Ali-'Imran: 40

Ayah

Word by Word

قَالَ

He said

رَبِّ

My Lord

أَنَّىٰ

how

يَكُونُ

can (there) be

لِي

for me

غُلَٰمٞ

a son

وَقَدۡ

and verily

بَلَغَنِيَ

has reached me

ٱلۡكِبَرُ

[the] old age

وَٱمۡرَأَتِي

and my wife

عَاقِرٞۖ

(is) [a] barren

قَالَ

He said

كَذَٰلِكَ

Thus

ٱللَّهُ

Allah

يَفۡعَلُ

does

مَا

what

يَشَآءُ

He wills

Translation

He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish what He willeth."

Tafsir

"The Chosen Ones Among the People of the Earth

Allah says;

إِنَّ اللّهَ اصۡطَفَى ادَمَ وَنُوحًا وَالَ إِبۡرَاهِيمَ وَالَ عِمۡرَانَ عَلَى الۡعَالَمِينَ

ذُرِّيَّةً بَعۡضُهَا مِن بَعۡضٍ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above the nations. Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Allah states that He has chosen these households over the people of the earth.

For instance, Allah chose Adam, created him with His Hand and blew life into him. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, taught him the names of everything and allowed him to dwell in Paradise, but then sent him down from it out of His wisdom.

Allah chose Nuh and made him the first Messenger to the people of the earth, when the people worshipped idols and associated others with Allah in worship. Allah avenged the way Nuh was treated, for he kept calling his people day and night, in public and in secret, for a very long time. However, his calling them only made them shun him more, and this is when Nuh supplicated against them. So Allah caused them to drown, and none among them was saved, except those who followed the religion that Allah sent to Nuh.

Allah also chose the household of Ibrahim, including the master of all mankind, and the Final Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Allah also chose the household of Imran, the father of Maryam bint Imran, the mother of `Isa, peace be upon them. So `Isa is from the offspring of Ibrahim, as we will mention in the Tafsir of Surah Al-An`am, Allah willing, and our trust is in Him.

The Story of Maryam's Birth

Allah tells;

إِذۡ قَالَتِ امۡرَأَةُ عِمۡرَانَ

(Remember) when the wife of Imran said:

The wife of Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh.

Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she ﷺ a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant.

She said,

رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرۡتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطۡنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الۡعَلِيمُ

O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.

meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female.

فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتۡهَا قَالَتۡ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعۡتُهَا أُنثَى وَاللّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتۡ

Then when she gave birth to her, she said:""O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, ـ and Allah knew better what she bore.

وَلَيۡسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالاُنثَى

And the male is not like the female,

in strength and the commitment to worship Allah and serve the Masjid in Jerusalem.

وَإِنِّي سَمَّيۡتُهَا مَرۡيَمَ

And I have named her Maryam,

thus, testifying to the fact that it is allowed to give a name to the newly born the day it is born, as is apparent from the Ayah, which is also a part of the law of those who were before us.

Further, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah mentioned that the Prophet said,

وُلِدَ لِيَ اللَّيۡلَةَ وَلَدٌ سَمَّيۡتُهُ بِاسۡمِ أَبِي إِبۡرَاهِيم

This night, a son was born for me and I called him by my father's name, Ibrahim.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.

They also recorded that;

Anas bin Malik brought his newborn brother to the Messenger of Allah who chewed a piece of date and put it in the child's mouth and called him Abdullah.

Other new born infants were also given names on the day they were born.

Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, that Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah said,

كُلُّ غُلَمٍ رَهِينٌ بِعَقِيقَتِهِ يُذۡبَحُ عَنۡهُ يَوۡمَ سَابِعِهِ وَيُسَمَّى وَيُحۡلَقُ رَأَسُه

Every new born boy held in security by his Aqiqah, until his seventh day, a sacrifice is offered on his behalf, he is given a name, and the hair on his head is shaved.

This Hadith was collected by Ahmad and the collectors of the Sunan, and was graded Sahih by At-Tirmidhi.

We should mention that another narration for this Hadith contained the wording, ""and blood is offered on his behalf,"" which is more famous and established than the former narration, and Allah knows best.

Allah's statement that Maryam's mother said,

وِإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيۡطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

""...And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast.""

means, that she sought refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan, for her and her offspring, i.e., `Isa, peace be upon him.

Allah accepted her supplication, for Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَا مِنۡ مَوۡلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلاَّ مَسَّهُ الشَّيۡطَانُ حِينَ يُولَدُ فَيَسۡتَهِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنۡ مَسِّهِ إِيَّاهُ إِلاَّ مَرۡيَمَ وَابۡنَهَا

Every newly born baby is touched by Shaytan when it is born, and the baby starts crying because of this touch, except Maryam and her son.

