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 Surah Maryam 19:1-35 [1/6]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
كٓهيعٓصٓKaaf Ha Ya Ain Sad.
﴿١﴾
ذِكْرُ(A) mention
رَحْمَتِ(of the) Mercy
رَبِّكَ(of) your Lord
عَبْدَهُۥ(to) His servant
زَكَرِيَّآZakariya
﴿٢﴾
إِذْWhen
نَادَىٰhe called
رَبَّهُۥ(to) his Lord
نِدَآءًa call -
خَفِيًّاsecret.
﴿٣﴾
قَالَHe said,
رَبِّ"My Lord!
إِنِّىIndeed, [I]
وَهَنَ(have) weakened
ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّىmy bones,
وَٱشْتَعَلَand flared
ٱلرَّأْسُ(my) head
شَيْبًا(with) white,
وَلَمْand not
أَكُنۢI have been
بِدُعَآئِكَin (my) supplication (to) You
رَبِّmy Lord
شَقِيًّاunblessed.
﴿٤﴾
وَإِنِّىAnd indeed, I
خِفْتُ[I] fear
ٱلْمَوَٲلِىَthe successors
مِن وَرَآءِىafter me,
وَكَانَتِand is
ٱمْرَأَتِىmy wife
عَاقِرًاbarren.
فَهَبْSo give
لِى[to] me
مِنfrom
لَّدُنكَYourself
وَلِيًّاan heir
﴿٥﴾
يَرِثُنِىWho will inherit me
وَيَرِثُand inherit
مِنْfrom
ءَالِ(the) family
يَعْقُوبَ‌ۖ(of) Yaqub.
وَٱجْعَلْهُAnd make him
رَبِّmy Lord,
رَضِيًّاpleasing."
﴿٦﴾
يَـٰزَكَرِيَّآ"O Zakariya!
إِنَّاIndeed, We
نُبَشِّرُكَ[We] give you glad tidings
بِغُلَـٰمٍof a boy
ٱسْمُهُۥhis name
يَحْيَىٰ(will be) Yahya,
لَمْnot
نَجْعَلWe (have) assigned
لَّهُۥ[for] it
مِن قَبْلُbefore
سَمِيًّا(this) name."
﴿٧﴾
قَالَHe said,
رَبِّ"My Lord!
أَنَّىٰHow
يَكُونُcan
لِىI have
غُلَـٰمٌa boy,
وَكَانَتِwhile is
ٱمْرَأَتِىmy wife
عَاقِرًاbarren,
وَقَدْand indeed,
بَلَغْتُI have reached
مِنَof
ٱلْكِبَرِthe old age
عِتِيًّاextreme?"
﴿٨﴾
قَالَHe said,
كَذَٲلِكَ"Thus,
قَالَsaid
رَبُّكَyour Lord,
هُوَ`It
عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ(is) easy for Me
وَقَدْand certainly
خَلَقْتُكَI (have) created you
مِن قَبْلُbefore,
وَلَمْwhile not
تَكُyou were
شَيْــًٔاanything.'"
﴿٩﴾
قَالَHe said,
رَبِّ"My Lord!
ٱجْعَلMake
لِّىٓfor me
ءَايَةً‌ۚa sign."
قَالَHe said,
ءَايَتُكَ"Your sign
أَلَّا(is) that not
تُكَلِّمَyou will speak
ٱلنَّاسَ(to) the people,
ثَلَـٰثَ(for) three
لَيَالٍnights
سَوِيًّاsound."
﴿١٠﴾
فَخَرَجَThen he came out
عَلَىٰto
قَوْمِهِۦhis people
مِنَfrom
ٱلْمِحْرَابِthe prayer chamber,
فَأَوْحَىٰٓand he signaled
إِلَيْهِمْto them
أَنto
سَبِّحُواْglorify (Allah)
بُكْرَةً(in) the morning
وَعَشِيًّاand (in) the evening.
﴿١١﴾
يَـٰيَحْيَىٰ"O Yahya!
خُذِHold
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَthe Scripture
بِقُوَّةٍ‌ۖwith strength."
وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُAnd We gave him
ٱلْحُكْمَ[the] wisdom
صَبِيًّا(when he was) a child
﴿١٢﴾
وَحَنَانًاAnd affection
مِّنfrom
لَّدُنَّاUs
وَزَكَوٲةً‌ۖand purity
وَكَانَand he was
تَقِيًّاrighteous
﴿١٣﴾
وَبَرَّۢاAnd dutiful
بِوَٲلِدَيْهِto his parents,
وَلَمْand not
يَكُنhe was
جَبَّارًاa tyrant
عَصِيًّاdisobedient.
﴿١٤﴾
وَسَلَـٰمٌAnd peace be
عَلَيْهِupon him
يَوْمَ(the) day
وُلِدَhe was born
وَيَوْمَand (the) day
يَمُوتُhe dies
وَيَوْمَand (the) day
يُبْعَثُhe will be raised
حَيًّاalive.
﴿١٥﴾
وَٱذْكُرْAnd mention
فِىin
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِthe Book
مَرْيَمَMaryam,
إِذِwhen
ٱنتَبَذَتْshe withdrew
مِنْfrom
أَهْلِهَاher family
مَكَانًا(to) a place
شَرْقِيًّاeastern.
﴿١٦﴾
فَٱتَّخَذَتْThen she took
مِن دُونِهِمْfrom them
حِجَابًاa screen.
فَأَرْسَلْنَآThen We sent
إِلَيْهَاto her
رُوحَنَاOur Spirit
فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَاthen he assumed for her the likeness
بَشَرًا(of) a man
سَوِيًّاwell-proportioned.
﴿١٧﴾
قَالَتْShe said,
إِنِّىٓ"Indeed, I
أَعُوذُ[I] seek refuge
بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِwith the Most Gracious
مِنكَfrom you
إِنif
كُنتَyou are
تَقِيًّاGod fearing."
﴿١٨﴾
قَالَHe said,
إِنَّمَآ"Only
أَنَا۟I am
رَسُولُa Messenger
رَبِّكِ(from) your Lord,
لِأَهَبَthat I (may) bestow
لَكِon you
غُلَـٰمًاa son
زَكِيًّاpure."
﴿١٩﴾
قَالَتْShe said,
أَنَّىٰ"How
يَكُونُcan be
لِىfor me
غُلَـٰمٌa son,
وَلَمْwhen not
يَمْسَسْنِىhas touched me
بَشَرٌa man,
وَلَمْand not
أَكُI am
بَغِيًّاunchaste?"
﴿٢٠﴾
قَالَHe said,
كَذَٲلِكِ"Thus;
قَالَsaid
رَبُّكِyour Lord,
هُوَ`It
عَلَىَّ(is) for Me
هَيِّنٌ‌ۖeasy,
وَلِنَجْعَلَهُۥٓand so that We will make him
ءَايَةًa sign
لِّلنَّاسِfor the mankind
وَرَحْمَةًand a Mercy
مِّنَّا‌ۚfrom Us.
وَكَانَAnd (it) is
أَمْرًاa matter
مَّقْضِيًّاdecreed.'"
﴿٢١﴾
۞ فَحَمَلَتْهُSo she conceived him,
فَٱنتَبَذَتْand she withdrew
بِهِۦwith him
مَكَانًا(to) a place
قَصِيًّاremote.
﴿٢٢﴾
فَأَجَآءَهَاThen drove her
ٱلْمَخَاضُthe pains of childbirth
إِلَىٰto
جِذْعِ(the) trunk
ٱلنَّخْلَةِ(of) the date-palm.
قَالَتْShe said,
يَـٰلَيْتَنِى"O! I wish
مِتُّI (had) died
قَبْلَbefore
هَـٰذَاthis
وَكُنتُand I was
نَسْيًا(in) oblivion,
مَّنسِيًّاforgotten."
﴿٢٣﴾
فَنَادَٮٰهَاSo cried to her
مِنfrom
تَحْتِهَآbeneath her,
أَلَّا"That (do) not
تَحْزَنِىgrieve
قَدْverily,
جَعَلَ(has) placed
رَبُّكِyour Lord
تَحْتَكِbeneath you,
