a previous example, while creation for God is making, estimation and innovation without a previous example — so it is creation from nothing. Because God is the Creator of the clay which is the material of the bird.

  • The role of Jesus — peace be upon him — is to form this clay into the shape of a bird, then blow into it and it turns into a bird with the permission of God Almighty. This means that the matter is subject to the permission of God Almighty.

With this statement, it becomes clear to every rational person that this is a miracle of Jesus — peace be upon him — that God performed through his hands, just as God Almighty performed through the hands of Abraham — peace be upon him — in support of him and confirmation of his prophethood, as he is the servant and messenger of God.

Supplement — The Reality of Creation: Two Types

Type One — Restricted Creation

Restricted Creation — With Allah’s Permission The first: absolute creation, and the second: restricted creation.

The latter: It is as Moses created a snake from a stick, and Christ created a bird from clay. And this creation is with His permission:

“And when you created from clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My permission.” — Al-Ma’idah 110

“Indeed I create for you from clay [that which is] like the figure of a bird, then I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah.” — Al Imran 48

So the meaning of restricted creation is: that the creature does not create anything except by permission of Allah, and this is clear to us from the previous verses. Therefore Allah says about Himself: “So blessed be Allah, the best of creators.”

Type Two — Absolute Creation from Nothing

True Creation Is from Nothingness — Exclusive to Allah The reality of true creation is creation from nothingness. So Christ did not create water or clay from nothingness; rather, he transformed a bird from clay — just as Moses transformed a snake from wood — by permission of Allah.

It is said in the Arabic language: “This carpenter created from wood a door” — meaning he made a door out of wood. And the meaning of creation here remains the making, which is the transformation of matter from one form to another. Therefore, the Almighty says about Himself: “So blessed be Allah, the best of creators.”

The Miracle of Creation as a Blessing Upon Jesus

Al-Ma’idah 110 “When Allah said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Holy Spirit, so you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity, and when I taught you the Book and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel, and when you created from clay, as it were, the form of a bird, by My permission, then you breathe into it, and it becomes a bird, by My permission. And you heal the blind and the leper, by My permission. And when you bring forth the dead, by My permission. And when I held back the Children of Israel from you, when you came to them with clear proofs. But those who disbelieved among them said, “This is not but obvious magic.”’”
The Gospels Confirm Jesus Always Attributed the Miracle to God The Gospels mention that Christ performed a miracle, before which he called upon God, and after which he praised Him, the Most High, for it — so he always mentioned God’s grace upon him.

Gospel Evidence That Jesus Always Attributed the Miracle to God

John 11:41–42 “Then they took away the stone where the dead man had been laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I knew that you always hear me, but I said it for the sake of the crowd standing by, that they may believe that you sent me.’”
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
John 5:30 “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.”
Final Point Through the above, the reader will understand the reality of creation, and that God Almighty is unique in true creation, which is creation from nothingness.

References

Sources
  • This is the Truth: A Response to the Slander of the Church Priest, Muhammad Abdul Latif bin Al-Khatib, Egyptian Press, Cairo, 1399 AH / 1977 AD.
  • Stories of the Prophets, Muhammad Metwally Al-Shaarawy, Dar Al-Quds, Cairo, 1st ed., 2006 AD, p. 435.
  • School of the Prophets: Lessons and Lights, Muhammad Bassam Al-Zain, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, 2nd ed., 1419 AH / 1999 AD, pp. 325–326.