What is Islam

MARYAM (Mary).

1 Kaf Ha Ya Ain Sad.
2 (This is) a recital of the mercy of the Lord to his servant Zakariya.
3 Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret,
4 Praying: O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to thee!
5 Now I fear (what) my relatives (and colleagues) (will do) after me: but my wife is barren: so give me an heir as from thyself,
6 (One that) will (truly) represent me, and represent the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my Lord! One with whom thou art well pleased!
7 (His prayer was answered): O Zakariya! we give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have we conferred distinction before.
8 He said: O my Lord! how shall I have a son, when my wife is barren And I have grown quite decrepit From old age?
9 He said: so (it will be): thy Lord saith, that is easy for me: I did indeed create thee before, When thou hadst been nothing!
10 (Zakariya) said: O my Lord! give me a Sign, thy Sign, was the answer, shall speck to no man for three nights, although thou art not dumb.
11 So Zakariya came out To his people from his chamber: He told them by Signs to celebrate Allah's praises In the morning And in the evening.
12 (To his son came the command): O Yahya! take hold Of the Book with might: and We gave him wisdom Even as a youth,
13 And pity (for all creatures) as from us, and purity: He was devout,
14 And kind to his parents, And he was not overbearing or rebellious.
15 So peace on him The day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)!
16 Relate in the Book (The story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family To a place in the east.
17 She placed a screen (To screen herself) from them; then we sent to her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
18 She said: I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah.
19 He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son."
20 She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that non man has touched me and I am not unchaste?"
21 He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'That is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us:' It is a matter (so) decreed."
22 So she conceived him, And she retired with him to a remote place.
23 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk Of a palm tree: She cried (in her anguish): Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!
24 But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm tree): grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;
25 And shake towards thyself The trunk of the palm tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.
26 So eat and drink And cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see Any man, say, I have Vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day Will I enter into no talk With any human being
27 At length she brought The (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!
28 O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not A man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!
29 But she pointed to the babe. They said: How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?
30 He said: I am indeed A servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me A prophet;
31 And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, And hath enjoined on me prayer and Charity as long As I live;
32 (He) hath made me kind To my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;
33 So peace is on me The day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)!
34 Such (was) Jesus the son Of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.
35 It is not befitting To (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to him! when he determines a matter, He only says To it, be, and it is.
36 Verily Allah is my Lord And your Lord: him therefore serve ye: this is a way that is straight.
37 But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the Unbelievers because Of the (coming) Judgment Of a momentous Day!
38 How plainly will they see And bear, the day that they will appear before us! but the unjust to day Are in error manifest!
39 But warn them of the day of Distress, when The matter will be determined: for (behold), they are negligent And they do not believe!
40 It is we who will inherit the earth, and all beings thereon: to us will they all be returned.
41 (Also) mention in the Book (The story of) Abraham: He was a man of truth, A prophet.
42 Behold, he said to his father: O my father! why worship that which heareth not And seeth not, and can Profit thee nothing?
43 O my father! to me Hath come knowledge which Hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a Way that Is even and straight.
44 O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (Allah) Most Gracious.
45 O my father! I fear lest a penalty affect thee From (Allah) Most Gracious, so that thou become To Satan a friend.
46 (The father) replied: dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will Indeed stone thee: Now get away from me For a good long while!
47 Abraham said: peace be On thee: I will pray To my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious.
48 And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides Allah: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest.
49 When he had turned away From then and from those whom they worshipped besides Allah, we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them we made a prophet.
50 And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth.
51 Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: for he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
52 And We called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).
53 And, out of Our Mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet.
54 Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma`il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.
55 He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.
56 Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: he was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet:
57 And We raised him to a lofty station.
58 Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace of the posterity of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose; whenever the Signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.
59 But after them there followed a posterity who missed Prayers and followed after lusts: soon, then, will they face Destruction
60 Expect those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for these will enter the Garden and will not be wronged in the least
61 Gardens of Eternity, those which (Allah) Most Gracious has promised to His servants in the Unseen: for His promise must (necessarily) come to pass.
62 They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of peace: and they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.
63 Such is the Garden which we give as an inheritance to those of our servants who guard against evil.
64 (The angles say:) we descend not but by command of thy Lord: to him belongeth what is Before us and what is behind us, and what is Between: and thy Lord never doth forget,
65 Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them: so worship Him, And be constant and patient In his worship: knowest thou of any who is worthy Of the same name as he?
66 Man say: what! when I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?
67 But does not man call to mind that we created him before out of nothing?
68 So, by thy Lord, without doubt, we shall gather them together, and (also) The Evil Ones (with them); then shall we bring them forth on their knees Round about Hell;
69 Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against (Allah) Most Gracious.
