Can Muslims consider Isa the "Spiritual" son of God?

Sources

• ✓ 4:171 · An-Nisaa

  4:171 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَا تَغْلُوا۟ فِى دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُۥٓ أَلْقَىٰهَآ إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌۭ مِّنْهُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ ثَلَٰثَةٌ ۚ ٱنتَهُوا۟ خَيْرًۭا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًۭا

  O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

• ✓ 2:116 · Al-Baqara

  2:116 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ ۖ بَل لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّۭ لَّهُۥ قَٰنِتُونَ

  And they say: Allah hath taken unto Himself a son. Be He glorified! Nay, but whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth is His. All are subservient unto Him.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:116

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 2:116

  This noble verse and the one following it serve as a refutation directed against the Christians—and may God's curse be on them—as well as those among the Jews and the Arab polytheists who have likened the angels to daughters of God and falsely attributed to God having children. Allah, the Exalted, declares: "Glory be to Him," meaning He is exalted and far above such claims. Then He says, "Rather, to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth," affirming that the reality is nothing like their fabricated assertion. God is the sovereign owner and controller of the heavens and the earth; He is their creator, provider, ordainer, and sustainer, directing all affairs as He wills. All beings are His servants and His possessions, so how could He have a child from among them? A child necessarily originates from two compatible progenitors, whereas God is perfect, without peer or partner in His greatness, majesty, and sovereignty. How then could He have offspring? As He says in another verse: "Originator of the heavens and the earth: How could He have a son when He has no consort? He created everything, and He is fully knowledgeable of all things." (6:101) And in yet another passage, God says: "They say, 'The Most Merciful has taken a son.' You have certainly come with an evil assertion! The heavens almost split apart at it, and the earth cracks open, and the mountains collapse in devastation, that they attribute a son to the Most Merciful. It is not befitting for the Most Merciful to take a son. Everyone in the heavens and the earth is a servant to the Most Merciful; He enumerates them and counts them all. And each of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone." (19:88–95) And He declared: "Say: He is Allah, One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent." (112:1–4) Through these verses, Almighty God asserts His singularity and uniqueness. All creation, apart from Him, is created, subservient to Him, and subject to His control. So it is inconceivable that He would have offspring from among them. This understanding is supported by a prophetic tradition narrated by Ibn Abbas: the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Allah said, "The son of Adam has denied Me without cause and cursed Me without cause. His denial concerns his claim that I cannot restore him as I created him initially. His cursing of Me concerns his claim that I have a son. Glory be to Me, I do not take a consort nor have offspring." This narration is unique to Sahih al-Bukhari and underlines the gravity of attributing offspring to Allah, which is considered both a denial and an insult. Similarly, another report, transmitted by Abu Hurayrah, quotes the Prophet saying, "Allah says, 'The son of Adam denied Me though he should not, and cursed Me though he should not. His denial refers to his claim that I cannot recreate him after death, whereas His cursing is his saying, "Allah has taken a son." But I am Allah, the One, the Eternal Refuge; He neither begets nor is born, nor is there any comparable one to Him.'" Moreover, the two Sahih collections record that the Prophet noted: "No one endures as much harm from what he hears about Allah as I do, because they say that He has a son, yet He is the one Who provides for and grants well-being to them." Regarding the phrase "all of them [heavenly beings and creatures] are obedient to Him," Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Ibn Abbas that "Qanitin" means those who are prayerful and devout. Likewise, Ibn Abbas' companions interpreted "all are submissive to Him" to mean that all acknowledge their servitude and obedience. Some said it signifies pure sincerity, others that it refers to those standing on the Day of Judgment, and some declared it means obedience even of the disbelievers outwardly though inwardly reluctant. The commentary by Mujahid, accepted by Ibn Jarir, combines these meanings by explaining "Qunut" as obedience and submission to Allah, both in legislatve and predestined senses—this aligns with the verse: "And to Allah prostrates whoever is within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion." (13:15) There is a weak tradition concerning the meaning of "Qunut," which suggests it is obedience, but its chain of transmission is unreliable and therefore not dependable. Concerning the phrase "Originator of the heavens and the earth," this means the Creator of the heavens and earth without any precedent or example. Mujahid and As-Suddi explained it linguistically—as innovation signifies something newly created and unpreceded. The term "Badi'" (Originator) is related to this idea, just as the Arabic describes something newly introduced as "Bid'a." For example, the Prophet said: "Every innovation is misguidance." Ibn Jarir explains that "Badi'" indicates the one who originates and creates something without any similar predecessor, emphasizing God's unparalleled creative power. This illustrates that God creating the heavens and earth without strategy or model parallels His power to create Jesus ('Isa) by His command without a father. As for the phrase "And when He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is," this clarifies the completeness of Allah's power and supreme authority. Whenever He wills something, He commands it with a single word, 'Be,' and it comes into existence exactly as He desires. This is confirmed by other verses such as: "His command is only when He intends a thing He says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (36:82) and "Our command is but one, like a glance of the eye." (54:50) Poets also articulate this reality, affirming that God's command is sufficient for the creation of anything. God highlights this to demonstrate the creation of Jesus by His word alone, saying: "The example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, 'Be,' and he was." (3:59)