Surah 19. Maryam

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-40 [2], 41-50 [3], 51-65 [4], 66-82 [5], 83-98 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 16-40وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookمَرْیَمَ ۘMaryamاِذِwhenانْتَبَذَتْshe withdrewمِنْfromاَهْلِهَاher familyمَكَانًا(to) a placeشَرْقِیًّاۙeastern فَاتَّخَذَتْThen she tookمِنْfrom themدُوْنِهِمْfrom themحِجَابًا ۪۫a screenفَاَرْسَلْنَاۤThen We sentاِلَیْهَاto herرُوْحَنَاOur Spiritفَتَمَثَّلَthen he assumed the likenessلَهَاfor herبَشَرًا(of) a manسَوِیًّا well-proportioned قَالَتْShe saidاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَعُوْذُ[I] seek refugeبِالرَّحْمٰنِwith the Most Graciousمِنْكَfrom youاِنْifكُنْتَyou areتَقِیًّا God fearing قَالَHe saidاِنَّمَاۤOnlyاَنَاI amرَسُوْلُa Messengerرَبِّكِ ۖۗ(from) your Lordلِاَهَبَthat I (may) bestowلَكِon youغُلٰمًاa sonزَكِیًّا pure قَالَتْShe saidاَنّٰیHowیَكُوْنُcan beلِیْfor meغُلٰمٌa sonوَّ لَمْwhen notیَمْسَسْنِیْhas touched meبَشَرٌa manوَّ لَمْand notاَكُI amبَغِیًّا unchaste قَالَHe saidكَذٰلِكِ ۚThusقَالَsaidرَبُّكِyour LordهُوَItعَلَیَّ(is) for Meهَیِّنٌ ۚeasyوَ لِنَجْعَلَهٗۤand so that We will make himاٰیَةًa signلِّلنَّاسِfor the mankindوَ رَحْمَةًand a Mercyمِّنَّا ۚfrom Usوَ كَانَAnd (it) isاَمْرًاa matterمَّقْضِیًّا decreed فَحَمَلَتْهُSo she conceived himفَانْتَبَذَتْand she withdrewبِهٖwith himمَكَانًا(to) a placeقَصِیًّا remote فَاَجَآءَهَاThen drove herالْمَخَاضُthe pains of childbirthاِلٰیtoجِذْعِ(the) trunkالنَّخْلَةِ ۚ(of) the date-palmقَالَتْShe saidیٰلَیْتَنِیْO! I wishمِتُّI (had) diedقَبْلَbeforeهٰذَاthisوَ كُنْتُand I wasنَسْیًا(in) oblivionمَّنْسِیًّا forgotten فَنَادٰىهَاSo cried to herمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاۤbeneath herاَلَّاThat (do) notتَحْزَنِیْgrieveقَدْverilyجَعَلَ(has) placedرَبُّكِyour Lordتَحْتَكِbeneath youسَرِیًّا a stream وَ هُزِّیْۤAnd shakeاِلَیْكِtowards youبِجِذْعِ(the) trunkالنَّخْلَةِ(of) the date-palmتُسٰقِطْit will dropعَلَیْكِupon youرُطَبًاfresh datesجَنِیًّاؗripe 19. Maryam Page 307فَكُلِیْSo eatوَ اشْرَبِیْand drinkوَ قَرِّیْand coolعَیْنًا ۚ(your) eyesفَاِمَّاAnd ifتَرَیِنَّyou seeمِنَfromالْبَشَرِhuman beingاَحَدًا ۙanyoneفَقُوْلِیْۤthen sayاِنِّیْIndeed Iنَذَرْتُ[I] have vowedلِلرَّحْمٰنِto the Most Graciousصَوْمًاa fastفَلَنْso notاُكَلِّمَI will speakالْیَوْمَtodayاِنْسِیًّاۚ(to any) human being فَاَتَتْThen she cameبِهٖwith himقَوْمَهَا(to) her peopleتَحْمِلُهٗ ؕcarrying himقَالُوْاThey saidیٰمَرْیَمُO MaryamلَقَدْCertainlyجِئْتِyou (have) broughtشَیْـًٔاan