70 And certainly we know best those who are most worthy Of being burned therein.
71 Not one of you but will Pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a decree which must be accomplished.
72 But we shall save those Who guarded against evil, and we shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (Humbled) to their knees.
73 When our Clear Signs Are rehearsed to them, The Unbelievers say to those who believe, Which of the two sides is best in point of position? which makes the best Show in council?
74 But how many (countless) Generations before them have we destroyed, who were even better In equipment and in glitter To the eye?
75 Say: If any men go astray, (Allah) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see The warning of Allah (being fulfilled) either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour, they will at length realize who is worst in position, and (who) weakest in forces!
76 And Allah doth advance In guidance those who seek Guidance: and the things That endure, Good Deeds, Are best in the sight Of thy Lord, as rewards, And best in respect of (Their) eventual returns.
77 Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects our Signs, yet Says: I shall certainly Be given wealth and children?
78 Has he penetrated to the unseen, or has he taken a contract with (Allah) Most Gracious?
79 Nay! we shall record what he says, and we shall add and add to his punishment.
80 To us shall return all that he talks of, and he shall appear before us bare and alone.
81 And they have taken (for worship) gods other than Allah, to give them power and glory!
82 Instead, they shall reject their worship, and become adversaries against them.
83 Seest thou not that we have set the Evil ones on against the Unbelievers, to incite them with fury?
84 So make on haste against them, for we but count out to them a (limited) number (of days).
85 The day we shall gather The righteous to (Allah) Most Gracious, like a band presented before a king for honours,
86 And we shall drive the sinners to Hell, like thirsty cattle driven down to water,
87 None shall have the power Of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (Allah) Most Gracious.
88 They say: (Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!
89 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!
90 At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth To split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,
91 That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.
92 For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that he should beget a son.
93 Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (Allah) Most Gracious as a servant.
94 He does take an account of them (all), and hath numbered them (all) exactly.
95 And everyone of them Will come to him singly on the day of Judgment.
96 On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious Bestow Love.
97 So have we made The (Quran) easy in thine own tongue, That with it thou mayest give glad tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention.
98 But how many (countless) Generations before them have we destroyed? canst thou find a single one of them (now) or hear (so much as) a whisper of them?

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Explination of the Surah

Name It takes its name from v. 16. Period of Revelation It was revealed before the Migration to Habash. We learn from authentic Traditions that Hadrat Ja'afar recited vv. 1-40 of this Surah in the court of Negus when he called the migrants to his court. Historical Background We have already briefly referred to the conditions of that period in the introduction to Surah Al-Kahf. Here we shall give rather fuller details of the same conditions, which will be helpful in grasping the meaning of this Surah and the other Surahs of the period. When the chiefs of the Quraish felt that they had failed to suppress the Islamic movement by ridicule, sarcasm, and by holding out promises and threats and by making false accusations, they resorted to persecution, beating and economic pressure. They would catch hold of the new Muslims of their clans and persecute them, starve them and would even inflict physical torture on them in order to coerce them to give up Islam. The most pitiful victims of their persecution were the poor people and the slaves and the proteges of the Quraish. They were beaten black and blue, were imprisoned and kept thirsty and hungry and were dragged on the burning sands of Makkah. The people would get work from the professional laborers but would not pay them their wages. As an instance we give below the story of Hadrat Khabbab bin Arat, which is given in Bukhari and Muslim: "I used to work as a blacksmith in Makkah. Once I did some work for As bin Wa'il. When I went to ask for my wages, he said, 'I will not pay your wages unless you disown Muhammad'. " In the same connection Hadrat Khabbab says, "One day the Holy Prophet was sitting in the shadow of the Ka'abah. I went to him and said, '0 Messenger of Allah, now persecution has gone to its extreme; why do you not pray to Allah (for relief) ? ' At this the Holy Prophet was greatly moved. He said, 'The believers before you were persecuted much more than you. Their bones were scraped with combs of iron and their heads were cut with saws, but still they did not give up their Faith. I assure you that Allah will fulfill this Mission, and there will come a period of such peace that one would travel from Sanna to Hadramaut, and he will have no fear from anyone, save Allah. But you people have already become impatient'. " (Bukhari) When the conditions became unbearable, the Holy Prophet, in the month of Rajab of the fifth year of Prophet-hood, gave advice to his Companions to this effect: "You may well migrate to Habash, for there is a king, who does not allow any kind of injustice to anyone, and there is good in his land. You should remain there till the time that Allah provides a remedy for your affliction". Accordingly, at first, eleven men and four women left for Habash. The Quraish pursued them up to the coast but fortunately they got a timely boat for Habash at the sea-port of Shu'aibah, and they escaped attest. Then after a few months, other people migrated to Habash and their number rose to