‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) raises the standard of purity and faithfulness as he takes on lust and divorce while he teaches about Allah’s righteous expectations for our lives in this story from the Holy Injil (al-kitab.org) beginning in Matthew 5:27.

Matthew 5:27-32

²⁷[‘Isa said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ [Taurat, Exodus 20:14.] ²⁸but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into Jahannam. ³⁰If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you: for it is better for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into Jahannam.

³¹“It has also been said, ‘Whoever shall divorce his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ [Taurat, Deuteronomy 24:1-3] ³²but I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except in the case of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.

Study the Story

Do you have a friend with you now?  If so, then tell each other this message in your own words and help each other remember the complete teaching.  If you are alone, then please take a moment to retell the message to yourself in your own words.  Also, think of a friend you can share this teaching with later on.

As you study this message, what does it teach you about ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh)?  (Think about this before reading more.)

Key Points

‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) begins by establishing that Allah’s righteous standard is not just for our conduct or actions. Allah’s judgment also extends to our thought life. We must be pure at the core of our being in order to be pleasing to Allah. A lustful thought is the same as having committed adultery. This is similar to his message where he equates holding anger in our hearts with committing murder. Who among us has perfectly pure thoughts at all times? Who among us could ever be pleasing to Allah?

Next, ‘Isa (pbuh) challenges us to cut off any part of our body which has caused us to stumble. He says it is better for one part of us to be cut off than to have our whole body thrown into Jahannam. Of course, ‘Isa (pbuh) does not mean we should actually cut apart our bodies. We would all be without eyes and arms (and tongues!). I think he is trying to convince us of two important points. First, he is telling us that we should be willing to do whatever it takes to become pure. We should be willing to cut off from our lives whatever is preventing us from being pleasing to Allah. Second, he is telling us that we are not able to make ourselves pure on our own effort. We cannot cut off everything that leads to sin and remain alive. The root cause of lust is not the eye; it is the heart.

So, we are left with these two contrasting points. First, do whatever you can to become pure. Second, obtaining purity is beyond your capability. Our situation feels hopeless. With that ‘Isa (pbuh) moves on to teach that divorce is wrong except in cases of sexual immorality. Why does he teach about divorce here? And why does he prohibit divorce when it used to be permissible in the Taurat? I think he prohibits divorce because he wants his hearers to know that faithfulness is highly valued by Allah, especially faithfulness to a promise. He teaches about that now because we should realize that our only hope is that Allah would be faithful to us even if we are undeserving of such faithfulness. Clearly, we cannot help ourselves, but perhaps Allah would be willing.

Dua

Do you hunger for purity? Do you feel unable to obtain purity on your own? If you would like to, say a dua like this:

Oh Allah, you are most merciful and compassionate. My situation is hopeless. I know that I am not pure. My life is not pleasing to you. I cannot make myself pure. I do not deserve your mercy but I cry out to you anyway. You are my only hope. You can help me if you are willing. I am ready to cut off anything that prevents me from being pure in your sight. Guide me in the straight path and I will follow you.