Surah 19

Maryam

(Mary)

(Makkan Period)

Title

The title of this surah refers to verse 16 in which the name Mary is mentioned.

Period of Revelation

This surah was revealed before some Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him) emigrated to Abyssinia. We learn from authentic traditions that when these Muslim emigrants were summoned to the court of Negus, Ja'far al-Tayyar recited this very surah in his court in front of a large crowd of people. (See Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 5, p. 291 - Ed.)

Historical Background

In the introduction to the preceding surah, al-Kahf, some of the conditions prevailing at the time when that surah was revealed have been explained. What we said there, however, is not sufficient for a full appreciation of the contents of the present surah nor for others revealed during this period. Hence it is useful to spend some time now outlining the conditions obtaining at the time.

The Quraysh chiefs attempted to suppress the Islamic movement by deriding and ridiculing the Prophet's followers, by tempting and threatening them and by making allegations against them. However, when all these means failed to achieve their desired purpose, they resorted to physical and economic pressures, to persecution and imprisonment, to subjecting the Muslims to starvation and torture so as to compel them to forsake their faith. The worst sufferers, of course, were the poor, the slaves and those who lived under the tutelage of the Quraysh. Among the worst hit were Bilal, 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah, Umm 'Ubays, Zinnīrah and 'Ammar ibn Yasir and his parents. They were beaten mercilessly, interned for days without food and water, and were made to lie on the scorching Makkan sands with boulders placed across their chests so that they writhed in pain for hours. In similar fashion, professional Muslims were asked to work but they were thwarted by persistent delays in the payment of their wages. Thus in al-Bukhārī and Muslim the following tradition was transmitted by Ibn Aratt: 'I used to work in Makka as an ironsmith. 'Aş ibn Wa'il engaged me to work for him. But when I went to collect my wages he refused to pay, saying that unless I forsook the Prophet (peace be on him) he would not pay me my wages.' (See al-Bukhārī, K. Tafsir al-Qur'ān, Surah Kāf. Ha. Ya. 'Ayn. Ṣād, 'Bāb Qawlahu: a fa ra'ayta al-ladhī kafara bi Āyātinā... - Ed.)

Likewise, efforts were made to wreck traders' business and those with a good position in society were disgraced in a number of ways. Some glimpse of this situation is afforded by Khabbab's report. He states: 'One day while the Prophet (peace be on him) was taking rest under the shade of the Ka'bah, I went to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Oppression has now reached its limit. Would you not pray to God?" On hearing this, the Prophet's face turned red and he said: "Believers before you were subjected to greater oppression. Their bones were scraped with combs of iron. Their heads were cut with saws. Yet they did not abandon their faith. Believe me, God will help accomplish this mission. There will come a day when a person will journey from San'a' to Haḍramawt and there will be no reason for him to fear anyone except God. You, however, are too impatient".. (Al-Bukhārī, K. al-Manāqib, ‘Bāb ‘Alāmāt al-Nubuwwah fi al-Islām' – Ed.)

In Rajab during the fifth year of the prophethood which corresponds to the forty-fifth year of the Elephant (most probably 615 C.E. - Ed.), the situation became almost intolerable. The Prophet (peace be on him) told his Companions: 'You may now go forth to Abyssinia, for there is a King in whose realm injustice is done to none. It is a land of truth. Stay there till God provides a way out of your affliction.' (Ibn Hishām, Sirah, vol. 1, pp. 321-2 - Ed.)

In compliance with this directive, eleven men and four women initially migrated to Abyssinia. The Quraysh pursued them as far as the coast. However, these Muslim migrants were fortunate enough to catch a boat from the port of Shu'aybah heading for Abyssinia and this enabled them to escape arrest. After a few months another group of Muslims migrated, making the total number of migrants 83 men, 11 women and 7 non-Quraysh Muslims. Only 40 Companions were now left behind with the Prophet (peace be on him) in Makka.

This emigration caused much distress throughout Makka for the migrants to Abyssinia included someone from virtually every family. If one of these migrants was someone's son, he was also someone else's son-in-law; daughters, brothers and sisters, had left their families for Abyssinia. To name just a few, there was Abū Jahl's brother, Salamah ibn Hisham; his cousins Hashim ibn Abi Ḥudhayfah and 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah and the daughter of his uncle, Umm Salamah; Abū Sufyan's daughter, Umm Ḥabībiah; Abu Hudhayfah, who was 'Utbah's son and Hind's brother; Suhayl ibn 'Amr's daughter, Sahlah. Also among these migrants to Abyssinia were the children of several Quraysh chiefs their fathers the enemies of Islam. They too had forsaken their hearths and homes for the sake of their faith. Thus, there was hardly anyone in Makka who had not been affected by this emigration, and inevitably some were hardened in their hostility toward Islam as a result. By the same token, however, some people were so touched by the incident that they eventually embraced Islam. The position of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is a case in point for this was the first in a series of events which blunted his hostility towards Islam. According to a report narrated by Laylá bint Abi Ḥathmah, one of 'Umar's close relatives tells the following story: 'I was packing my things ready for Migration while my husband 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah went out in connection with some errand. In the meantime 'Umar came to our house and watched me pack up. Then he said: "O Mother of 'Abd Allah! Are you leaving?" I replied: "By God, you have persecuted us a great deal. However, God's vast earth is open to us; we can migrate to some place where God will give us peace." 'Umar's face displayed signs of him having been moved, signs I had never seen before. He only said: "God be with you", and then he rushed out.' (Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. 1, pp. 342-3 - Ed.)

