Towards Understanding the Quran

From: http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=19

With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
English ◄ Chapter 19. Maryam ► Intro. ◄ Verse 1-15 of 98 ► View Ar En Nt ► █ Font Email
كٓهٰيٰـعٓـصٓ‌ۚ‏ ﴿19:1﴾ ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَـبۡدَهٗ زَكَرِيَّا ‌ۖ‌ۚ‏ ﴿19:2﴾ اِذۡ نَادٰى رَبَّهٗ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّا‏ ﴿19:3﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ وَهَنَ الۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّىۡ وَاشۡتَعَلَ الرَّاۡسُ شَيۡبًا وَّلَمۡ اَكُنۡۢ بِدُعَآٮِٕكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا‏ ﴿19:4﴾ وَاِنِّىۡ خِفۡتُ الۡمَوَالِىَ مِنۡ وَّرَآءِىۡ وَكَانَتِ امۡرَاَتِىۡ عَاقِرًا فَهَبۡ لِىۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ وَلِيًّاۙ‏ ﴿19:5﴾ يَّرِثُنِىۡ وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ اٰلِ يَعۡقُوۡبَ‌ وَاجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا‏ ﴿19:6﴾ يٰزَكَرِيَّاۤ اِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلٰم ۨاسۡمُهٗ يَحۡيٰىۙ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهٗ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ سَمِيًّا‏ ﴿19:7﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لِىۡ غُلٰمٌ وَّكَانَتِ امۡرَاَتِىۡ عَاقِرًا وَّقَدۡ بَلَـغۡتُ مِنَ الۡـكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا‏ ﴿19:8﴾ قَالَ كَذٰلِكَ‌ۚ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ وَّقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـًٔـا‏ ﴿19:9﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَل لِّىۡۤ اٰيَةً‌ ؕ قَالَ اٰيَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا‏ ﴿19:10﴾ فَخَرَجَ عَلٰى قَوۡمِهٖ مِنَ الۡمِحۡرَابِ فَاَوۡحٰٓى اِلَيۡهِمۡ اَنۡ سَبِّحُوۡا بُكۡرَةً وَّعَشِيًّا‏ ﴿19:11﴾ يٰيَحۡيٰى خُذِ الۡكِتٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ‌ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنٰهُ الۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّاۙ‏ ﴿19:12﴾ وَّحَنَانًـا مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّا وَزَكٰوةً ‌ؕ وَّكَانَ تَقِيًّاۙ‏ ﴿19:13﴾ وَّبَرًّۢا بِوَالِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا‏ ﴿19:14﴾ وَسَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوۡتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا‏ ﴿19:15﴾

(19:1) Kaf. Ha'. Ya'. Ayn. Sad.
(19:2) This is an account1 of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah2
*1 For comparison please see the story of Zachariah as given in vv. 34-57 of Al-i-Imran (III) and the E.N.'s thereof.
*2 In order to understand the position held by Hadrat Zachariah, a descendant ' of Prophet Aaron, one should be acquainted with the system of priesthood among the children of Israel.

(19:3) when he cried to his Lord in secret.
(19:4) He said: "Lord! My bones have grown feeble and my head is glistening with age; yet, never have my prayers to You, my Lord, been unfruitful.
(19:5) I fear evil from my kinsmen after I am gone;3 and my wife is barren, so grant me an heir out of Your special grace,
*3 That is, "I see none among my kinsmen, the family of Abiah, who is religiously and morally sound and capable of carrying on the work of the mission that has been entrusted to me."

(19:6) one that might be my heir and the heir of the house of Jacob;4 and make him, Lord, one that will be pleasing to You.
*4 That is, "I do not pray for a successor to inherit me alone, but a successor who may inherit the good ways of the house of Jacob."

(19:7) (He was told): "Zechariah, We bring you the good news of the birth of a son whose name shall be Yahya (John), one whose namesake We never created before."5
*5 In Luke the words are: "There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name." (1: 61)

(19:8) He said: "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached an extremely old age?"
(19:9) He answered: "So shall it be." Your Lord says: "It is easy for Me," and then added: "For beyond doubt, I created you earlier when you were nothing."6
*6 This dialogue is meant to impress that Allah is able to do whatever He wills and can make an impotent man and a barren woman give birth to a child, and likewise a virgin can be made to conceive a child.

(19:10) Zechariah said: "Lord, grant me a Sign." Said He: "Your Sign is that you shall not be able to speak to people for three nights, though you will be otherwise sound."
(19:11) Thereupon Zechariah came out from the sanctuary7 and directed his people by gestures to extol His glory by day and by night.8
*7 For the explanation of mihrab (sanctuary), see E.N. 36 of Al-i-Imran
*8 Below we reproduce the details of this event as given in Luke's Gospel so that the. reader may study and compare the Quranic with the Christian version. The references and additions within the brackets are ours:

(19:12) "O John! Hold the Book with all your strength."9 We had bestowed wisdom upon him while he was still a child;10
*9 The details regarding the birth of Prophet John, according to the Divine will, and his coming of age, have been left out. Here, in one sentence, the Mission of Prophethood entrusted to him on attaining maturity has been stated, which was "to observe and follow the Torah in letter and spirit, and to exhort the Israelites as well to do the same."

(19:13) and We also endowed him with tenderness11 and purity, and he was exceedingly pious
*10 The Arabic word hukm implies ability (1) to make decisions, (2) to form right opinions, (3) to interpret the Divine Law, (4) to solve problems, and (5) it also means authority from Allah to decide affairs.
*11 The Arabic word hanan is almost synonymous with `mother love'. In other words, Prophet John bore in his heart the same kind of intense love for Allah's servants as a mother has for her child.

(19:14) and cherishing to his parents. Never was he insolent or rebellious.
(19:15) Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he will die, and the day he will be raised up alive.12
*12 In order to have a fuller understanding of the Mission and the pure character of Prophet John, about which brief references have been made in this Surah and Surah Al-i-`Imran, it will be useful to study this story as given in different Books of the New Testament in the following order:
English ◄ Chapter 19. Maryam ► Intro. ◄ Verse 1-15 of 98 ► View Ar En Nt Recite Font Email