amazing thingفَرِیًّا an amazing thing یٰۤاُخْتَO sisterهٰرُوْنَ(of) HarunمَاNotكَانَwasاَبُوْكِyour fatherامْرَاَan evil manسَوْءٍan evil manوَّ مَاand notكَانَتْwasاُمُّكِyour motherبَغِیًّاۖۚunchaste فَاَشَارَتْThen she pointedاِلَیْهِ ؕto himقَالُوْاThey saidكَیْفَHowنُكَلِّمُ(can) we speakمَنْ(to one) whoكَانَisفِیinالْمَهْدِthe cradleصَبِیًّا a child قَالَHe saidاِنِّیْIndeed I amعَبْدُa slaveاللّٰهِ ؕ۫(of) AllahاٰتٰىنِیَHe gave meالْكِتٰبَthe Scriptureوَ جَعَلَنِیْand made meنَبِیًّاۙa Prophet وَّ جَعَلَنِیْAnd He (has) made meمُبٰرَكًاblessedاَیْنَwhereverمَاwhereverكُنْتُ ۪I amوَ اَوْصٰنِیْand has enjoined (on) meبِالصَّلٰوةِ[of] the prayerوَ الزَّكٰوةِand zakahمَاas long as I amدُمْتُas long as I amحَیًّا۪ۖalive وَّ بَرًّۢاAnd dutifulبِوَالِدَتِیْ ؗto my motherوَ لَمْand notیَجْعَلْنِیْHe (has) made meجَبَّارًاinsolentشَقِیًّا unblessed وَ السَّلٰمُAnd peace (be)عَلَیَّon meیَوْمَ(the) dayوُلِدْتُّI was bornوَ یَوْمَand (the) dayاَمُوْتُI will dieوَ یَوْمَand (the) DayاُبْعَثُI will be raisedحَیًّا alive ذٰلِكَThatعِیْسَی(was) Isaابْنُ(the) sonمَرْیَمَ ۚ(of) Maryamقَوْلَa statementالْحَقِّ(of) truthالَّذِیْthat whichفِیْهِabout itیَمْتَرُوْنَ they dispute مَاNotكَانَ(it) isلِلّٰهِfor AllahاَنْthatیَّتَّخِذَHe should takeمِنْany sonوَّلَدٍ ۙany sonسُبْحٰنَهٗ ؕGlory be to HimاِذَاWhenقَضٰۤیHe decreesاَمْرًاa matterفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyیَقُوْلُHe saysلَهٗto itكُنْBeفَیَكُوْنُؕand it is وَ اِنَّAnd indeedاللّٰهَAllahرَبِّیْ(is) my Lordوَ رَبُّكُمْand your Lordفَاعْبُدُوْهُ ؕso worship HimهٰذَاThisصِرَاطٌ(is) a pathمُّسْتَقِیْمٌ straight فَاخْتَلَفَBut differedالْاَحْزَابُthe sectsمِنْۢfrom among themبَیْنِهِمْ ۚfrom among themفَوَیْلٌso woeلِّلَّذِیْنَto those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveمِنْfromمَّشْهَدِ(the) witnessingیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayعَظِیْمٍ great اَسْمِعْHow they will hearبِهِمْHow they will hearوَ اَبْصِرْ ۙand how (they will) seeیَوْمَ(the) Dayیَاْتُوْنَنَاthey will come to Usلٰكِنِbutالظّٰلِمُوْنَthe wrongdoersالْیَوْمَtodayفِیْ(are) inضَلٰلٍerrorمُّبِیْنٍ clear 19. Maryam Page 308وَ اَنْذِرْهُمْAnd warn themیَوْمَ(of the) Dayالْحَسْرَةِ(of) the Regretاِذْwhenقُضِیَhas been decidedالْاَمْرُ ۘthe matterوَ هُمْAnd theyفِیْ(are) inغَفْلَةٍheedlessnessوَّ هُمْand theyلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَ believe اِنَّاIndeed Weنَحْنُ[We]نَرِثُ[We] will inheritالْاَرْضَthe earthوَ مَنْand whoeverعَلَیْهَا(is) on itوَ اِلَیْنَاand to Usیُرْجَعُوْنَ۠they will be returned

