19. Surah Maryam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
19: 29. But she pointed to the babe.
C2482. What could Mary do?
How could she explain?
Would they, in their censorious mood, accept her explanation?
All she could do was to point to the child, who, she knew, was no ordinary child. And the child came to her rescue. By a miracle he spoke, defended his mother, and preached-to an unbelieving audience.
...قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا ﴿٢٩﴾
They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
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.
Other versions:
19: 29
Yusuf Ali But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
Pickthall Then she pointed to him. They said How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy?
Transliteration Fa asa_rat ilaihi qa_lu_ kaifa nukal limu man ka_na fil mahdi shabiy ya_
19: 30
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_