When the son of Mary was proposed as an instance (_when the saying of God was revealed, Verily ye and what ye worship beside God_ [shall be] _fuel of hell_ [Kur. xxi. 98], _and the polytheists said, We are content for our gods to be with Jesus, for he hath been worshipped beside God_,[346]) lo, thy people, _the polytheists_, cried out _in joy_ thereat, and they said, [Are] our gods better, or [is] he? _We are content for our gods to be with him._—They proposed not it (_namely the instance_) unto thee otherwise than as a cause of dispute (_knowing that the word ‘what’ applieth to that which is not endowed with reason; so that it doth not reflect upon Jesus, on whom be peace!_): yea, they are a contentious people. He (_namely Jesus_) is no other than a servant whom We favoured _with the gift of prophecy_; and We proposed him, _by reason of his having come into existence without a father_, as an instance _of the divine power_ unto the children of Israel. And if We pleased, We would substitute for you angels to succeed in the earth.[347] And verily he (_namely Jesus_) _shall be_ a sign of the [last] hour:[348] _it shall be known by his descending_: wherefore doubt not thereof.—And _say unto them_, Follow ye me _in confessing the unity of God_: this, _which I command you to follow_, is a right way. And let not the devil turn you away _from the religion of God_; for he is unto you a manifest enemy.—And when Jesus came with manifest proofs (_with miracles and ordinances_), he said, I have come unto you with wisdom (_with prophecy and with the ordinances of the Gospel_), and to explain unto you part of [the things] concerning which ye disagree: therefore fear ye God, and obey me. Verily God is my Lord and your Lord; wherefore worship ye Him: this is a right way.—But the parties disagreed among themselves _respecting Jesus, whether he were God, or the son of God, or the third of three_: and woe unto them that transgressed _in that which they said respecting Jesus_, because of the punishment of an afflicting day! (xliii. 57-65.)