3. Sura al-Imran

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا...

3: 37. Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty;

to the care of Zakariya was she assigned.

...كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقاً...

Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance.

...قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا...

He said: "O Mary! whence (comes) this to you?"

...قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ...

She said: "From Allah:

...إنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٣٧﴾

for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure."

C379. Mary grew under Allah's special protection. Her sustenance, under which we may include both her physical needs and her spiritual food, came from Allah, and her growth was indeed a "goodly growth" which I have tried to express in the Text by the words "purity and beauty".

Some apocryphal Christian writings say that she was brought up in the Temple to the age of twelve like a dove, and that she was fed by angels.

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ ...

3: 38. There did Zakariya pray to his Lord,

...قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَة ...

saying:

"O my Lord! grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure;

...إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاء ﴿٣٨﴾

for Thou art He that heareth prayer!"

C380. The birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus, of John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus, and of Jesus, the prophet of Israel, whom Israel rejected, occurred in that order chronologically, and are told in that order.

They are all inter-connected. Zakariya prayed for no ordinary son. He and his wife were past the age of parenthood. Seeing the growth of Mary, he prayed for some child from Allah,- "from Thee, a progeny that is pure".

To his surprise, he is given a son in the flesh, ushered in by a special Sign. (R)

فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ ...

3: 39. While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him:

... أَنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى...

"Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya,

...مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ ...

witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah,

C381. Notice: "a Word from Allah", not "the Word of Allah", the epithet that mystical Christianity uses for Jesus.

As stated in 3:59 below, Jesus was created by a miracle, by Allah's word "Be", and he was.

... وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾

and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a Prophet, of the (goodly) company of the righteous."

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ...

3: 40. He said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?"

...قَالَ كَذَلِكَ ...

"Thus," was the answer,

... اللّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء ﴿٤٠﴾

"doth Allah accomplish what He willeth."

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّيَ آيَةً...

3: 41. He said: "O my Lord! give me a sign!"

...قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا...

"Thy Sign," was the answer, "shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals.

...وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ ﴿٤١﴾

Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning."

Other versions:

3: 37

Yusuf Ali Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty; to the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure."

Pickthall And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.

Transliteration Fataqabbalaha_ rabbuha_ bi qabu_lin hasaniw wa ambataha_ naba_tan hasana_(n), wa kaffalaha_ zakariyya_, kullama_ dakhala 'alaiha_ zakariyyal mihra_b(a), wajada 'indaha_ rizqa_(n), qa_la ya_ maryamu anna_ laki ha_za_, qa_lat huwa min 'indilla_h(i), innalla_ha yarzuqu may yasya_'u bi gairi hisa_b(in).

3: 38

Yusuf Ali There did Zakariya pray to his Lord saying: "O my Lord! grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure; for Thou art He that heareth prayer!"

Pickthall Then Zachariah prayed unto his Lord and said: My Lord! Bestow upon me of Thy bounty goodly offspring. Lo! Thou art the Hearer of Prayer.

Transliteration Huna_lika da'a_ zakariyya_ rabbah(u_), qa_la rabbi hab li mil ladunka zurriyyatan tayyibah(tan),innaka sami'ud du'a_'(i).

3: 39

Yusuf Ali While he was standing in prayer in the chamber the angels called unto him: "Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah and (be besides) noble chaste and a Prophet of the (goodly) company of the righteous."

Pickthall And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah, lordly, chaste, a Prophet of the righteous.

Transliteration Fa na_dathul mala_'ikatu wa huwa qa_'imuy yusalli fil mihra_b(i), annalla_ha yubasysyiruka bi yahya_ musaddiqam bi kalimatim minalla_hi wa sayyidaw wa husu_raw wa nabiyyam minas sa_lihin(a).

3: 40

Yusuf Ali He said: "O my Lord! how shall I have a son seeing I am very old and my wife is barren?" "Thus" was the answer "doth Allah accomplish what He willeth."

Pickthall He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when age hath overtaken me already and my wife is barren? (The angel) answered: So (it will be). Allah doeth what He will.

Transliteration Qa_la rabbi anna_ yaku_nu li gula_muw wa qad balaganiyal kibaru wamra'ati 'a_qir(un), qa_la kaza_likalla_hu yaf'alu ma_ yasya_'(u).

3: 41

Yusuf Ali He said: "O my Lord! give me a sign!" "Thy Sign" was the answer "shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning."

Pickthall He said: My Lord! Appoint a token for me. (The angel) said: The token unto thee (shall be) that thou shalt not speak unto mankind three days except by signs. Remember thy Lord much, and praise (Him) in the early hours of night and morning.

Transliteration Qa_la rabbij'al li a_yah(tan), qa_la a_yatuka alla_ tukalliman na_sa sala_sata ayya_min illa_ ramza_(n), wazkur rabbaka kasiraw wa sabbih bil'asyiyyi wal ibka_r(i).