Sūrah Maryam

This is Sūrah Ka Hā Yā ‘Ayn Ṣu‘ād. This is a mention of the blessings and mercy of your Lord which He had bestowed on His servant Zacharias, when he secretly called on him. He pleaded: “Lord! My bones have grown old and my head has glowed white with old age, and Lord! I have never remained deprived after asking from You. I fear my brethren after me, and my wife is barren. So, grant me an heir from Yourself who is not only my heir but also of Jacob’s family. And Lord! Make him a likeable person.”

[God said:] “O Zacharias! We give you glad tidings of a boy who will be called Yaḥyā. We have not created anyone like him before.” He said: “Lord! How can a boy be born to me when my wife is barren and I too have reached the extreme of old age.” He said: “Thus shall it happen. It is the declaration of your Lord: ‘This is very easy for me. Before this, I have created you when you were nothing.’” Zacharias said: “My Lord! Appoint a sign for me.” God said: “The sign for you is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days and nights even though you will be perfectly healthy.” Hence, he came out to people from his abode of worship. He then gestured to them to glorify God from dawn to dusk.¹

[These glad tidings materialized. Thus when that boy matured into an adult, God said:] “Yaḥyā! Hold fast to Our Book.” We gave him the ability to decide [between right and wrong] in his very childhood and blessed him with warmth and compassion specially from Our self and [external and internal] purity and he was very pious and also obedient to his parents. He was not rebellious and defiant. And [glad tidings of] peace were for him the day he was born and the day he will die and the day he will be raised to life.

Mention [now] in this Book the name of Mary, when she had left her family and had stationed herself in isolation on the eastern side [of the Temple], and had kept herself in seclusion from them. Then We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her in the form of a full-grown man. [When] Mary [saw him,] she said: “I seek refuge from you with the Merciful God, if you fear him.” He said: “I have been sent only by your Lord and have been sent that I grant you a noble son.” Mary said: “How can a boy be born to me; neither has a man touched me nor have I ever been of loose character?” He said: “This is what will happen. Your Lord says: ‘This is very easy for Me. We shall do this so that he be Our messenger and so that We make him a sign for people and a mercy from Us. And this has been decreed.’”

So, Mary became pregnant with that child and [leaving the Temple] went away from everyone with what she bore to a distant place. Then [the time also arrived when] labour pains made her come to the trunk of the date-palm. [At that time, in utter helplessness,] she said: “Alas! Would that I had died before this and had been totally forgotten.”

At this, an angel from below Mary called her and said: “Grieve not! Your Lord has made a stream to flow from below you. And shake the trunk of the date-palm towards yourself; fresh dates will drop on you. So, eat and drink and soothe your eyes [when you see the child]. Then if you see some person [who wants to ask you something], gesture to him: ‘I have vowed to fast for the Merciful God; so, today I shall not converse with any human being.’”

After that, she came over to her people with the child in her lap. [When they saw her,] they remarked: “Mary! You have done a very grave thing. O Sister of Aaron! Neither was your father an evil person nor was your mother a harlot.”

In reply, she gestured towards the child [that he will respond to them]. People said: “What should we say to him who is a mere child in the lap?” The child spoke: “I am a servant of God. He has bestowed the Book on me and made me a prophet and made me a fountainhead of blessings wherever I be. He has directed me to be diligent in the prayer and in zakāh as long as I am alive and made me obedient to my mother; not someone who is rebellious and wretched. And [glad tidings of] peace are on me the day I was born and the day I shall die and the day I shall be raised to life.”

This was Jesus, son of Mary. The real truth about him in which these people are disputing. It is not befitting for God to make an offspring. Exalted is He. When He decides upon some matter, He need only say: “Be” to it and it happens.

And [the child said]: “Indeed, God is my Lord and yours too. So, worship Him only. This alone is the straight path.”

[This was the teaching of Jesus.] Then various sects from among those who believed in him mutually differed with one another. So, now for those who have denied [these truths], there is devastation because of the assembly of a horrible day. How well will they hear and see the day they shall come before Us! However, today these wrongdoers are in open error. [O Prophet!] Warn them of that day of longing when the matter shall be decided. At this time, they are paying no heed and not believing. There is no doubt that ultimately We shall be the inheritors of the earth and its inhabitants and all these people shall be returned to Us.

And mention Abraham in this Book. Indeed, he was an upright person and a prophet [of God]. Recall, when he said to his father: “Father! Why do you worship those things that neither hear nor see and cannot be of any benefit to you? Dear Father! In truth, that knowledge has come to me which has not come to you. So, follow me, I shall show you the straight path. Father! Do not worship Satan. Surely, Satan is very defiant to God, the Most Gracious. Dear Father! [If you do not listen to me,] I fear that some torment of the Most Gracious God may seize you and you end up becoming the companion of Satan.”

The father said: “Are you becoming averse to my deities? If you do not desist, I shall certainly stone you to death. So, [if you want that nothing happens to you, then] stay away from me forever.”