سَرِيًّاa stream.
﴿٢٤﴾
وَهُزِّىٓAnd shake
إِلَيْكِtowards you
بِجِذْعِ(the) trunk
ٱلنَّخْلَةِ(of) the date-palm,
تُسَـٰقِطْit will drop
عَلَيْكِupon you
رُطَبًاfresh dates
جَنِيًّاripe.
﴿٢٥﴾
فَكُلِىSo eat
وَٱشْرَبِىand drink
وَقَرِّىand cool
عَيْنًا‌ۖ(your) eyes.
فَإِمَّاAnd if
تَرَيِنَّyou see
مِنَfrom
ٱلْبَشَرِhuman being
أَحَدًاanyone
فَقُولِىٓthen say,
إِنِّى` Indeed, I
نَذَرْتُ[I] have vowed
لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِto the Most Gracious
صَوْمًاa fast,
فَلَنْso not
أُكَلِّمَI will speak
ٱلْيَوْمَtoday
إِنسِيًّا(to any) human being. "
﴿٢٦﴾
فَأَتَتْThen she came
بِهِۦwith him
قَوْمَهَا(to) her people,
تَحْمِلُهُۥ‌ۖcarrying him.
قَالُواْThey said,
يَـٰمَرْيَمُ"O Maryam!
لَقَدْCertainly,
جِئْتِyou (have) brought
شَيْــًٔا فَرِيًّاan amazing thing.
﴿٢٧﴾
يَـٰٓأُخْتَO sister
هَـٰرُونَ(of) Harun!
مَاNot
كَانَwas
أَبُوكِyour father
ٱمْرَأَ سَوْءٍan evil man,
وَمَاand not
كَانَتْwas
أُمُّكِyour mother
بَغِيًّاunchaste."
﴿٢٨﴾
فَأَشَارَتْThen she pointed
إِلَيْهِ‌ۖto him.
قَالُواْThey said,
كَيْفَ"How
نُكَلِّمُ(can) we speak
مَن(to one) who
كَانَis
فِىin
ٱلْمَهْدِthe cradle,
صَبِيًّاa child?"
﴿٢٩﴾
قَالَHe said,
إِنِّى"Indeed, I am
عَبْدُa slave
ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah.
ءَاتَـٰنِىَHe gave me
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَthe Scripture
وَجَعَلَنِىand made me
نَبِيًّاa Prophet.
﴿٣٠﴾
وَجَعَلَنِىAnd He (has) made me
مُبَارَكًاblessed
أَيْنَ مَاwherever
كُنتُI am
وَأَوْصَـٰنِىand has enjoined (on) me
بِٱلصَّلَوٲةِ[of] the prayer
وَٱلزَّكَوٲةِand zakah,
مَا دُمْتُas long as I am
حَيًّاalive
﴿٣١﴾
وَبَرَّۢاAnd dutiful
بِوَٲلِدَتِىto my mother,
وَلَمْand not
يَجْعَلْنِىHe (has) made me
جَبَّارًاinsolent,
شَقِيًّاunblessed.
﴿٣٢﴾
وَٱلسَّلَـٰمُAnd peace (be)
عَلَىَّon me
يَوْمَ(the) day
وُلِدتُّI was born
وَيَوْمَand (the) day
أَمُوتُI will die
وَيَوْمَand (the) Day
أُبْعَثُI will be raised
حَيًّاalive."
﴿٣٣﴾
ذَٲلِكَThat
عِيسَى(was) Isa,
ٱبْنُ(the) son
مَرْيَمَ‌ۚ(of) Maryam,
قَوْلَa statement
ٱلْحَقِّ(of) truth
ٱلَّذِىthat which
فِيهِabout it
يَمْتَرُونَthey dispute.
﴿٣٤﴾
مَاNot
كَانَ(it) is
لِلَّهِfor Allah
أَنthat
يَتَّخِذَHe should take
مِن وَلَدٍ‌ۖany son.
سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥٓ‌ۚGlory be to Him!
إِذَاWhen
قَضَىٰٓHe decrees
أَمْرًاa matter,
فَإِنَّمَاthen only
يَقُولُHe says
لَهُۥto it,
كُن"Be"
فَيَكُونُand it is.
﴿٣٥﴾


بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ كٓهٰيٰـعٓـصٓ​ ۚ‏  ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَـبۡدَهٗ زَكَرِيَّا ​ ۖ ​ۚ‏  اِذۡ نَادٰى رَبَّهٗ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّا‏  قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ وَهَنَ الۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّىۡ وَاشۡتَعَلَ الرَّاۡسُ شَيۡبًا وَّلَمۡ اَكُنۡۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا‏  وَاِنِّىۡ خِفۡتُ الۡمَوَالِىَ مِنۡ وَّرَآءِىۡ وَكَانَتِ امۡرَاَتِىۡ عَاقِرًا فَهَبۡ لِىۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ وَلِيًّا ۙ‏  يَّرِثُنِىۡ وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ اٰلِ يَعۡقُوۡبَ ۖ ​ وَاجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا‏   يٰزَكَرِيَّاۤ اِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلٰم اۨسۡمُهٗ يَحۡيٰى ۙ لَمۡ نَجۡعَلْ لَّهٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ سَمِيًّا‏  قَالَ رَبِّ اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لِىۡ غُلٰمٌ وَّكَانَتِ امۡرَاَتِىۡ عَاقِرًا وَّقَدۡ بَلَـغۡتُ مِنَ الۡـكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا‏  قَالَ كَذٰلِكَ​ۚ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ وَّقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـئًـا‏  قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَلْ لِّىۡۤ اٰيَةً​  ؕ قَالَ اٰيَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا‏  فَخَرَجَ عَلٰى قَوۡمِهٖ مِنَ الۡمِحۡرَابِ فَاَوۡحٰٓى اِلَيۡهِمۡ اَنۡ سَبِّحُوۡا بُكۡرَةً وَّعَشِيًّا‏  يٰيَحۡيٰى خُذِ الۡكِتٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ​ ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنٰهُ الۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّا ۙ‏  وَّحَنَانًـا مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّا وَزَكٰوةً  ​ؕ وَّكَانَ تَقِيًّا ۙ‏  وَّبَرًّۢا بِوَالِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا‏  وَسَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوۡتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا‏   وَاذۡكُرۡ فِى الۡـكِتٰبِ مَرۡيَمَ​ۘ اِذِ انْتَبَذَتۡ مِنۡ اَهۡلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرۡقِيًّا ۙ‏  فَاتَّخَذَتۡ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهِمۡ حِجَابًا فَاَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلَيۡهَا رُوۡحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا‏  قَالَتۡ اِنِّىۡۤ اَعُوۡذُ بِالرَّحۡمٰنِ مِنۡكَ اِنۡ كُنۡتَ تَقِيًّا‏  ​قَالَ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا رَسُوۡلُ رَبِّكِ ​ ۖ  لِاَهَبَ لَـكِ غُلٰمًا زَكِيًّا‏   قَالَتۡ اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لِىۡ غُلٰمٌ وَّلَمۡ يَمۡسَسۡنِىۡ بَشَرٌ وَّلَمۡ اَكُ بَغِيًّا‏  قَالَ كَذٰلِكِ​ ۚ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ​ ۚ وَلِنَجۡعَلَهٗۤ اٰيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحۡمَةً مِّنَّا​ ۚ وَكَانَ اَمۡرًا مَّقۡضِيًّا‏  فَحَمَلَـتۡهُ فَانْتَبَذَتۡ بِهٖ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا‏  فَاَجَآءَهَا الۡمَخَاضُ اِلٰى جِذۡعِ النَّخۡلَةِ​ۚ قَالَتۡ يٰلَيۡتَنِىۡ مِتُّ قَبۡلَ هٰذَا وَكُنۡتُ نَسۡيًا مَّنۡسِيًّا‏  فَنَادٰٮهَا مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَاۤ اَلَّا تَحۡزَنِىۡ قَدۡ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحۡتَكِ سَرِيًّا‏  وَهُزِّىۡۤ اِلَيۡكِ بِجِذۡعِ النَّخۡلَةِ تُسٰقِطۡ عَلَيۡكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا‏   فَكُلِىۡ وَاشۡرَبِىۡ وَقَرِّىۡ عَيۡنًا​ ۚ فَاِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الۡبَشَرِ اَحَدًا ۙ فَقُوۡلِىۡۤ اِنِّىۡ نَذَرۡتُ لِلرَّحۡمٰنِ صَوۡمًا فَلَنۡ اُكَلِّمَ الۡيَوۡمَ اِنۡسِيًّا ​ۚ‏  فَاَتَتۡ بِهٖ قَوۡمَهَا تَحۡمِلُهٗ​ؕ قَالُوۡا يٰمَرۡيَمُ لَقَدۡ جِئۡتِ شَيۡـئًـا فَرِيًّا‏  يٰۤـاُخۡتَ هٰرُوۡنَ مَا كَانَ اَ بُوۡكِ امۡرَاَ سَوۡءٍ وَّمَا كَانَتۡ اُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا​ ۖ​ ۚ‏  فَاَشَارَتۡ اِلَيۡهِ​ ؕ قَالُوۡا كَيۡفَ نُـكَلِّمُ مَنۡ كَانَ فِى الۡمَهۡدِ صَبِيًّا‏  قَالَ اِنِّىۡ عَبۡدُ اللّٰهِ ؕ اٰتٰٮنِىَ الۡكِتٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِىۡ نَبِيًّا ۙ‏  وَّجَعَلَنِىۡ مُبٰـرَكًا اَيۡنَ مَا كُنۡتُ وَاَوۡصٰنِىۡ بِالصَّلٰوةِ وَالزَّكٰوةِ مَا دُمۡتُ حَيًّا ​ۖ ‏  وَّبَرًّۢابِوَالِدَتِىۡ وَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡنِىۡ جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا‏  وَالسَّلٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوۡمَ وُلِدْتُّ وَيَوۡمَ اَمُوۡتُ وَيَوۡمَ اُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا‏   ذٰ لِكَ عِيۡسَى ابۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ ​ۚ قَوۡلَ الۡحَـقِّ الَّذِىۡ فِيۡهِ يَمۡتَرُوۡنَ‏   مَا كَانَ لِلّٰهِ اَنۡ يَّتَّخِذَ مِنۡ وَّلَدٍ​ۙ سُبۡحٰنَهٗ​ؕ اِذَا قَضٰٓى اَمۡرًا فَاِنَّمَا يَقُوۡلُ لَهٗ كُنۡ فَيَكُوۡنُؕ‏ 

