19. Surah Maryam
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 Blessedwheresoever 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.
أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ
أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ
عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ
النَّبِيِّينَ...
19: 58. Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace --
...مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ...
of the posterity of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah,
...وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ...
and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel --
C2509. The earlier generations are grouped into three epochs from a religious point of view:
- from Adam to Noah,
- from Noah to Abraham, and
- from Abraham to an indefinite time, say to the time when the Message of Allah was corrupted and the need arose for the final Messenger of Unity and Truth.
Israel is another name for Jacob.
...وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا...
of those whom We guided and chose;
...إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَن خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا ﴿٥٨﴾
whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them,
they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.
C2510. The original is in the Aorist tense, implying that the "Posterity" alluded to includes not only the messengers but their worthy followers who are true to Allah and uphold His standard.
Other versions:
19: 30 [Maryam, Mecca 44]
Asad [But] he said: “ Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed unto revelation and made me a prophet,
Yusuf Ali He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me 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,
Yusuf Ali "And He hath made me Blessed wheresoever I be and hath enjoined on 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.
Yusuf Ali "(He) hath made me kind to my mother and not overbearing or miserable;
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
Yusuf Ali "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)"!
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.
Yusuf Ali Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth about which they (vainly) dispute.
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
19: 58
Asad ……….We had guided and elected: whenever the messages of the Most Gracious were conveyed unto them, they would fall down [before Him], Him] prostrating themselves and weeping.
Yusuf Ali Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace of the posterity of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose; whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.
Pickthall These are they unto whom Allah showed favor from among the Prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping.
Transliteration Ula_ ikal lazina an'amal la_hu 'alaihim minan nabiy yina min dzur riy yati a_dam wa mim man hamalna_ ma'a nu_hiw wa min dzur riy yati ibra_hima wa isra_ ila wa mim man hadaina_ waj tabaina_ idza_ tutla_ 'alaihim a_ya_tur rahma_ni khar ru_ suj jadaw wa bukiy ya_
[Asad’s note 44 I.e., all of the prophets were conscious of being no more than mortal, humble servants of God. (see also 32:15) ]