After these waves of emigration, the Quraysh chiefs held consulta- tions and resolved that 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Rabi'ah (Abū Jahl's maternal brother) and 'Amr ibn al-'As should be sent on a mission to Abyssinia to persuade Negus to send the Muslim migrants back to Makka with the valuable gifts they were to take with them being an inducement to return their people. Umm Salamah, a wife of the Prophet (peace be on him) and one of the migrants, has narrated this event at considerable length. According to her, the two clever Quraysh envoys reached Abyssinia in pursuit of the Muslims. Their first act was to distribute lavish gifts among Negus' courtiers, asking them in return to put collective pressure on Negus to hand over the Muslim migrants. Then they called on Negus, and after presenting him with valuable gifts, they said: 'Some unripe youths of our town have fled in order to live in your land. Our notables have sent us to you with requests for their extradition. These young men have abjured our ancestral faith, but have not entered the fold of your faith. Instead, they have invented a new faith of their own.' No sooner had these Quraysh emissaries finished speaking than Negus' courtiers burst forth, saying: 'Such people must surely be returned. Their own people know best what is wrong with them. It is inappropriate to let them stay here.' Negus, however, was irritated, retorting: 'I will not return them. For I cannot betray those who escaped their country, and reposing trust in my country, have sought shelter in it. I will first investigate the truth of the charges levelled against them.' Negus, therefore, sent for the Prophet's Companions asking that they visit his court.

On receiving Negus' message, the Companions assembled together and decided, after mutual consultation, what they should say to him. Unanimously, they decided that they would faithfully expound to Negus the teachings of the Prophet (peace be on him), regardless of whether Negus expelled them or let them remain as a result. As soon as the Muslims reached the court, Negus asked: 'Why did you abandon your ancestral faith, without accepting my faith or any of the faiths of the world? What is this new faith of yours anyway?' To this, Ja'far al-Tayyar on behalf of the migrants, made an extemporaneous speech. He recalled the religious, moral and social ills which afflicted the Arabs during the Time of Ignorance (Jahiliyah, i.e. the period prior to the advent of Islam). He then mentioned the teachings of the Prophet (peace be on him) and the persecution to which his followers were subjected in Makka. He concluded by saying that they had come to the land of Negus in the hope that the wrongs they had been subjected to would now cease.

After this speech Negus asked him to recite a part of the Book which he and the other migrants believed to have been revealed by God to their Prophet (peace be on him). Ja'far began to recite the opening part of Surah Maryam which relates to the Prophets John and Jesus (peace be on them). Negus listened to the recitation of the Qur'an in rapt attention, and as he listened he cried, tears flowing from his eyes in such profusion that his beard grew wet. When Ja'far's recitation ceased, Negus said: 'Surely this Revelation and the Revelation of Jesus were from the same source. By God, I will not hand over these persons to you.' (Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. 1, pp. 334-6 - Ed.)

The next day, 'Amr ibn al-'As spoke to Negus, saying: 'Just send for hem and ask about their belief concerning Jesus, son of Mary. For they say something blasphemous about him.' Negus again sent for the Muslim migrants who had been able, ahead of time, to get wind of 'Amr's ruse. Once again they assembled together and discussed what they would say when asked about Jesus (peace be on him). The situation was a critical one and naturally everyone was worried. The Compa- nions, however, decided that they would simply say what God had stated in the Qur'an about Jesus and which had been further elaborated by God's Messenger. When they arrived at Negus' court he put to them that question which had been suggested by 'Amr ibn 'Aş. Without any hesitation, Ja'far al-Tayyar replied: 'He [Jesus] is God's servant and Messenger; a spirit and a word from God that He bestowed on the virgin Mary.' On hearing this, Negus picked up a straw from the ground and said: 'By God, Jesus was not even as much as one straw more than what you have said about him.' Negus then returned to the Quraysh the gifts they had presented him with, stating that he was not accustomed to accepting bribery, and that the Muslims might stay in his land without fear. (See Ibn Hisham, Sirah, vol. 1, pp. 337-8 - Ed.)

Subject Matter

When Surah Maryam is viewed against this historical background, the first thing that strikes one about it is that God did not direct the Muslims to make any compromises in matters of faith, even in the most precarious of circumstances such as when they went to Abyssinia as a small group of helpless fugitives. Thus the Muslims were taught to place fidelity to their faith over and above everything else. Additionally, the present surah was granted to the Muslims almost in the way of a provision for their journey. For it enabled them to explain the true position about Jesus (peace be on him) - that he was a human being, a Prophet and one of God's Messengers, but certainly not God's son.

After relating the story of the Prophets John and Jesus (peace be on them) (verses 1-40), the surah then turns to narrating the story of Abraham (see verses 41-50). This, it will be noted, was directly relevant to the conditions of the day. For Abraham, too, had left his country after persecution at the hands of his father, family, and people. Thus, in effect the surah told the Makkan unbelievers that the position of the Muslim migrants resembled that of their forefather Abraham (peace be on him) and that the position of the Makkan unbelievers was similar to that of Abraham's cruel opponents who banished him from his homeland. At the same time, the Muslim migrants are assured that their migration, like Abraham's, will not prove their undoing. On the contrary, it would enable them to reach, like Abraham, greater heights of eminence. Their journey, although the culmination of much persecution, was actually a journey to success and glory. Thereafter, follows an account of other Prophets (see verses 51-65) so as to impress upon the Muslims that all Prophets expounded the same religion as that put forward by Muḥammad (peace be on him). What doctrinal differences there were between the Muslims and the so-called followers of earlier Prophets could be explained by the fact that with the passage of time the latter had gone astray. Their erroneous ways which prevailed at that time were simply the outcome of this error.

The concluding verses (verses 66-98) represent a scathing criticism of the errors of the Makkan unbelievers. Finally, the surah ends by announcing good news to the believers: despite the efforts of their enemies to harm them, they will eventually come out with flying colours and the very same people who for the moment at least opposed them, will eventually lavish their affections on them.