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 51-65وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookمُوْسٰۤی ؗMusaاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَwasمُخْلَصًاchosenوَّ كَانَand wasرَسُوْلًاa Messengerنَّبِیًّا a Prophet 19. Maryam Page 309وَ نَادَیْنٰهُAnd We called himمِنْfromجَانِبِ(the) sideالطُّوْرِ(of) the Mountالْاَیْمَنِthe rightوَ قَرَّبْنٰهُand brought him nearنَجِیًّا (for) conversation وَ وَهَبْنَاAnd We bestowedلَهٗ[to] himمِنْfromرَّحْمَتِنَاۤOur Mercyاَخَاهُhis brotherهٰرُوْنَHarunنَبِیًّا a Prophet وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookاِسْمٰعِیْلَ ؗIsmailاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَwasصَادِقَtrueالْوَعْدِ(to his) promiseوَ كَانَand wasرَسُوْلًاa Messengerنَّبِیًّاۚa Prophet وَ كَانَAnd he usedیَاْمُرُ(to) enjoinاَهْلَهٗ(on) his peopleبِالصَّلٰوةِthe prayerوَ الزَّكٰوةِ ۪and zakahوَ كَانَand wasعِنْدَnearرَبِّهٖhis Lordمَرْضِیًّا pleasing وَ اذْكُرْAnd mentionفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookاِدْرِیْسَ ؗIdrisاِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَwasصِدِّیْقًاtruthfulنَّبِیًّاۗۙa Prophet وَّ رَفَعْنٰهُAnd We raised himمَكَانًا(to) a positionعَلِیًّا high اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(were) the ones whomاَنْعَمَAllah bestowed favorاللّٰهُAllah bestowed favorعَلَیْهِمْupon themمِّنَfrom (among)النَّبِیّٖنَthe Prophetsمِنْofذُرِّیَّةِ(the) offspringاٰدَمَ ۗ(of) Adamوَ مِمَّنْand of thoseحَمَلْنَاWe carriedمَعَwithنُوْحٍ ؗNuhوَّ مِنْand ofذُرِّیَّةِ(the) offspringاِبْرٰهِیْمَ(of) Ibrahimوَ اِسْرَآءِیْلَ ؗand Israelوَ مِمَّنْand of (those) whomهَدَیْنَاWe guidedوَ اجْتَبَیْنَا ؕand We choseاِذَاWhenتُتْلٰیwere recitedعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتُ(the) Versesالرَّحْمٰنِ(of) the Most Graciousخَرُّوْاthey fellسُجَّدًاprostratingوَّ بُكِیًّا۩and weeping فَخَلَفَThen succeededمِنْۢafter themبَعْدِهِمْafter themخَلْفٌsuccessorsاَضَاعُواwho neglectedالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اتَّبَعُواand they followedالشَّهَوٰتِthe lustsفَسَوْفَso soonیَلْقَوْنَthey will meetغَیًّاۙevil اِلَّاExceptمَنْ(one) whoتَابَrepentedوَ اٰمَنَand believedوَ عَمِلَand didصَالِحًاgood (deeds)فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَThen thoseیَدْخُلُوْنَwill enterالْجَنَّةَParadiseوَ لَاand notیُظْلَمُوْنَthey will be wrongedشَیْـًٔاۙ(in) anything جَنّٰتِGardensعَدْنِ(of) Edenلَّتِیْwhichوَعَدَpromisedالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousعِبَادَهٗ(to) His slavesبِالْغَیْبِ ؕin the unseenاِنَّهٗIndeed [it]كَانَisوَعْدُهٗHis promiseمَاْتِیًّا sure to come لَاNotیَسْمَعُوْنَthey will hearفِیْهَاthereinلَغْوًاvain talkاِلَّاbutسَلٰمًا ؕpeaceوَ لَهُمْAnd for themرِزْقُهُمْ(is) their provisionفِیْهَاthereinبُكْرَةًmorningوَّ عَشِیًّا and evening تِلْكَThisالْجَنَّةُ(is) ParadiseالَّتِیْwhichنُوْرِثُWe give (as) inheritanceمِنْ[of] (to)عِبَادِنَاOur slavesمَنْ(the one) whoكَانَisتَقِیًّا righteous وَ مَاAnd notنَتَنَزَّلُwe descendاِلَّاexceptبِاَمْرِby (the) Commandرَبِّكَ ۚ(of) your LordلَهٗTo Him (belongs)مَاwhatبَیْنَ(is) before usاَیْدِیْنَا(is) before usوَ مَاand whatخَلْفَنَا(is) behind usوَ مَاand whatبَیْنَ(is) betweenذٰلِكَ ۚthatوَ مَاAnd notكَانَisرَبُّكَyour Lordنَسِیًّاۚforgetful 19. Maryam Page 310رَبُّLordالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ مَاand whateverبَیْنَهُمَا(is) between both of themفَاعْبُدْهُso worship Himوَ اصْطَبِرْand be constantلِعِبَادَتِهٖ ؕin His worshipهَلْDoتَعْلَمُyou knowلَهٗfor Himسَمِیًّا۠any similarity

