consistent with reason that the holy person to whom the Qur'an itself bears such unique testimony should occupy an unique position as Mediator between God and man, and should give peace with God to the repentant sinner for whose salvation the Saviour laid down His life on the cross, and, having risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, 'ever ¹ liveth to make intercession' for us.

The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the eternal (ازلي وابدي) Word of God (كلمة الله), became incarnate and took human nature upon Him, yet not our nature as it now is, fallen and sin-stained, but human nature free from sin, as it was before Adam's transgression. Becoming thus truly man, by taking man's body, soul and spirit, He tabernacled among us for a time, doing good and revealing God to men. Accordingly it is written in the beginning of the Gospel of St. John: 'In ² the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but was sent that he might bear

witness of the light. There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not, He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of .the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.' In explanation of the incarnation of the Word of God which is here mentioned a famous Christian writer of ancient times writes thus: 'The ¹ Word assuredly became flesh in such a way that the divine nature of the Word took upon it flesh, not in such a way that the divine nature was changed into flesh. Furthermore we must here take flesh as meaning human nature, the expression denoting the whole by mention of a part.' There is much wisdom also in the saying of Jalalu'd-Din Rumi: 'Since ² that righteous man is the Word of the Truth i.e. of God ³, in doings His hand is the hand of God.'