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Translation of Verse 16-40

(19:16) (O Muhammad), recite in the Book the account of Mary,¹³ when she withdrew from her people to a place towards the east;

(19:17) and drew a curtain, screening herself from people¹⁴ whereupon We sent to her Our spirit and he appeared to her as a well-shaped man.

(19:18) Mary exclaimed: "I surely take refuge from you with the Most Compassionate Lord, if you are at all God-fearing."

(19:19) He said: "I am just a message-bearer of your Lord, I have come to grant you a most pure boy."

(19:20) Mary said: "How can a boy be born to me when no man has even touched me, nor have I ever been unchaste?"

(19:21) The angel said: "Thus shall it be. Your Lord says: 'It is easy for Me; and We shall do so in order to make him a Sign for mankind¹⁵ and a mercy from Us. This has been decreed.' "

(19:22) Then she conceived him and withdrew with him to a far-off place.¹⁶

(19:23) Then the birth pangs drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree and she said: "Oh, would that I had died before this and had been all forgotten."¹⁷

(19:24) Thereupon the angel below her cried out: "Grieve not, for your Lord has caused a stream of water to flow beneath you.

(19:25) Shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards yourself and fresh and ripe dates shall fall upon you.

(19:26) So eat and drink and cool your eyes; and if you see any person say to him: 'Verily I have vowed a fast to the Most Compassionate Lord, and so I shall not speak to anyone today.' "¹⁸

(19:27) Then she came to her people, carrying her baby. They said: "O Mary! You have committed a monstrous thing.

(19:28) O sister of Aaron!¹⁹ Your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman."

(19:29) Thereupon Mary pointed to the child. They exclaimed: "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle, a mere child?"²⁰

(19:30) The child cried out: "Verily I am Allah's servant. He has granted me the Book and has made me a Prophet

(19:31) and has blessed me wherever I might be and has enjoined upon me Prayer and Zakah (purifying alms) as long as I live;

(19:32) and has made me dutiful to my mother.^20a He has not made me oppressive, nor bereft of God's blessings.

(19:33) Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I will die, and the day I will be raised up alive."²¹

(19:34) This is Jesus, the son of Mary; and this is the truth about him concerning which they are in doubt.

(19:35) It does not befit Allah to take for Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a thing He only says: "Be" and it is.²²

(19:36) (Jesus had said): "Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him alone. This is the Straight Way."²³

(19:37) But different parties began to dispute with one another.²⁴ A dreadful woe awaits on that great Day for those that reject the Truth.

(19:38) How well shall they hear and how well shall they see on the Day they come to Us! But today the evil-doers are in manifest error.

(19:39) (O Muhammad), warn those who are steeped in heedlessness and are obstinately rejecting the truth that the Day shall come when things will be finally decided and they shall be left with utter remorse.

(19:40) Ultimately, We shall inherit the earth and whatever is on it; to Us shall they be returned.²⁵

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Commentary

13. For comparison see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, Al ‘Imran 3, n. 42, pp. 251-2 and vol. II, al-Nisa’ 4, nn. 190-1, pp. 105-7. |

14. We learn from Sarah Al ‘Imran (see verse 35 ff.) that Mary’s mother had vowed that Mary would be solely consecrated to the worship of God. In keeping with this vow, Mary was taken to Jerusalem where Zechariah was to look after her. It is also stated there that Mary retreated to a sanctuary in Jerusalem. Here, we are told that the location of that sanctuary was in the eastern part of Jerusalem. Following a custom of her time, Mary concealed herself from other people by means of a drawn curtain. It is also pertinent at this point to show the error of.

those who, out of consideration for the Biblical account, have expressed the view that the ‘eastern location’ mentioned in the present verse, is Nazareth.

This, however, is patently wrong. For Nazareth is situated to the north of Jerusalem not to the east. of it.

15. We have earlier discussed the significance of the angel’s statement: ‘So shall it be’, in response to Zechariah’s exclamation (see n. 6 above). The angel’s utterance obviously does not mean that some human being would have physical contact with her whereby she would give birth to a son. It will be recalled — as we have pointed out — that Zechariah also expressed his amazement at the possibility of a child being born to him in his very old age and when his wife was barren. Significantly, the response of the angel on both counts was exactly the same: ‘So shall it be.’ Obviously, then, the meaning at both the places is bound to be the same. Likewise, in Surah al-Dhariyat the angel gives Abraham the good news of the birth of a son. On hearing this, Abraham’s wife too exclaims incredulously how would a barren old woman such as herself give birth to a child. To this the angel says the same: ‘So shall it be’ (see al-Dhariyat 51: 28-30). The meaning then is crystal clear; Sarah would give birth to a son despite her old age and barrenness.

Now, were we to take the Qur’anic statement here to mean that someone would have physical contact with Mary as a result of which she would give birth in the manner of all other women, then the statements which follow would become meaningless. For if the birth were to take place according to the known process of procreation, why should the angel say: ‘Your Lord says: ‘‘This is easy for Me; and We shall do so in order to make him a sign for mankind, and a mercy from Us ...’’ (verse 21). The word ayah (‘sign’) in this context definitely signifies ‘miracle’. The same is corroborated by the following part of the verse: ‘That is easy for Me . . .” Thus, what is being said here can only mean one thing — that this child’s birth would be a miracle which God wanted to place before the Israelites. The details that follow make the miraculous character of Jesus (peace be on him) even more evident.

