Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 3 Ali 'Imran, Ayat 37-41

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُوۡلٍ حَسَنٍ وَّاَنۡۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا ۙ وَّكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ​ؕ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا الۡمِحۡرَابَۙ وَجَدَ عِنۡدَهَا رِزۡقًا ​ۚ​ قَالَ يٰمَرۡيَمُ اَنّٰى لَـكِ هٰذَا ؕ​ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ‏ ﴿3:37﴾ هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهٗ​ ​ۚ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِىۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً​ ​ ۚ اِنَّكَ سَمِيۡعُ الدُّعَآءِ‏ ﴿3:38﴾ فَنَادَتۡهُ الۡمَلٰٓـئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌ يُّصَلِّىۡ فِى الۡمِحۡرَابِۙ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيٰى مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَّحَصُوۡرًا وَّنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏ ﴿3:39﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لِىۡ غُلٰمٌ وَّقَدۡ بَلَغَنِىَ الۡكِبَرُ وَامۡرَاَتِىۡ عَاقِرٌ​ؕ قَالَ كَذٰلِكَ اللّٰهُ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ‏ ﴿3:40﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَلۡ لِّىۡۤ اٰيَةً ​ؕ قَالَ اٰيَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَةَ اَيَّامٍ اِلَّا رَمۡزًا ؕ​ وَاذۡكُرْ رَّبَّكَ كَثِيۡرًا وَّسَبِّحۡ بِالۡعَشِىِّ وَالۡاِبۡكَارِ‏ ﴿3:41﴾

(3:37) Thereupon her Lord graciously accepted Mary and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth and placed her in the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah35 visited her in the sanctuary,36 he found her provided with food. He asked her: 'O Mary, how did this come to you?' She said: 'It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills beyond all reckoning.' (3:38) Then Zechariah prayed to his Lord: 'O Lord! Grant me from Yourself out of Your grace the gift of a goodly offspring, for indeed You alone heed all Prayers.'37 (3:39) As he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out to him: 'Allah gives you good tidings of John (Yahya),38 who shall confirm a command of Allah ,39 shall be outstanding among men, utterly chaste, and a Prophet from among the righteous.' (3:40) Zechariah exclaimed: 'My Lord! How shall I have a son when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?' He said: Thus shall it be;40 Allah does what He wills.' (3:41) Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.'41 The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.'42

Notes

35. This section refers to that period of Mary's life when she attained her majority and was admitted to the Temple of Jerusalem, and devoted all her time to remembering God. Zechariah, into whose care she was given, was perhaps the husband of her maternal aunt, and was one of the guardians of the Temple. This Zechariah is not to be confused with the Prophet Zechariah whose assassination is mentioned in the Old Testament.

36. The word mihrab usually refers to that niche in mosques where the leader of the prayer stands. In this instance, however, the term signifies the apartments usually built in synagogues and sanctuaries on a raised platform adjacent to the place of congregational worship, which served as the residence of caretakers, servants and beggars. Mary lived in an apartment of this kind and devoted all her time to worship and prayer.

37. Until then Zechariah had no issue. The sight of this pious young girl made him yearn for a child just as virtuous and devout. When he saw that God sent food to her, by dint of His limitless power, he felt hopeful that God might also bless him with issue, despite his old age.

38. In the Bible his name is mentioned as John the Baptist. For information about him see Matthew 3, 9 and 14: Mark 1 and 6; Luke 1 and 3.

39. The 'command from Allah' signifies Jesus (peace be on him). His birth took place as the result of an extraordinary command from God and in an unusual manner, hence he is designated as 'the command' or 'word' from Allah.

40. God granted Zechariah a son despite his old age and despite the barrenness of his wife.

41. Here the request is made for some specific sign to be given by means of which Zechariah would come to know in advance when the unusual incident of the birth of a child to a couple, where the male was old and the female both old and barren, would take place.

42. The real purpose of this discourse is to disclose to the Christians the error of their belief in Jesus as God and as the son of God. The subject is introduced by mentioning the birth of John (peace be on him), anothermiraculous birth which had taken place only six months before the birth of the Messiah (peace be on him) and among his own relatives. God wants to make the Christians ask themselves why the miraculous birth of Jesus should make him God when the similarly miraculous birth of John did not make him so.