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Translation of Verse 51-65

(19:51) And recite in the Book the account of Moses.²⁹ He was a chosen one, a Messenger, a Prophet.³⁰

(19:52) We called out to him from the right side of the Mount,³¹ and We drew him near to Us by communing to him in secret,³²

(19:53) and out of Our mercy We appointed his brother Aaron, a Prophet (that he may assist him).

(19:54) And recite in the Book the account of Ishmael. He was ever true to his promise, and was a Messenger, a Prophet.

(19:55) He enjoined his household to observe Prayer and to give Zakah (purifying alms); and his Lord was well pleased with him.

(19:56) And recite in the Book the account of Idris.³³ He was a man of truth, a Prophet;

(19:57) and We exalted him to a lofty position.³⁴

(19:58) These are the Prophets upon whom Allah bestowed His favour from the seed of Adam, and from the seed of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and from the seed of Abraham and Israel. They were those whom We guided and chose (for an exalted position). They were such that when the words of the Most Compassionate Lord were recited to them, they fell down in prostration, weeping.

(19:59) They were succeeded by a people who neglected the Prayers³⁵ and pursued their lusts.³⁶ They shall presently meet with their doom,

(19:60) except those who repent and believe and act righteously. Such shall enter Paradise and shall not be wronged at all.

(19:61) Theirs shall be everlasting Gardens which the Most Compassionate Lord has promised His servants in a realm which is beyond the ken of perception.³⁷ Surely His promise shall he fulfilled.

(19:62) They shall not hear in it anything vain; they shall hear only what is good;³⁸ and they shall have their provision in it, morning and evening.

(19:63) Such is the Paradise which We shall cause those of Our servants who have been God-fearing to inherit.

(19:64) (The angels will say):³⁹ "(O Muhammad!) We descend not except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us, and all that is in between. Your Lord is not forgetful in the least.

(19:65) He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is in between. Serve Him, then, and be constant in serving Him.⁴⁰ Do you know anyone that might be His compeer?"⁴¹

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Commentary

29. The word mukhlas used here denotes he who had been selected by God as exclusively His own.

30. The word rasul literally means ‘the one sent’. For this reason, it is used to denote ‘the envoy, the message-bearer, the emissary, the ambassador’. In the Qur’an it is employed for angels who are entrusted by God with some special mission, or for those human beings who are assigned the task of communicating His Message to His creatures. Lexicographers disagree as to the exact meaning of the word nabi. Some consider it to be the derivative of the verb naba’a and denotes ‘to give news’ and hence the word nabi means someone who brings news. Others consider it to be derived from nabu, meaning height and elevation. (Cf. al-Thanawi, Kashshaf Istilahat al-Funun, vol. I, art. al-nabi, pp. 1358-9 — Ed.) Accordingly, nabi is a person who holds a high, elevated position. Quoting the authority of al-Kisa’i, al-Azhari has put forward an altogether different source —nabi' a, meaning ‘way’. Thus, a nabi is someone who directs to the way that leads to God. (See al-Azhari, Tahdhib al-Lughah (Cairo, 1967), vol. 15, p. 486 — Ed.)