Translation
(19:1) Kaf. Ha'. Ya'. Ayn. Sad. (19:2) This is an account1 of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah2 (19:3) when he cried to his Lord in secret. (19:4) He said: "Lord! My bones have grown feeble and my head is glistening with age; yet, never have my prayers to You, my Lord, been unfruitful. (19:5) I fear evil from my kinsmen after I am gone;3 and my wife is barren, so grant me an heir out of Your special grace, (19:6) one that might be my heir and the heir of the house of Jacob;4 and make him, Lord, one that will be pleasing to You. (19:7) (He was told): "Zechariah, We bring you the good news of the birth of a son whose name shall be Yahya (John), one whose namesake We never created before."5 (19:8) He said: "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached an extremely old age?" (19:9) He answered: "So shall it be." Your Lord says: "It is easy for Me," and then added: "For beyond doubt, I created you earlier when you were nothing."6 (19:10) Zechariah said: "Lord, grant me a Sign." Said He: "Your Sign is that you shall not be able to speak to people for three nights, though you will be otherwise sound." (19:11) Thereupon Zechariah came out from the sanctuary7 and directed his people by gestures to extol His glory by day and by night.8 (19:12) "O John! Hold the Book with all your strength."9 We had bestowed wisdom upon him while he was still a child;10 (19:13) and We also endowed him with tenderness11 and purity, and he was exceedingly pious (19:14) and cherishing to his parents. Never was he insolent or rebellious. (19:15) Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he will die, and the day he will be raised up alive.12 (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

