19. [Maryam, Mecca 44]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاذْكُرْ
فِي الْكِتَابِ
مَرْيَمَ...
19: 16. Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary,
C2470. Cf. the story of Mary as related in 3:42-51.
Here the whole theme is different:
it is the personal side of the experiences of the worshippers of Allah in relation to their families or environment.
...إِذِ انتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا ﴿١٦﴾
when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.
C2471. To a private eastern chamber, perhaps in the Temple. She went into privacy, from her people and from people in general, for prayer and devotion.
It was in this state of purity that the angel appeared to her in the shape of a man. She thought it was a man. She was frightened, and she adjured him not to invade her privacy.
فَاتَّخَذَتْ
مِن دُونِهِمْ
حِجَابًا...
19: 17. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them:
...فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا ﴿١٧﴾
then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
قَالَتْ
إِنِّي أَعُوذُ
بِالرَّحْمَن
مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ
تَقِيًّا ﴿١٨﴾
19: 18. She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah."
قَالَ
إِنَّمَا أَنَا
رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ
لِأَهَبَ لَكِ
غُلَامًا
زَكِيًّا ﴿١٩﴾
19: 19. He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son."
C2472. Allah had destined her to be the mother of the Prophet Jesus Christ, and now had come the time when this should be announced to her.
قَالَتْ
أَنَّى يَكُونُ
لِي غُلَامٌ
وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي
بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ
أَكُ بَغِيًّا ﴿٢٠﴾
19: 20. She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?"
19: 21. He said: "So (it will be):
...قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ...
thy Lord saith, 'That is easy for Me:
...وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ آيَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّا...
and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':
C2473. The mission of Jesus is announced in two ways:
1. he was to be a Sign to men; his wonderful birth and wonderful life were to turn an ungodly world back to Allah; and
2. his mission was similar to that of all prophets of Allah.
But the point here is that the Israelites, to whom Jesus was sent, were a hardened race, for whom the message of Jesus was truly a gospel of Mercy.
...وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا ﴿٢١﴾
it is a matter (so) decreed."
C2474. For anything that Allah wishes to create, He says "Be", and it is (Cf. 3:47).
There is no interval between His decree and its accomplishment, except such as He imposes by His decree. Time may be only a projection of our own minds in this world of relativity.