16. The Qur’anic expression ‘a far-off place’ occurs with reference to Bethlehem. It was natural for Mary to move away from her place of confinement in Jerusalem to Bethlehem. She was, as we all know, the daughter of the most pious Israelite family — the house of Aaron — and she had consecrated herself exclusively to a life of devotion and worship. But then suddenly, she became pregnant. Had she stayed on in Jerusalem and her pregnancy been discovered, her life would have been made miserable by all kinds of people whether by members of her own family or by other Israelites. Hence, Mary simply left her place of worship, hoping that at least until the birth of her child, she would be spared public denunciation, slander and scandalization.

The event itself is strong evidence proving that Jesus (peace be on him) was indeed born without a father. For had Mary been a married woman and had she become pregnant by her husband, there was no reason for her to abandon all her relatives and head to a far-off’ place merely to give birth to her child.

17. This verse enables one to gauge Mary’s suffering and anguish. If one remembers the gravity of the situation, it is easy to grasp that she did not utter ‘these words because of intense labor pains. Rather, what tormented her was the awkward situation in which she found herself, and she did not know how she was going to come out of it. For up until then she had somehow been able to hide her pregnancy. But once the child was born she could no longer hide the situation. The consoling words of the angel: ‘grieve not’ (verse 24), also _ indicate why Mary had uttered those anguished words. For, the psychology of a married woman who gives birth to her first child is well known. Even when she writhes in unbearable pain, she is far removed from grief and sorrow.

18. Mary was asked to say nothing concerning the baby. If anyone raised an accusing finger at the child’s birth, it would be for God to explain the reality of the matter. (It may be recalled that this type of fast—a fast involving abstinence from speech was quite customary among the Israelites.) This directive is also suggestive of the true reason for Mary’s disconcertion.

It is also worth considering why a married woman giving birth to her first child would have resorted to a fast of silence.

19. This may be interpreted in two ways. Taken literally, it may mean that Mary had a brother named Aaron. Alternatively, in accordance with Arabic idiom, it may be taken to mean that she was a member of Aaron’s house. For, according to the known Arabic linguistic tradition, a person is referred to as the brother of the tribe to which he belongs. If a person belongs to Mudar, he is at times addressed as: ‘O brother of Mudar’, or as ‘O brother of Hamadan’, if he belongs to Hamadan.

There are reasons to support each of these two interpretations. As for the first, there are traditions from the Prophet (peace be on him) saying so (See, for instance al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, Abwab al-Salah ‘an Rasul Allah, ‘Bab ma ja’ anna man adhdhan fa huwa yuqim’ — Ed.) As for the second, it seems to be supported by the context. For the event gave rise to such a commotion among the people that it can hardly be considered to be simply the case of the virgin sister of some unknown person called Aaron who returned home with a new-born baby. What enraged the public was that the apparently scandalous incident involved a girl who belonged to the most highly pious Israelite family the house of Aaron. In principle, when there is a tradition which can be traced back to the Prophet (peace be on him), no other interpretation is admissible:

However, when we consider the actual words of the tradition concerned — in Muslim, al-Nasai and al-Tirmidhi — it becomes clear that they necessarily mean that Mary had a brother named Aaron. In the report narrated by Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah, it is stated that a Christian from Najran raised the objection that the Qur’an spoke of Mary as Aaron’s sister while Aaron had ‘passed away centuries before her. Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah was unable to provide any satisfactory explanation and so he placed the matter before the Prophet (peace be on him). The Prophet (peace be on him) said: ‘Why did you not tell them that the Israelites used to name their children after Messengers and other righteous persons.’ (Muslim, K. al-Adab, ‘Bab al-Nahy ‘an al-takanni bi Abi al-Qasim, and al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, K. Tafsir al-Qur’ an, ‘Bab wa min Surat Maryam’ — Ed.) What this statement suggests is that the "objection could have been resolved in that manner and that instead of cutting a sorry-figure, Mughirah could have given a satisfactory answer by responding in such a way.

19a. Those who deny the miraculous birth of Jesus (peace be on him)-can hardly explain the people’s uproar when Mary returned to them with her baby. Nothing else but the birth of a child to an unmarried girl could explain such outraged feelings.

20. Some of those who have been engaged in distorting the meaning of the Qur’an have been inclined to put the following interpretation on this verse: ‘What, should we talk to him who is merely a child of yesterday?’ They, thus, hold that this conversation took place at a time when Jesus was in his youth.The elderly Israelites were contemptuously disinclined to talk with him who was so much younger than themselves, someone who not long ago used to lie in his cradle before their very eyes.

Anyone who cares to consider the verse in its correct context, however, will instantly realize that this interpretation is simply absurd. It also becomes obvious that recourse has been made to this far-fetched interpretation merely because of the disinclination of the persons concerned to affirm miracles.