Commentary

1. For comparison please see the story of Zachariah as given in (Ayats 34-57 of Surah Aal-Imran) and the E.Ns thereof.

2. In order to understand the position held by Zachariah, a descendant of Prophet Aaron, one should be acquainted with the system of priesthood among the children of Israel.

After the conquest of Palestine, the entire land was divided among the 12 tribes of the descendants of Prophet Jacob as inheritance, and the 13th tribe, the Levites, was entrusted with religious services and duties. Even among the Levites, the house that was separated to sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name forever was the house of Prophet Aaron. The other Levites were not allowed to enter the Temple. Their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, in the new moon, and on the set festivals. The descendants of Aaron were divided into 24 families, who came to serve the house of the Lord by turns. One of these families was of Abiah whose chief was Zachariah. Thus it was Zachariah’s duty to go into the house on his family’s turn and burn incense before the Lord. (For details, see 1 Chronicles, chapters 23, 24).

3. That is, I see none among my kinsmen, the family of Abiah, who is religiously and morally sound and capable of carrying on the work of the mission that has been entrusted to me.

4. That is, I do not pray for a successor to inherit me alone, but a successor who may inherit the good ways of the house of Jacob.

5. In Luke the words are: There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. (1: 61).

6. This dialogue is meant to impress that Allah is able to do whatever He wills and can make an impotent man and a barren woman give birth to a child, and likewise a virgin can be made to conceive a child.

7. For the explanation of mihrab (sanctuary), see (E.N. 36 of Aal-Imran).

8. Below we reproduce the details of this event as given in Luke’s Gospel so that the reader may study and compare the Quranic version with the Christian version. The references and additions within the brackets are ours:

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, see (Surah Bani-Israil, E.N.9) a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abiah: and his wife was of the daughter of Aaron, and her name wag Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; (there is no mention of Zacharias’ prayer anywhere in the Bible) and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John (that is, Yahya). And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord (Sayyidun: a great leader according to the Quran, (Surah Aal-Imran, Ayat 39), and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink (the Quranic version: Taqiyyun, pious and pure); and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb (the Quran says: We blessed him with judgment while he was yet a child). And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit of the power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. (This is different from the Quran, which gives it as a sign, whereas according to Luke, it was a punishment. Moreover, the Quran mentions it as the silence for three consecutive days, but Luke says that Zacharias remained dumb till the birth of John). And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. (Luke 1: 5-22).

9. The details regarding the birth of Prophet John (peace be upon him), according to the divine will, and his coming of age, have been left out. Here, in one sentence, the mission of Prophethood entrusted to him on attaining maturity has been stated, which was to observe and follow the Torah in letter and spirit, and to exhort the Israelites as well to do the same.

10. The Arabic word hukm implies ability (1) to make decisions, (2) to form right opinions, (3) to interpret the divine law, (4) to solve problems, and (5) it also means authority from Allah to decide affairs.

11. The Arabic word hanan is almost synonymous with mother’s love. In other words, Prophet John bore in his heart the same kind of intense love for Allah’s servants as a mother has for her child.

12. In order to have a full understanding of the mission and the pure character of Prophet John, about which brief references have been made in this Surah and Surah Aal- Imran, it will be useful to study this story as given in different Books of the New Testament in the following order:

According to Luke, Prophet John was older than Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them) by six months and their mothers were cousins. He was appointed a Prophet at the age of 30 years, and according to the Gospel of John, he started his mission of inviting the people toward God in Jordan. He would say: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. (John, I: 23)

According to Mark: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptizm of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mark, I: 45). He thus came to be known as John the Baptist, and the Israelites held him as a prophet. (Mat. 21: 26). Prophet Jesus said about John: Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a man greater than John the Baptist." (Mat. 11 : 11).

John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. (Mat. 3: 4). He would say: Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Mat. 3: 2). By this he meant that very soon Prophet Jesus was going to start his mission of Prophethood. The same thing has been said about him in the Quran: He (John) will come to confirm a command from Allah. (Surah Aal-Imran, Ayat 39). For the same reason he has been called a sign of or pointer to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him).

