Verily the similitude of Jesus in the sight of God is as the similitude of Adam. He created him (_Adam_) of earth: then He said unto him, Be,—and he was. _In like manner he said unto Jesus, Be, without a father,—and he was. This is_ the truth from thy Lord: therefore be not thou of those who doubt. And whosoever _of the Christians_ argueth with thee respecting him, after the knowledge that hath come unto thee _concerning him_, say, Come ye, let us call our sons and your sons and our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves _will assemble_: then we will invoke, and will lay the curse of God on those who lie, _saying, O God, curse the liar respecting the nature of Jesus!—And the prophet invited a company from Nejrán to do so, when they had argued with him respecting Jesus; and they said_, [Wait] _until we consider our case: then we will come unto thee. And their counsellor said, Ye know his prophetic office, and that no people have execrated a prophet but they have perished. They however quieted the man, and departed, and came unto the prophet. And he had come forth, having with him El-Ḥasan and El-Ḥoseyn and Fáṭimeh and ´Alee; and he said unto them, When I pray, say ye Amen. But they refused to execrate, and made peace with him on the condition of their paying tribute._—Verily this is indeed the true history, and there is no deity but God, and verily God is indeed the Mighty, the Wise. (iii. 52-55.) O people of the Scripture (_that is, of the Gospel_), exceed not the just bounds in your religion,[349] nor say of God [aught] but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, [was] only the apostle of God, and His Word, which he transmitted unto Mary, and a spirit (_that is, a being possessing a spirit_) from Him. (_He is mentioned in conjunction with God, in order to show him honour, and is not, as ye assert, the son of God, or a God with Him, or the third of three; for the being possessing a spirit is compound, and the Deity must be confessed to be pure from the imputation of composition and the relationship of a compound being to Him._) Therefore believe in God and His apostles, and say not, _There are_ three _gods, God and Jesus and his mother_.[350] Abstain _from this, and say what will be_ better for you; _that is, assert the unity of God_. God is only one god. Extolled be His purity from the imputation of His having a son! To Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth: and God is a sufficient witness _thereof_. The Messiah doth not disdain to be a servant unto God, nor do the angels who are admitted near _unto Him_. (iv. 169, 170.) FOOTNOTES: [1] See prefatory note, p. 2. [2] _i.e._, the glory of the clan. [3] Battles.