However, such people have allowed themselves to disregard the fact that such objections were made at the time of Jesus’ birth and not when he had grown into a young man. Moreover, there are other Qur’anic verses (see Al ‘Imran 3: 46 and al-Ma’ idah 5: 113) which mention Jesus (peace be on him) as uttering these words while he was a baby and in his cradle. We learn from Al ‘Imran 3: 46, that the angel, while giving the good news of the coming birth of a son to Mary also said that Jesus would speak to people both while in his cradle and as a youth. In Surah al-Ma’ idah 5: 113, God Himself tells Jesus that he will speak to people while still in his cradle as well as during his youth.

20a. It is significant here that Jesus is not mentioned as one who is dutiful to his parents, but rather as one who is only dutiful to his mother. This itself suggests that he did not have a father. Evidence which further corroborates this is that Jesus is invariably referred to in the Qur’an as ‘Jesus, son of Mary’.

21. The ‘sign’ referred to above is the person of the Prophet Jesus (peace be on him) who was presented as a miracle before the Israelites. Before punishing the Israelites for their persistent wickedness and corruption, God wanted to make things indubitably clear so that they were left with no excuses for their errors. This was done in the following manner. A God-fearing and devout girl of the house of Aaron who had been set apart for a life of devotion in Jerusalem and who had been under the care and guidance of Zechariah, became — by God’s will — pregnant while she was still a virgin. All this was with a particular design in mind. The purpose being that when she appeared with a child in her lap, creating a huge uproar within the nation, and when virtually the entire Israelite nation, in a state of anger and disgust, thronged around Mary, God made the baby speak to them. Thereafter, when that same child had attained maturity and claimed to be a Prophet, thousands could testify to the earlier miracle they themselves had witnessed, i.e. Jesus (peace be on him) speaking from his cradle. Now, if those people still refused to recognize him as a Prophet, and instead of dutifully following him, charged him with being a criminal and sought to crucify him, they should be dealt a punishment more severe than that meted out to all other peoples. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, Al ‘Imran 3, nn. 44-53, pp. 252-60; and vol. II, al-Nisa’ 4, nn. 212-13, pp. 116-17; see also al-Anbiya’ 21, nn. 88-90 below, and al-Mu’minun 23, n. 43.)

22. The thrust of the argument so far clearly reveals that the Christian belief in Jesus is false. Although John was born in a miraculous manner, this birth did not make him God’s son. Similarly, although Jesus too was born by means of another miracle, this in no way provided any reason for considering him to be God’s son. Jesus’ birth was no more miraculous than John’s and there are no grounds for referring to John as God’s son. Remember that according to reports which are accepted by Christians, both John and Jesus were born miraculously. In Luke, both miracles are described in terms which bear close resemblance to - the Qur’anic version of the miracles. Hence, the Christian exaltation of Jesus as God’s son is simply an act of doctrinal exaggeration which is shorn of all Justification.

23. The Christians are told that Jesus’ message was the same as that of all other Prophets before him. He called people to serve none but the One True God. It was they, the Christians, who made Jesus —a servant of God — into God, and associated someone other than God in His divinity. This was merely an innovation of the Christians themselves, an innovation with which Jesus, whom they claimed to follow, had nothing to do with. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’ an, vol. 1, Al ‘Imran 3, n. 68, pp. 267-8 and vol. II, al-Ma’ idah 5, nn. 100, 101 and 103, pp. 180-5, 186-7; and al-Zukhruf 43, nn. 57-8.)

24. Reference is made here to the various Christian sects which hold mutually differing views.

25. This concludes the. discourse as addressed to the Christians. For a proper understanding of its significance, one should recall the historical background to this surah as stated in its introductory section (see pp. 139-43 above). The present discourse was revealed at a time when the oppressed Makkan Muslims were making their way towards Abyssinia to seek refuge in that Christian dominion. The purpose of revelation of this discourse, therefore, seems to have been to enable the Muslims to come forward with this official and authoritative statement whenever questions about the Islamic standpoint on Jesus might arise.

Additionally, the discourse seeks to establish the fact that Islam teaches Muslims not to make any compromise in matters relating to truth. The religious fervour of these righteous Muslim migrants to Abyssinia is all the more remarkable since they expressed the true doctrinal position about Jesus before the court of a Christian Emperor at a time when that court was strongly inclined to accept a bribe to hand them over to their enemies. It was obvious to the Muslims that their forthright criticism of the Christian doctrine might enrage Negus and that as a result he might return them to the ruthless Makkan unbelievers. Notwithstanding the precariousness of their situation, they showed remarkable strength of faith and showed not even the slightest hesitation in speaking the truth.