He urged the people to observe the Fast and Prayers. (Mat. 9: 14, Luke, 5: 33, I1: 1). He would also tell them: He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. (Luke 3: 11). When the tax-collectors asked: Master, what shall we do? He said unto them: Exact no more than that what is appointed you. (12-13). And when the soldiers sought his guidance, he said: Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke, 3: 14).

When the corrupt scholars, Pharisees and Sadducees of the Israelites, came to be baptized by him, he rebuked them, saying: O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Think not to say within yourselves: We have Abraham to our father, now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Mat-3 :7-10).

The Jewish ruler of his time, Herod Antipas, in whose government he was performing his mission of inviting the people to the truth, had been so deeply influenced by the Roman civilization that he was causing sin and evil to spread freely in the land. He had kept Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, unlawfully in his house; when Prophet John reproved him for this and raised his voice against other evils being committed by him, Herod got him arrested and sent to jail. However, he held him in high esteem for his piety and righteousness and even feared him on account of the great respect he enjoyed among the people. On the contrary, Herodias thought that the moral consciousness that Prophet John was producing among the people was directly aimed at women like herself and pulling them down in the public eye. Thus she nursed a grudge against him and would have him killed but could not. Soon an opportunity came her way. On the birthday banquet of Herod, her daughter danced and so delighted Herod and others that the king said to her: Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. The girl asked her mother what she should ask for. The mother said: Ask for the head of John the Baptist. The girl went back to the king and requested to have there and then the head of John the Baptist on a dish. Herod felt sorry to hear this, but could not reject the demand of the daughter of his beloved. He at once got Prophet John killed in the prison and presented his head on a dish to the dancing girl. (Mat. 14: 3-12, Mark, 6: 17-29, Luke, 3: 19-20).

13. For comparison, see( Surah Aal-Imran, Ayats 34-57), and (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 156) and E.Ns thereof.

14. The Sanctuary where she had retired for devotion was an eastern chamber in the Temple, and as was customary she had hung a curtain to conceal herself from the people. It cannot be Nazareth as some people have wrongly taken it to be, because Nazareth is to the north of Jerusalem.

15. The word “Thus shall it be” are very significant as has been stated in (E.N. 6). The plain meaning is this: A pure son shall be born to you just as your Lord has decreed, even though no man has touched you. The same was the response to prophet Zachariah as stated in( Ayat 9) above. And it is a sheer perversion to interpret it as: So shall it be that a man will touch you and a son will be born to you. For, if it were to mean: You will bear a son like all other women of the world, the subsequent two sentences, Your Lord says: This is an easy thing for Me to do, and We will make that boy a sign for the people, would have become meaningless. Had this birth been an ordinary birth like the birth of every other child, there would have been no occasion to boast: It is an easy thing, and that it will be made a sign (miracle). This will be so because the child will speak in the cradle.

16. When she conceived the child, she left the sanctuary and went to a distant place (Bethlehem) in order to escape the bitter criticism of the people. They would have said: Look at the virgin daughter of the pious house of Aaron! She has conceived a child and that, too, in the sanctuary where she had retired for devotion! Thus she temporarily succeeded in concealing the shame of the conception, but this event itself is a proof that prophet Jesus was born without a father. Had Mary been married and had a husband, she would not have left his or her parents house by herself and chosen a distant place for the purpose of delivery.

17. The words “Would that...” show the extreme state of anxiety in which Mary found herself at the time. She did not utter these words on account of the labor pains but due to the pangs of sorrow as to how she would conceal the child from her people. The angel’s words, grieve not at all explain why she had spoken these desperate words. When a married girl is delivering her first baby, she might be dying with pains, but she is never so sorrowful and grieved.

18. That is, you need not say anything with regard to the child. It is now Our responsibility to answer the critics. This also indicates why Mary was so sad and grieved. Had she been married and given birth to her first baby like any other mother, there was no occasion to tell her to observe a fast of silence, though it was a common custom among the Jews.