In sum, when someone is called rasul nabi it either means a ‘Messenger of high standing’, a ‘Messenger who brings news from God’, or a “Messenger who directs people to the way leading to God’.

So far as the two words nabi and rasul — are concerned, they are generally used in the Qur’an as equivalents. We note that on some occasions a person is referred to simply as rasul (Messenger) whereas on others he is called nabi (Prophet). On yet further occasions, both words are used in conjunction with each other for the same person. There are also instances where the two words are employed in such a manner which distinguishes between a Prophet and a Messenger in respect of their status or the nature of their assignment. For instance, in Surah al-Hajj it is said: ‘Never did We send a Messenger or a Prophet before you except.’ (al-Hajj 22: 52). This clearly indicates that the Messenger and the Prophet represent two distinct entities. As a result, commentators on the Qur’an have engaged in serious discussions about the nature of these differences between a Prophet and a Messenger. The fact, however, remains that these scholars have failed to persuasively establish the precise nature of any difference between a Messenger and a Prophet. All that can be said with certainty is that the word Messenger (rasul) has a more restrictive connotation than the word Prophet (nabi). Hence, while every Messenger is a Prophet, every Prophet does not enjoy the status of a Messenger. In other words, the word ‘rasa!’ (Messenger) is used for those great figures who had been assigned duties of greater significance than those assigned to mere Prophets. This point is further corroborated by the tradition reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Abu Umamah, and by Hakim, from Abu Dharr. According to this tradition Muhammad. (peace be on him) was asked about the number of Messengers. He replied that they were 313 or 315 in number, whereas when asked about the number of Prophets, he mentioned their number to be 124,000. (See Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 5, p. 266; al-Hakim al-Nayshaburi, al-Mustadrak (Riyadh), vol. 2, p. 597 — Ed.) Although the chains of transmission of this hadith are weak, it has been reported in such a variety of ways and to such a great extent, that this weakness is compensated for.

31. The right side of Mount Tur (i.e. Sinai) refers to its eastern side. The Prophet Moses (peace be on him) on his way from Midian to Egypt, took the route which passes the southern side of the Mount. Were anyone to look at the Mount from its southern side, the east would be to his right and the western side would ‘be to his left. Hence, it: is with context to the Prophet Moses’ vantage-point that the eastern side is mentioned as lying to the right. Devoid of that reference, it is quite obvious that a mountain as such can neither have any right side nor any left.

32, For further explanation see Towards Understanding the Qur’ an, vol. II, al-Nisa’ 4, n. 206, pp. 114-15.

33. There is some disagreement concerning Prophet Idris (Enoch) (peace be on him). Whilst some scholars regard him as an Israeli Prophet, the majority of scholars believe that Enoch lived at a time prior even to that of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him). There are authentic hadith to help us establish the historicity of the Prophet Enoch (peace be on him). However, there seems to be some indication at one place in the Qur’an that he did appear before the time of Noah (peace be on him):

These are the Prophets upon whom Allah bestowed His favour from the seed of Adam, and from the seed of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and from the seed of Abraham and Israel (verse 58).

Of the Messengers mentioned here, John, Jesus and Moses are descendants of Israel, and Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob are descendants of Abraham, and Abraham is a descendant of Noah. This leaves only Idris and it is to him alone that the expression ‘descendant of Adam’ might be applied. It should also be pointed out that commentators on the Qur’an generally believe that the Biblical figure of Enoch is identical with the Prophet called Idris in the Qur’an. The Biblical account of Enoch is narrated as follows:

When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years ... Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Genesis 5: 21-4).