Abu Hurayrah then said,

""Read if you will,

وِإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيۡطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

(And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast).""

The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith

Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with Allah

Allah tells;

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance.

Allah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother's vow and that,

وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا

He made her grow in a good manner,

meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.

وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا

And put her under the care of Zakariyya,

meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor.

Allah made Zakariyya Maryam's guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,

فَإِذَا بِيَحۡيَى وَعِيسى وَهُمَا ابۡنَا الۡخَالَة

I ﷺ John and `Isa, who are maternal cousins.

We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt.

The Two Sahihs recorded that;

the Messenger of Allah decided that Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Jafar bin Abi Talib, saying,

الۡخَالَةُ بِمَنۡزِلَةِ الاُۡم

The maternal aunt is just like the mother.

Allah then emphasizes Maryam's honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا الۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقاً

Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.

Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, Ibrahim An-Nakhai, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Atiyah Al-Awfi and As-Suddi said,

""He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer.""

When Zakariyya would see this;

قَالَ يَا مَرۡيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا

He said:""O Maryam! From where have you gotten this!""

meaning, where did you get these fruits from!

قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ اللّهِ

She said, ""This is from Allah.""

إنَّ اللّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ

Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.

The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's Birth

Allah tells;

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ

At that time Zakariyya invoked his Lord, saying:

When Zakariyya ﷺ that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own.

By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones feeble and his head full of gray hair. His wife was an old women who was barren. Yet, he still supplicated to Allah and called Him in secret,

رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنۡكَ

O my Lord! Grant me from Ladunka, (from You),

ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً

A good offspring,

meaning, a righteous offspring,

إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاء

You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.

Allah said

فَنَادَتۡهُ الۡمَليِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَايِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الۡمِحۡرَابِ

Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab,

meaning, the angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship.

Allah told us about the good news that the angels delivered to Zakariyya,

أَنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيَـى

Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya,

of a child from your offspring, his name is Yahya.

Qatadah and other scholars said that;

he was called Yahya (literally, `he lives') because Allah filled his life with faith.

Allah said next,

مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ

believing in the Word from Allah.

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said, and also Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, and several others said that the Ayah,

مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ

(believing in the Word from Allah) means,

""Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam.""

وَسَيِّدًا

And Sayyidan,

Abu Al-Aliyah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;

Sayyidan, means, a wise man.

Ibn Abbas, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that;

Sayyidan means, ""The noble, wise and pious man.""

Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Sayyid is the scholar and Faqih. `Atiyah said that Sayyid is the man noble in behavior and piety. `Ikrimah said that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger, while Ibn Zayd said that it refers to the noble man. Mujahid said that Sayyidan means, honored by Allah.

Allah's statement,

وَحَصُورًا

And Hasuran, (chaste),

does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women, but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations.

This does not mean that he does not marry women and have legal sexual relations with them, for Zakariyya said in his supplication for the benefit of Yahya,

هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنۡكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً

(Grant me from You, a good offspring), meaning, grant me a son who will have offspring, and Allah knows best.

Allah's statement,

وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

A Prophet, from among the righteous.

delivers more good news of sending Yahya as Prophet after the good news that he will be born. This good news was even better than the news of Yahya's birth.

In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa,

إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيۡكِ وَجَـعِلُوهُ مِنَ الۡمُرۡسَلِينَ

Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers. (28:7)

When Zakariyya heard the good news, he started contemplating about having children at his age.

Allah said

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَمٌ وَقَدۡ بَلَغَنِيَ الۡكِبَرُ وَامۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ

""O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren!""

قَالَ

(He) said...,

meaning the angel said,

كَذَلِكَ اللّهُ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَاء

""Thus Allah does what He wills.""

meaning, this is Allah's matter, He is so Mighty that nothing escapes His power, nor is anything beyond His ability.

قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَل لِّيَ ايَةً

He said:""O my Lord! Make a sign for me.""

meaning make a sign that alerts me that the child will come.

قَالَ ايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمۡزًا

(Allah) said:""Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals.""

meaning, you will not be able to speak except with signals, although you are not mute.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً

For three nights, though having no bodily defect. (19:10)

Allah then commanded Zakariyya to supplicate, thank and praise Him often in that condition,

وَاذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحۡ بِالۡعَشِيِّ وَالاِبۡكَارِ

And remember your Lord much and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning.

