19. [Maryam, Mecca 44]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ...   

19: 30.  He said:

"I am indeed a servant of Allah:

...آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا ﴿٣٠﴾

He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;

وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ...   

19: 31.  "And He hath made me Blessed wheresoever I be,

...وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا ﴿٣١﴾

and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;

C2483. There is a parallelism throughout the accounts of Jesus and Yahya, with some variations. Both the parallelisms and the variations are interesting.

For instance Jesus declares at the very outset that he is a servant of Allah, thus negativing the false notion that he was Allah or the son of Allah.

The greatness of Yahya is described in 19:12-13 in terms that are not applied to Jesus, but the verses 19:14-15 as applied to Yahya are in almost identical terms with those applied to Jesus here (19:32-33).

Devotion in Prayer and Charity is a good description of Christ at its best, and pity, purity, and devotion in Yahya are a good description of the ways leading to Prayer and Charity, just as John led to Jesus.

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا ﴿٣٢﴾

19: 32.  "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;

C2484. Overbearing violence is not only unjust and harmful to those on whom it is practised; it is perhaps even more harmful to the person who practices it, for his soul becomes turbid, unsettled, and ultimately unhappy and wretched,-the state of those in Hell. Here the negative qualities are "not overbearing or miserable."

As applied to John they were "not overbearing or rebellious." John bore his punishment from the State without any protest or drawing back.

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا ﴿٣٣﴾

19: 33.  "So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

C2485. Cf. 19:15, and n. 2469.

Christ was not crucified (4:157). (R).

ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ...   

19: 34.  Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary:

...قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾

(it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.

C2486. The disputations about the nature of Jesus Christ were vain, but also persistent and sanguinary. The modem Christian churches have thrown them into the background, but they would do well to abandon irrational dogmas altogether.

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ...   

19: 54.  Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il:

...إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَّبِيًّا ﴿٥٤﴾

He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger (and) a Prophet.

C2506. Isma'il was Dhabih Allah i.e., the chosen sacrifice for Allah in Muslim tradition.

When Abraham told him of the sacrifice, he voluntarily offered himself for it, and never flinched from his promise, until the sacrifice was redeemed by the substitution of a ram under Allah's commands.

He was the fountain-head of the Arabian Ummah, and in his posterity came the Prophet of Allah. The Ummah and the Book of Islam reflect back the prophethood on Isma'il.

وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ...   

19: 55.  He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity,

...وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّا ﴿٥٥﴾

and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.

C2507. An acceptable sacrifice: see last note.

Other Versions:

19: 30

Asad [But] he said: “ Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed unto revelation and made me a prophet,

Pickthall He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet,

Transliteration Qa_la in ni abdul la_h a_ta_niyal kita_ba wa ja'a ani nabiy ya_

19: 31

Asad and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live,

Pickthall And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive,

Transliteration Wa ja'alani muba_rakan aina ma_ kuntu wa ausha_ni bis sala_ti waz zaka_ti ma_ dumtu hay ya_

19: 32

Asad and [has endowed me with] piety towards my mother; and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace.

Pickthall And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest.

Transliteration Wa bar ram biwa_lidati wa lam yaj'alni jab ba_ran syaqiy ya_

19: 33

Pickthall Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!

Transliteration Was sala_mu 'alay ya yauma wulidtu wa yauma amu_tu wa yauma ub'atsu hay ya_

19: 34

Asad Such was, in the words of truth, Jesus the son of Mary, about whose nature they so deeply disagree.

19: 54

Pickthall And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah) a Prophet.

Transliteration Wadz kur fil kita_bi isma_'ila in nahu_ ka_na sha_diqal wa'di wa ka_na rasu_lan nabiy ya_

Pickthall Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.

Transliteration Za_lika 'isab nu maryam qaulal haq qil lazi fihi yamtaru_n

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20. Sura Taha

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ...   

20: 14.  "Verily, I am Allah:

...لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا...

there is no god but I:

...فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿١٤﴾

so serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.

Other Versions:

20:14 [addressing to directly toMoses]

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21. [al-Anbiyaa, Mecca 73]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً...  

21: 72.  And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional gift, (a grandson), Jacob,

C2728. Nafilat has many meanings:

-         booty;

-         extra work or prayer;

-         extra or additional gift;

-         grandson.

The two last significations are implied here. Not only was Abraham given a son in his old age; he was given not only Isaac, but several sons, the chief being Isma'il and Isaac, who both joined in burying him (Gen. 25:9); and he also saw grandsons. Isma'il is specially mentioned later (21:85) apart from Isaac's line, on account of his special importance for Islam.

...وَكُلًّا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ ﴿٧٢﴾

and We made righteous men of every one (of them).

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا...  

21: 73.  And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command,

...وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاء الزَّكَاةِ...

and We sent them inspiration

=    to do good deeds,

-    to establish regular prayers, and

-    to practice regular charity;

...وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ ﴿٧٣﴾

and they constantly served Us (and Us only).

C2729. The spiritual lesson from this passage may be recapitulated. The righteous man makes no compromise with evil. If the votaries of evil laugh at him he pays them in their own coin, but he stands firmly by his principles.

His firmness causes some confusion among the followers of evil, and he openly declares the faith that is in him. They try, openly and secretly, to injure or kill him, but Allah protects him, while evil perishes from its own excesses.

Other Versions:

21:72

Arabic Source and Roman Transliteration Arabic   وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ۖ وَكُلًّا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ &#x21E8 Transliteration   Wawahabna lahu ishaqa wayaAAqooba nafilatan wakullan jaAAalna saliheena &#x21E8

(21:73) and made them leaders who would guide [others] in accordance with Our behest: for We inspired them [with a will] to do good works, and to be constant in prayer, and to dispense charity: and Us [alone) did they worship.