Abraham said: “[Okay then] peace be to you. I shall now pray to my Lord to forgive you. In reality, He is very Merciful to me. [If this is what your opinion is,] I also forsake you and those also whom you call instead of God. I shall only call my Lord. I am hopeful that I shall not remain deprived after calling my Lord.”

Then when he abandoned them and they also whom they worshipped instead of God, We blessed him with Isaac and Jacob and made each of them a prophet and granted them a share of Our mercy and blessed them with a lofty fame, true and permanent.

And mention Moses in this Book. Indeed, he was a chosen person and a messenger prophet. We called him from the sacred side of Ṭūr and called him close to Our self: We were talking to him about some secrets. And with Our grace gave him his brother Aaron [as his helper] by making him a prophet. (51-53).

And mention Ishmael in this Book. Indeed, he was true to his promises and a messenger prophet. He would urge his people to the prayer and the zakāh and was a likeable person to His Lord.

And mention Idrīs in this Book. Undoubtedly, he was also upright and a prophet, and [like Abraham] We had made him rise to a lofty status.

These are the people whom God blessed from among His messengers from among the progeny of Adam and from the progeny of those whom We had boarded with Noah on the Ark and from the progeny of Abraham and Israel and from among those whom We had guided and chosen. When the revelations of the Merciful God were recited to them, they would fall down in prostration and continue to weep. Then, after them, those wicked succeeded them who squandered the prayer and followed their desires. So, soon they will face the consequences of going astray. However, those who repent, accept faith and do righteous deeds, it is these people who shall enter Paradise and shall not face the slightest injustice. In eternal orchards that were promised to His servants by the Most Merciful God in that world which is hidden from the eyes. His promise shall definitely be fulfilled. They shall not hear any evil talk in it. Salutations of peace shall be there for them everywhere. Their sustenance shall be available in it for them morning and evening. This is the Paradise that We shall give in inheritance to those among Our servants who fear God.

[We know O Muḥammad that you wait for us. But our matter is that] We descend only at the directive of your Lord. Whatever is in front of us and what is behind us all is in His authority and that all also which is in between. [Rest assured,] your Lord does not forget [anything]. He is the master of the heavens and the earth and of all that lies in between them. So, worship Him alone and adhere to His worship. Is there anyone similar to Him in your knowledge?²

Man says: “Will I be taken out and given life again after I die?” Does man not remember that We have created him before when he was nothing. So, by your Lord! We shall surely gather them too and their devils also. Then We shall bring them forth around Hell such that they will be sitting on their knees [like criminals]. Then from each group We shall sort people by separating those who were the most rebellious against the Merciful God. Then it is We alone Who would also be the most aware of those most worthy of entering Hell. [O you who are being arrogant before the Merciful God,] each of one you shall surely enter it. This is a matter decided [O Prophet] to fulfil which is the responsibility of your Lord.

Then We shall save those who feared God, and those who were unjust to their souls, We shall leave them sitting in it on their knees.

When Our clear revelations are recited out to them, these disbelievers say to the believers: “Tell us which among our two groups is better in status and more grand in gatherings?” How many a nation before them have We destroyed who were far greater than them in possessions and in outward majesty. Tell them: People who persist in error, the dealing of God [about them] is that He grants them full respite until when they see the thing they are being promised – whether it is God’s torment or the hour of judgement – then at that time they will fully know whose status is evil and whose faction is weak.

Contrary to this, those who adopt the path of guidance, God increases their guidance, and good deeds that remain are better before your Lord with regard to reward as well as their consequence.

Then have you seen that person who has rejected Our revelations and whose claim is: “I shall definitely be blessed [in a similar way] with wealth and children [in the Hereafter].” Has he peeped into the Unseen or has he taken a promise from the Merciful God? Certainly not! Whatever he says, We shall write it down and [because of this claim of his] continue to increase the torment for him and We shall inherit the things he lays claim to and he shall come before us alone.

These people have set up deities besides God so that they may be of support to them. Certainly not! [There will be no supporter there]. All of them will deny their worship and, on the contrary, become their adversaries.

Have you not seen that We have let loose devils on these disbelievers. They are enticing them a lot. So, do not show haste in the decision against them. We are only completing their count.

Remind them when We shall bring together the pious towards the Most Merciful God as guests and drive the wrongdoers towards Hell thirsty. On that day, they will not have authority to bring any intercession except he who has taken a promise from the Merciful God.

They say: “The Most Merciful God has children.” Very grave is this statement you have given. It may well be that because of this the heavens tear apart, the earth is rent asunder and the mountains collapse to fall down that people have ascribed children to the Most Merciful God. It is not befitting for the Most Merciful to make anyone His children. Whoever are in the heavens and the earth, all will be brought forth in the presence of the Most Merciful as none but His servants. He is embracing them and He has fully counted them. Each of them shall come forth before Him alone in the Hereafter. However, those who have accepted faith and done righteous deeds, for them the Most Merciful shall soon create [an atmosphere of] love and affection [in His presence].

So, [O Prophet!] We have made this Qur’ān easy and apt for you in your language so that through it you may give glad tidings to those who are fearful to God and warn these stubborn people. How many a nation have We destroyed before them. Do you hear any faint sound of any of them or hear even their slight mention? (97-98).