3.49 – I shall create for you the form of a bird from clay

‘Īsā says that he will perform a number of miracles like those that Jesus performed in the Gospel accounts: he heals the blind and the leper and gives life to the dead. Here ‘Īsā also informs the Sons of Israel about what they eat. But the most curious miracle described here is that ‘Īsā creates a bird from clay and blows his breath into it, making it come to life. There is no mention of this episode in the canonical Gospel accounts, but a similar story appears in a Christian apocryphal writing known as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Also worth noting is that the Arabic verb translated “create” (khalaqa, also in 5.110) is elsewhere only used with Allah as subject in the Quran.

The miracles of ‘Īsā are also given at Q 5.110. There, as here, the Quran seems concerned to specify that ‘Īsā performed these miracles only “by the permission of Allah.” See the analysis of these miracle verses at 5.110.