We will elaborate more on this subject in the beginning of Surah Maryam, Allah willing.

The Virtue of Maryam Over the Women of Her Time

Allah tells;

وَإِذۡ قَالَتِ الۡمَلَيِكَةُ يَا مَرۡيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصۡطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصۡطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاء الۡعَالَمِينَ

And (remember) when the angels said:""O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the nations.""

Allah states that the angels spoke to Maryam by His command and told her that He chose her because of her service to Him, because of her modesty, honor, innocence, and conviction.

Allah also chose her because of her virtue over the women of the world.

At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ali bin Abi Talib said,

""I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

خَيۡرُ نِسَايِهَا مَرۡيَمُ بِنۡتُ عِمۡرَانَ وَخَيۡرُ نِسَايِهَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنۡتُ خُوَيۡلِد

The best woman (in her time) was Maryam, daughter of Imran, and the best woman (of the Prophet's time) is Khadijah (his wife), daughter of Khuwaylid.""

The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ashari said that the Messenger of Allah said,

كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمۡ يَكۡمُلۡ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ مَرۡيَمُ بِنۡتُ عِمۡرَانَ وَ اسِيَةُ امۡرَأَةُ فِرۡعَوۡن

Many men achieved perfection, but among women, only Maryam the daughter of Imran and Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, achieved perfection.

The Six -- with the exception of Abu Dawud - recorded it.

Al-Bukhari's wording for it reads,

كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمۡ يَكۡمُلۡ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ اسِيَةُ امۡرَأَةُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَرۡيَمُ بِنۡتُ عِمۡرَانَ

وَإِنَّ فَضۡلَ عَايِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضۡلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلى سَايِرِ الطَّعَام

Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, and Maryam, the daughter of Imran.

The superiority of Aishah (his wife) to other women, is like the superiority of Tharid (meat and bread dish) to other meals.

We mentioned the various chains of narration and wordings for this Hadith in the story of `Isa, son of Maryam, in our book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, all the thanks are due to Allah.

Allah states that the angels commanded Maryam to increase acts of worship, humbleness, submission, prostration, bowing, and so forth, so that she would acquire what Allah had decreed for her, as a test for her. Yet, this test also earned her a higher grade in this life and the Hereafter, for Allah demonstrated His might by creating a son inside her without male intervention.

Allah said,

يَا مَرۡيَمُ اقۡنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسۡجُدِي وَارۡكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

""O Maryam! Submit yourself with obedience (Aqnuti) and prostrate yourself, and bow down along with Ar-Raki`in.""

As for Qunut (Aqnuti in the Ayah),

it means to submit with humbleness.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience (Qanitun) to Him. (2:116)

Allah next said to His Messenger after He mentioned Maryam's story.

ذَلِكَ مِنۡ أَنبَاء الۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيكَ

This is a part of the news of the Ghayb which We reveal.

""and narrate to you (O Muhammad),""

وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يُلۡقُون أَقۡلَمَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ يَكۡفُلُ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ

You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed.

meaning, ""You were not present, O Muhammad, when this occurred, so you cannot narrate what happened to the people as an eye witness. Rather, Allah disclosed these facts to you as if you were a witness, when they conducted a lottery to choose the custodian of Maryam, seeking the reward of this good deed.""

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ikrimah said,

""Maryam's mother left with Maryam, carrying her in her infant cloth, and took her to the rabbis from the offspring of Aaron, the brother of Musa. They were responsible for taking care of Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid) at that time, just as there were those who took care of the Ka`bah.

Maryam's mother said to them, `Take this child whom I vowed (to serve the Masjid), I have set her free, since she is my daughter, for no menstruating woman should enter the Masjid, and I shall not take her back home.'

They said, `She is the daughter of our Imam,' as Imran used to lead them in prayer, `who took care of our sacrificial rituals.'

Zakariyya said, `Give her to me, for her maternal aunt is my wife.'

They said, `Our hearts cannot bear that you take her, for she is the daughter of our Imam.' So they conducted a lottery with the pens with which they wrote the Tawrah, and Zakariyya won the lottery and took Maryam into his care.""'

Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, and several others said that;

the rabbis went into the Jordan river and conducted a lottery there, deciding to throw their pens into the river. The pen that remained afloat and idle would indicate that its owner would take care of Maryam.

When they threw their pens into the river, the water took all the pens under, except Zakariyya's pen, which remained afloat in its place.

Zakariyya was also their master, chief, scholar, Imam and Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him and the rest of the Prophets."

Ali-'Imran: 40

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