19. [Maryam, Mecca 44]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا...   

19: 8.     He said:

"O my Lord! how shall I have a son, when my wife is barren

...وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا ﴿٨﴾

and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"

قَالَ كَذَلِكَ ...   

19: 9.     He said: "So (it will be):

C2462. Who is the "He" in this clause?

As I have construed it, following the majority of Commentators, it means the angel who brought the message from Allah.

Cf. 19:21 below.

But some Commentators construe it to refer to Zakariya. In that case the meaning will be:

Zakariya after a little reflection said (in his wonder) "So!", i.e., "Can it really be so?

Can I really have a son in my old age?"

The speech following." Thy Lord saith," etc., will then be that of the angel-messenger.

... قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ...

thy Lord saith, 'That is easy for Me:

...وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا ﴿٩﴾

I did indeed create thee before, when thou hadst been nothing!' "

C2463. Every man was nothing just before he was created, i.e., his personality was called into being by Allah. Even if there are material processes in forming the body, in accordance with the laws of nature, the real creative force is the power of Allah.

But here there is a subtler meaning. John was the harbinger of Jesus, preparing the way for him; and this sentence also prepares us for the more wonderful birth of Jesus himself, see verse 21 below.

Everything is possible with Allah.

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[ Ruby’s note: This verse is stressing the truth about the ultimate origin of a human being or of anything else for that matter. This word “nothing” is related to the material existence of anything and everything: all material existence was non existent one time and God created the reality out of that state of “nothingness”.

This incomprehensible fact has been indicated in other verses: where it says God just says ‘Be” and “it is”. He is the PRIMARY Creator, his creation is not only transforming something out of other things in existence but also creating something out of nothing. A human being is just a part of that reality.

A human being may seem to originate from a sperm and an egg coming together. However, the components of these two and the law they abide by to transform this union into a human were created out of an absolutely state of nothingness themselves. In the truest sense then a human being and all other things has its origin with God and finally will be returning to God.]