Israelite traditions in the Talmud describe Enoch in greater detail. These traditions state that at some time before the advent of the Prophet Noah (peace be on him), people had taken to evil ways, and that it was then that God’s angel cried out the following to Enoch, who up until then had lived in seclusion and who was devoted to a life of asceticism: ‘Arise, go forth from thy solitude and walk among the people of the land. Teach them the way they should go, and instruct them in the actions they should perform.’ And Enoch did as the Lord commanded him. He walked among the people and taught them the ways of the Creator, assembling them together and addressing them in earnestness and truth ... And Enoch reigned over the human race for three hundred and fifty-three years. In justice and righteousness, he ruled, and peace blessed the land during all this period. (The Talmud Selections, pp. 18-21.)

34. The statement here simply means that God granted Enoch a high position. Under the influence of Israelite traditions, however, many Muslims have come to believe that God raised him to the heavens. So far as the Bible is concerned, it only claims that he disappeared. The Talmudic account, however, is embellished with a great many details. It ends with the following statement: ‘And on the seventh day Enoch ascended to heaven in a whirlwind, with chariot and horses of fire.” (The Talmud Selections, p. 21.)

35. They either gave up observing Prayers, or became indifferent or negligent to them. In fact, negligence and abandoning Prayer are the very first step in a people’s slide towards their decline. For Prayer is the primary link between man and God. Prayer keeps a person constantly in touch with God, during all hours of the day and night. Prayer prevents a person from moving away from a life of devotion, worship and obedience of Him. As soon as this ‘bond is broken, man increasingly begins to draw away from God. This may even happen to such an extent that not only is man’s relationship with God reduced to naught on a practical level but also on an intellectual level. It is for this reason that the Qur’an expounds here a general rule: that the corruption in a nation which originally followed a Prophet began the moment that nation abandoned Prayer.

36. Following one’s lusts and desires rather than truth and justice naturally results from the weakening of one’s God-consciousness. When a person becomes heedless of God and abandons Prayer, he comes increasingly into the’ grip of his own carnal desires. Eventually, he becomes impervious to all God’s commands despite the fact that these had earlier shaped his morality and conduct. Instead, bit by bit, he begins to follow, all those ways which conform to his own likes and dislikes.

37. This refers to the Gardens promised to the believers by God, Gardens which are beyond the ken of their senses.

38. The word used here — Salam — denotes that which is free from all flaws and imperfections. Of the numerous blessings bestowed on man in Paradise, one of these will be that he will not encounter anything vulgar, stupid or filthy. The prevailing atmosphere in Paradise will be one of elegance and decency, and all its inmates will be people possessed of good taste. Hence, all those who abide in Paradise will hear neither abuse nor slander ‘nor obscenity. Their ears will hear only those things which are good and decent. The import of this great blessing can only be appreciated by people whose tastes have not been impaired. Such persons can well appreciate what a torture it is for a person of good taste to be placed in a milieu where he is exposed to lies, slander, mischievous statements, obscenity and vulgarity.

39. This whole paragraph is in fact a parenthetical statement which marks the conclusion of one discourse and which serves as a prelude to another. The style ‘adopted here suggests that this surah was revealed some time after the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions had gone through trying circumstances, whereby they constantly waited for revelation to guide and comfort them. This time-gap in revelation, therefore, distressed them greatly.

It was against this background that Gabriel came down to the Prophet (peace be on him) along with a retinue of other angels. First of all, he proclaimed that command which was urgently required under the circumstances, but before proceeding further, he said something which at once explained his prolonged absence: he spoke words of comfort from God as well as an exhortation to the believers to remain patient and restrained. What is said above is not only borne out by internal evidence, it is also corroborated by several traditions which have been quoted by al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir and al-‘Alusi, the author of Ruh al-Ma ‘ani, in their works of Qur’anic exegesis.

40. Believers are dixected to steadfastly adhere to God’s service and to bear all the sufferings which they might encounter with patience. They are told that if there occurs any delay in providing them with support and comfort they should not lose heart. An obedient believer is required to be content in all circumstances with God’s Will and to persevere, with full determination in the '. task assigned to him as God’s servant.

41. The word sami means namesake or homonym. The purpose of the statement is to emphasize that God alone is the One True God, and no one else holds that position. And if indeed there is no other god — and they know that is the case — there is no other than Him to worship and serve.