Allah recounts the words that Prophet ‘Eesaa spoke from the cradle in surah Maryam [19] when He said:
[قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا * وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا * وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا]
He said: I am a servant of Allah. He gave me scripture and made me a prophet. And He made me blessed wherever I am. He enjoined me to pray and give zakah as long as I live. And to be good to my mother, and He did not make me arrogant or wretched. * Peace was on me the day I was born and the day I will day and the day I will be raised back up alive. [30-33]
Sheikh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shinqitee began his tafsir of this passage by writing:
[ذكر جل وعلا في هذه الآية الكريمة : أن أول كلمة نطق لهم بها عيسى وهو صبي في مهده أنه عبد الله ، وفي ذلك أعظم زجر للنصارى عن دعواهم أنه الله أو ابنه أو إله معه وهذه الكلمة التي نطق بها عيسى في أول خطابه لهم ذكرها الله جل وعلا عنه في مواضع أخر ، كقوله تعالى : وقال المسيح يابني إسرائيل اعبدوا الله ربي وربكم [ 5 \ 72 ] ، وقوله في ” آل عمران ” : إن الله ربي وربكم فاعبدوه هذا صراط مستقيم [ 3 \ 51 ] ، وقوله في ” الزخرف ” فاتقوا الله وأطيعون إن الله هو ربي وربكم فاعبدوه هذا صراط مستقيم [ 43 \ 62 – 64 ] ، وقوله هنا في سورة ” مريم ” : وإن الله ربي وربكم فاعبدوه هذا صراط مستقيم [ 19 \ 39 ] ، وقوله : ما قلت لهم إلا ما أمرتني به أن اعبدوا الله ربي وربكم ، إلى غير ذلك من الآيات .]
In this ayah, Allah mentions that the first statement that ‘Eesaa uttered to them when he was just an infant in the cradle was that he was a servant of Allah. This is the greatest rebuke against the Christians when it comes to their claim that ‘Eesaa is Allah or that he is his son or that he is a co-god alongside Him.
And Allah has mentioned this same message that ‘Eesaa conveyed to them in his first address to them in a number of other places, such as His statement:
[وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَابَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ]
The Maseeh said, “O Children of Israa’eel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” [al-Ma’idah ayah 72] and His statement in surah Aal ‘Imran:
[ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ]
“Allah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. That is the straight path.” [51]
and His statement in surah al-Zukhruf:
[فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ]
“So have tawqa of Allah and obey Him. Allah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. That is the straight path.” [62-64]
and His statement in surah Maryam:
[وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ]
“Allah is certainly my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. That is the straight path.” [39]
and His statement:
[مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ]
“I only told them what you command me to say: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.'”
[al-Ma’idah 117] as well as others places. [Adhwa’ al-Bayan 3/416]
