Qur'an and Tafsir, Surah 19
مريم
Mary
An old man whispers. A young woman gives birth alone. Neither is left alone for long.
98 ayat, Makkan, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Makkah
The first Muslims are few. They meet in a back room.
The leading families point to their big houses and full gatherings: look who is doing well.
They also believe God has offspring. Christians, in another way, call Jesus the Son of God.
Journey map
Maryam 19:4Zakariyya is old and childless. He prays in secret.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّي وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَيۡبࣱا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيࣱّا ٤
4 He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].
The word
The Arabic verb Zakariyya uses for his white hair is a fire word. It has spread like a spark through firewood. He is saying: I know how late it is.
Maryam 19:7The answer comes at once.
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيࣱّا ٧
7 [He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
A closer look
Peace is promised to Yahya (John), Zakariyya's son: the day he is born, the day he dies, the day he is raised. An early scholar said: those are the three moments a person is most alone.
The second story
Maryam (Mary) has withdrawn behind a screen. A man appears. She is afraid. He says he is a messenger from her Lord, sent to tell her she will have a son.
Maryam 19:18Maryam's first words to the stranger.
قَالَتۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيࣱّا ١٨
18 She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allāh."
Maryam 19:20Then Maryam's question.
قَالَتۡ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمࣰ وَلَمۡ يَمۡسَسۡنِي بَشَرࣰ وَلَمۡ أَكُ بَغِيࣱّا ٢٠
20 She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?"
A closer look
Ibn Kathir counts. Adam: no father, no mother. Eve: no mother. Everyone else: both. 'Isa (Jesus): no father. With him the set is complete. A sign of the Maker's power.
Maryam 19:23Maryam goes far away. Labour comes. She is alone.
فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلۡمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ قَالَتۡ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي مِتُّ قَبۡلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسۡيࣱا مَّنسِيࣱّا ٢٣
23 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."
What's happening
Maryam says she wishes she had died. What comes next is not a correction. It is a stream at her feet, dates from the tree, and the words: do not grieve.
Where scholars differ
Of Maryam: "He called her from below." Ibn 'Abbas and others said: the angel Jibril. Mujahid and al-Hasan said: her newborn son, comforting his mother. The Arabic leaves it open.
The word
Maryam is told to eat, then to say she is fasting. The fast is from speech. Ibn Kathir: no explanation would be believed. So she is told not to give one.
Maryam 19:28Maryam walks home with the baby. Her people say:
يَٰٓأُخۡتَ هَٰرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ ٱمۡرَأَ سَوۡءࣲ وَمَا كَانَتۡ أُمُّكِ بَغِيࣱّا ٢٨
28 O sister [i.e., descendant] of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."
The story behind it
Christians in Najran asked a Muslim envoy: Aaron lived centuries before Mary. The Prophet ﷺ explained: people used to take the names of prophets and the righteous before them.
Maryam 19:30Maryam points at the cradle. The child speaks.
قَالَ إِنِّي عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِيَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيࣱّا ٣٠
30 [Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allāh. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.
A closer look
'Isa's first line. "A prophet" clears his mother. "Servant of Allah" comes first, and answers a claim nobody has made yet: that a miraculous birth makes him more than human.
Maryam 19:35The surah steps back from the story.
مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدࣲۖ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥٓۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمۡرࣱا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ ٣٥
35 It is not [befitting] for Allāh to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.
Every side heard
Maryam 19:42Third family. Ibrahim (Abraham) speaks to his father.
إِذۡ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعۡبُدُ مَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ وَلَا يُبۡصِرُ وَلَا يُغۡنِي عَنكَ شَيۡـࣱٔا ٤٢
42 [Mention] when he said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?
The word
Ibrahim opens every sentence the same way. He never calls his father a name. His father answers with "Ibrahim", a threat of stoning, and: get away from me.
Maryam 19:47Ibrahim's reply to the threat.
قَالَ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكَۖ سَأَسۡتَغۡفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّيٓۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِي حَفِيࣱّا ٤٧
47 [Abraham] said, "Peace [i.e., safety] will be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Indeed, He is ever gracious to me.
What's happening
Ten prophets are named and praised. Then one line about all of them: when Allah's words were recited, they fell down weeping. Honoured, and still servants.
Maryam 19:59Then came their heirs.
۞ فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ أَضَاعُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَلۡقَوۡنَ غَيًّا ٥٩
59 But there came after them successors [i.e., later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil -
Maryam 19:73Now Makkah. The leading men say to the believers:
وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتࣲ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَيُّ ٱلۡفَرِيقَيۡنِ خَيۡرࣰ مَّقَامࣱا وَأَحۡسَنُ نَدِيࣱّا ٧٣
73 And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Which of [our] two parties is best in position and best in association?"
The story behind it
Khabbab, a Muslim blacksmith, asks a Makkan chief for his pay. Not until you leave Muhammad. Never. Then I will pay you in the next life: I will be rich there too.
Maryam 19:80The reply to the chief who was sure of his wealth.
وَنَرِثُهُۥ مَا يَقُولُ وَيَأۡتِينَا فَرۡدࣱا ٨٠
80 And We will inherit him [in] what he mentions, and he will come to Us alone.
Maryam 19:90They say the Most Merciful has a son. The surah's answer:
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرۡنَ مِنۡهُ وَتَنشَقُّ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَتَخِرُّ ٱلۡجِبَالُ هَدًّا ٩٠
90 The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation
A closer look
The sky nearly splits. It does not. A hadith here says no one is more patient than Allah: a son is ascribed to Him, and He still feeds those who say it.
Maryam 19:95No family, no gathering, no wealth.
وَكُلُّهُمۡ ءَاتِيهِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فَرۡدًا ٩٥
95 And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.
Maryam 19:96And then the next line.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَيَجۡعَلُ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وُدࣱّا ٩٦
96 Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
An old man whispers. A young woman gives birth alone. Neither is left alone for long.