Tafsir

The Qur'an again reminds the Israelites how Allah in His mercy forgave them their transgressions again and again, and provided them with all the means of guidance. First of all, He gave them a Divine Book, the Torah, through Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) (Moses); then, sent them a number of prophets; and, at the end of this line, sent down Sayyidna Isa (علیہ السلام) (Jesus) along with clear and irrefutable evidences of his prophethood, like the Evangel and miracles, and appointed the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) (Gabriel) to give him support.

The Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) has often been called "Ruh al-Qudus" (the Holy Spirit) in the Noble Qur'an and the Hadith. For example, in Verse 16:102 - قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُ‌وحُ الْقُدُسِ مِن رَّ‌بِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَ‌ىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿102﴾ - "Say: the Holy Spirit has brought it (the Noble Qur'an) down;" or in a couplet of the poet and blessed Companion Hassan ibn Thabit ؓ ، reported in the Hadith:وجبریل رسول اللہ فیناوروح القدس لیس لہ کفاءJibra'il, the messenger of Allah, comes to us;he is the Holy Spirit, the incomparable."Allah helped and supported Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) through Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) in several ways. (1) He was conceived through the breath of the Archangel. (2) Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) protected him against being touched by Satan at the time of his birth. (3) The Archangel always accompanied him in order to defend him against the hostility of the Jews. (4) It was through him that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was raised to the heavens.

In. spite of all these divine favours, the Jews persisted in their rebellion. They were so stubborn in the worship of their desires, that whenever the prophets brought to them certain divine injunctions which did not please them, the Jews would deny the prophets – they denied even Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، or would kill them outright -- for example, they dealt in this vile manner with Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) (Zachariah) and Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) (John the Baptist).