While he was praying to Allah in his place, saying: "My God, make it a mercy, my God, do not make it a punishment. My God, how many a wonder have I asked of You and You granted it to me. My God, make us grateful to You. My God, I seek refuge in You from having sent it down in anger and as a retribution. My God, make it a source of safety and well-being, and do not make it a trial and a punishment (muthla)."
He continued to supplicate until the dining mat (sufra) settled in front of 'Isa and the disciples (al-hawariyyin), while his companions were around him, sensing a pleasant fragrance the likes of which they had never encountered before. 'Isa and the disciples fell down prostrating to Allah in gratitude for what He had provided them from where they did not expect, and He showed them in it a great sign, full of wonder and admonition.
The Jews came forward looking, and they saw an amazing thing that filled them with grief and sorrow. Then they turned away in intense rage. 'Isa, the disciples, and his companions approached and sat around the dining mat, and upon it was a covered cloth. 'Isa said: "Who among us is bold enough to uncover the cloth from this sign so that we may see it, praise our Lord, invoke His Name, and eat from His provision which He has provided us?" The disciples said: "O Spirit of Allah and His Word, you are more worthy than us of that, and more entitled to uncover it." 'Isa (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up, renewed his ablution, entered his place of prayer, and prayed some rak'ahs, then he wept at length. He prayed to Allah the Exalted to permit him to uncover it and to grant him and his people blessing and provision in it. Then he finished and sat at the dining mat, took hold of the cloth, and said: "In the name of Allah, the Best of Providers," and uncovered the dining mat. Behold, upon it was a large roasted fish, with no scales on it and no bones in its belly; grease flowed from it abundantly. Around it were herbs of every kind except leeks. At its head was vinegar, and at its tail was salt. Around the herbs were five loaves of bread, on one of which were olives, on another were fruits, and on the other were five pomegranates. Sham'un, the leader of the disciples, said to 'Isa: "O Spirit of Allah and His Word, is this from the food of the world or from the food of Paradise?" He replied: "Is it not time for you to reflect upon the signs you see and desist from prying into questions? I am so fearful for you that you might be punished on account of this sign." Sham'un said: "No, by the God of Israel, I did not intend a [cynical] question by it, O son of the Virgin." 'Isa (peace be upon him) said: "Nothing of what you see is from the food of Paradise nor from the food of this world. It is only something that Allah originated in the air through His Supreme and Overpowering Power; He said to it: 'Be!' and it was, faster than the blinking of an eye. So eat of what you asked for in the Name of Allah, and praise your Lord for it, that He may extend it for you and increase you, for He is the Originator, the Able, the Appreciative."
(1). Added from Ibn Kathir 3/223.
وَهُوَ يَدْعُو اللَّهَ فِي مَكَانِهِ وَيَقُولُ: إِلَهِي «١» اجْعَلْهَا رَحْمَةً، إِلَهِي لَا تَجْعَلْهَا عَذَابًا، إِلَهِي كَمْ مِنْ عَجِيبَةٍ سَأَلْتُكَ فَأَعْطَيْتَنِي، إِلَهِي اجْعَلْنَا لَكَ شَاكِرِينَ، إِلَهِي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ أَنْزَلْتَهَا غَضَبًا وَجَزَاءً، إِلَهِي اجْعَلْهَا سَلامَةً وَعَافِيَةً وَلا تَجْعَلْهَا فِتْنَةً وَمُثْلَةً.
فَمَا زَالَ يَدْعُو حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّتِ السُّفْرَةُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عِيسَى وَالْحَوَارِيِّينَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلَهُ يَجِدُونَ رَائِحَةً طَيِّبَةً لَمْ يَجِدُوا فِيمَا مَضَى مِثْلَهَا قَطُّ، وَخَرَّ عِيسَى وَالْحَوَارِيُّونَ لِلَّهِ سُجَّدًا شُكْرًا بِمَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوا، وَأَرَاهُمْ فِيهِ آيَةً عَظِيمَةً ذَاتَ عَجَبٍ وَعِبْرَةٍ.
وَأَقْبَلَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَنْظُرُونَ فَرَأَوْا أَمْرًا عجيبا أورثهم محمدا وَغَمًّا، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفُوا بِغَيْظٍ شَدِيدٍ، وَأَقْبَلَ عِيسَى وَالْحَوَارِيُّونَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَتَّى جَلَسُوا حَوْلَ السُّفْرَةِ، فَإِذَا عَلَيْهَا مِنْدِيلٌ مُغَطًّى. قَالَ عِيسَى: مَنْ أَجْرَؤُنَا عَلَى كَشْفِ الْمِنْدِيلِ عَنْ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ حَتَّى نَرَاهَا، وَنَحْمَدَ ربنا وَنَذْكُرَ بِاسْمِهِ وَنَأْكُلَ مِنْ رِزْقِهِ الَّذِي رَزَقَنَا. فَقَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ: يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَنْتَ أَوْلانَا بِذَلِكَ، وَأَحَقُّنَا بِالْكَشْفِ عَنْهَا. فَقَامَ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلامُ فَاسْتَأْنَفَ وَضُوءًا جَدِيدًا ثُمَّ دَخَلَ مُصَلاهُ فَصَلَّى بِذَلِكَ رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ بَكَى طويلا. ودعى اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَأْذَنَ لَهُ فِي الْكَشْفِ عَنْهَا، وَيَجْعَلُ لَهُ وَلِقَوْمِهِ فِيهَا بَرَكَةً وَرِزْقًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى السُّفْرَةِ وَتَنَاوَلَ الْمِنْدِيلَ، وَقَالَ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ خَيْرِ الرَّازِقِينَ، وَكَشَفَ السُّفْرَةَ، فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلَيْهَا سَمَكَةٌ ضَخْمَةٌ مَشْوِيَّةٌ، لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ بَوَاسِيرُ وَلَيْسَ فِي جَوْفِهَا شَوْكٌ، يَسِيلُ السَّمْنُ مِنْهَا سَيْلا، قَدْ نفد حَوْلَهَا بُقُولٌ مِنْ كُلِّ صِنْفٍ غَيْرَ الْكُرَّاثِ، وَعِنْدَ رَأْسِهَا خَلٌّ، وَعِنْدَ ذَنَبِهَا مِلْحٌ، وَحَوْلَ الْبُقُولِ الْخَمْسَةِ أَرْغِفَةٌ، عَلَى وَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا زَيْتُونٌ، وَعَلَى الْآخَرِ ثَمَرَاتٌ، وَعَلَى الآخَرِ خَمْسُ رُمَّانَاتٍ، فَقَالَ شَمْعُونُ رَأْسُ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ لِعِيسَى: يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتَهُ، أَمِنْ طَعَامِ الدُّنْيَا هَذَا أَمْ مِنْ طَعَامِ الْجَنَّةِ؟ فَقَالَ: أَمَا آنَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْتَبِرُوا بِمَا تَرَوْنَ مِنَ الآيَاتِ، وَتَنْتَهُوا عَنْ تَنْقِيرِ الْمَسَائِلِ؟ مَا أخوفن عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تُعَاقَبُوا فِي سَبَبِ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ، فَقَالَ شَمْعُونُ: لَا وَإِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، مَا أَرَدْتُ بِهَا سُؤَالا يَا ابْنَ الصِّدِّيقَةِ، فَقَالَ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا تَرَوْنَ مِنْ طَعَامِ الْجَنَّةِ وَلا مِنْ طَعَامِ الدُّنْيَا، إِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْءٌ ابَتْدَعَهُ اللَّهُ فِي الْهَوَاءِ بِالْقُدْرَةِ الْعَالِيَةِ الْقَاهِرَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: كُنْ فَكَانَ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ طَرْفَةِ عَيْنٍ، فَكُلُوا مِمَّا سَأَلْتُمْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَاحْمَدُوا عَلَيْهِ رَبَّكُمْ يُمِدَّكُمْ مِنْهُ وَيَزِدْكُمْ، فإنه بديع قادر شاكر.
(١) . إضافة عن ابن كثير ٣/ ٢٢٣.