19. “Sister of Aaron” may either mean that Mary had a brother of the name of Aaron, or it may mean that she belonged to the family of Prophet Aaron. The first meaning is supported by a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the second is plausible because that is supported by the Arabic idiom. But we are inclined to the second meaning, for the wording of the said tradition does not necessarily mean that she actually had a brother named Aaron. The tradition as related in Muslim, Nasai, Tirmizi, etc. says that when the Christians of Najran criticized the Quranic version of stating Mary as the sister of Aaron before Mughirah bin Shubah, he was not able to satisfy them, because Prophet Aaron had passed away centuries earlier. When he presented the problem before the Prophet (peace be upon him), he replied: Why didn’t you say that the Israelites named their children after their Prophets and other pious men? That is: You could have answered their objection like this as well." See also (E.N. 32 of Aal-Imran).

19a. How can the people who reject the miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), explain why Mary’s whole community had come out to curse and condemn her when she had appeared before them with the child?

20. People who misinterpret the Quran translate this verse as: How shall we talk with him, who is but a child of yesterday? They attribute these words to the elderly people of the Jews, who said years later, when Jesus was a grown up boy, that they could not have any useful dialogue with a mere kid. But the person who keeps the whole context in view, will realize that this interpretation is absurd and has been given merely to avoid the miracle. As a matter of fact, the dialogue took place when the people were condemning Mary who being unmarried, had brought forth a child, and not when the child had grown up into manhood. (Ayat 46 of Surah Aal-Imran) and (Ayat 110 of Surah Al-Maidah) also support the view that Prophet Jesus had uttered these words as a baby in the cradle and not when grown up. In the first verse, the angel while giving the good news of a son to Mary, says: He will speak to the people alike when in the cradle and when grown up. In the other verse, Allah Himself says to Prophet Jesus: You talked to the people even in the cradle as you talked when you were grown up.

20a. The words used are: “dutiful to my mother” instead of “dutiful to my parents”. This is another proof of the fact that Jesus (peace be upon him) had no father, and for the same reason he has been called Jesus son of Mary everywhere in the Quran.

20. People who misinterpret the Quran translate this verse as: How shall we talk with him, who is but a child of yesterday? They attribute these words to the elderly people of the Jews, who said years later, when Jesus was a grown up boy, that they could not have any useful dialogue with a mere kid. But the person who keeps the whole context in view, will realize that this interpretation is absurd and has been given merely to avoid the miracle. As a matter of fact, the dialogue took place when the people were condemning Mary who being unmarried, had brought forth a child, and not when the child had grown up into manhood. (Ayat 46 of Surah Aal-Imran) and (Ayat 110 of Surah Al-Maidah) also support the view that Prophet Jesus had uttered these words as a baby in the cradle and not when grown up. In the first verse, the angel while giving the good news of a son to Mary, says: He will speak to the people alike when in the cradle and when grown up. In the other verse, Allah Himself says to Prophet Jesus: You talked to the people even in the cradle as you talked when you were grown up.

20a. The words used are: “dutiful to my mother” instead of “dutiful to my parents”. This is another proof of the fact that Jesus (peace be upon him) had no father, and for the same reason he has been called Jesus son of Mary everywhere in the Quran.

21. This speech in the cradle by Jesus was the sign to which the angel referred in( Ayat 21). As Allah intended to punish the children of Israel for their continuous wicked ways and evil deeds, He made a pious virgin girl of the family of Prophet Aaron, who had devoted herself to worship in the Temple under the patronage of Zachariah, bear a child and bring it before her people in order to concentrate the whole attention of the thousands of people assembled there on this extraordinary event. Then He made this new born child speak out even in the cradle that he had been appointed a Prophet. Though they had seen this wonderful sign of Allah, they rejected the Prophethood of Jesus and brought him to the court for crucifixion, and thus incurred the wrath of Allah. (For further details, please see (Surah Aal- Imran E.Ns 44 and 53), and (Surah An-Nisa E.Ns 212, 213).

22. In (Ayats 1-35), it has been shown that the “Doctrine of the son of God” in regard to Prophet Jesus is absolutely wrong. For just as the miraculous birth of Prophet John did not make him the son of God, so the miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus could not make him the son of God. For the births of both were the result of the same sort of miracle as they have been mentioned together in the same context in the Gospel of Luke. Therefore, it is mere distortion that the Christians should regard one as the servant of God and the other as the son of God.