eighty-three men and eleven women of the Quraish and seven non-Quraish. After this, only forty persons were left with the Holy Prophet at Makkah. There was a great hue and cry in Makkah after this Migration, for every family of the Quraish was adversely affected by this. There was hardly a family of the Quraish which did not lose a son, a son-in-law, a daughter, a brother or a sister. For instance, there were among the Migrants the near relatives of Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan and other chief of the Quraish who were notorious for their persecution of the Muslims. As a result of this, some of them became even more bitter in their enmity of Islam, while there were others who were so moved by this that they embraced Islam. For instance, this Migration left a deep mark on Hadrat Umar. One of his relatives, Laila, daughter of Hathmah, says, "I was packing my luggage for Migration, while my husband, Amr bin Rabiy'ah, had gone out. In the meantime Umar came there and began to watch me, while I was engaged in preparation for the journey. Then he said, 'Are you also going to migrate? ' I answered, 'Yes by God, you people have persecuted us much. But the wide earth of Allah is open for us. Now we are going to a place where Allah will grant us peace'. At this, I noticed such signs of emotion on the face of Umar as I had never seen before. He simply said, 'May God be with you' and went away. " After the migration, the Quraish held consultations, and decided to send Abdullah bin Abi Rabiy'ah, half brother of Abu Jahl, and Amr bin As to Habash with precious gifts so as to persuade Negus to send the migrants back to Makkah. Hadrat Umm Salmah (a wife of the Holy Prophet), who was among the migrants, has related this part of the story in detail. She says, "When these two clever statesmen of the Quraish reached Habash, they distributed the gifts among the courtiers of the King and persuaded them to recommend strongly to him to send the migrants back. Then they saw Negus himself and, presenting rich gifts to him, said, "Some headstrong brats of our city have come to your land and our chiefs have sent us to you with the request that you may kindly send them back. These brats have forsaken our faith and have not embraced your faith either, but have invented a new faith". As soon as they had finished their speech, all the courtiers recommended their case, saying, "We should send such people back to their city for their people know them better. It is not proper for us to keep them here". At this the King was annoyed and said, "I am not going to give them back without proper enquiry. As these people have put their trust in my country rather than in any other country and have come here to take shelter, I will not betray them. At first I will send for them and investigate into the allegations these people have made against them. Then I will make my final decision". Accordingly, the King sent for the Companions of the Holy Prophet and asked them to come to his court. When the migrants received the message of the King, they assembled and held consultations as to what they should say to the King. At last they came to this unanimous decision: "We will present before the King the teachings of the Holy Prophet without adding anything to or withholding anything from them and leave it to him whether he lets us remain here or turns us out of his country". When they came to the court, the King put this problem abruptly before them: "I understand that you have given up the faith of your own people and have neither embraced my faith nor any other existing faith. I would like to know what your new faith is. " At this, Jafar bin Abi Talib, on behalf of the migrants, made an extempore speech to this effect: "O King! We were sunk deep in ignorance and had become very corrupt; then Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) came to us as a Messenger of God, and did his best to reform us. But the Quraish began to persecute his followers, so we have come to your country in the hope that here we will be free from persecution". After his speech, the King said, "Please recite a piece of the Revelation which has been sent down by God to your Prophet". In response, Hadrat Jafar recited that portion of Surah Maryam which relates the story of Prophets John and Jesus (Allah's peace be upon them). The King listened to it and wept, so much so that his beard became wet with tears. When Hadrat Jafar finished the recital, he said: "Most surely this Revelation and the Message of Jesus have come from the same source. By God I will not give you up into the hands of these people". Next day Amr bin As went to Negus and said, "Please send for them again and ask them concerning the creed they hold about Jesus, the son of Mary, for they say a horrible thing about him". The King again sent for the migrants, who had already learnt about the scheme of Amr. They again sat together and held consultations in regard to the answer they should give to the King, if he asked about the belief they held about Prophet Jesus. Though this was a very critical situation and all of them were uneasy about it, they decided that they would say the same thing that Allah and His Messenger had taught them. Accordingly, when they went to the court, the King put them the question that had been suggested by Amr bin As. So Jafar bin Abi Talib stood up and answered without the least hesitation: "He was a Servant of Allah and His Messenger. He was a Spirit and a Word of Allah which had been sent to virgin Mary. " At this the King picked up a straw from the ground and said, 'Bye God, Jesus was not worth this straw more than what you have said about him. " After this the King returned the gifts sent by the Quraish, saying, "I do not take any bribe". Then he said to the migrants, "You are allowed to stay here in perfect peace. " Theme and Subject Keeping in view this historical background, it becomes quite obvious that this Surah was sent down to serve the migrants as a "provision" for their journey to Habash, as if to say, "Though you are leaving your country as persecuted emigrants to a Christian country, you should not in the least hide anything from the teachings you have received. Therefore you should plainly say to the Christians that Prophet Jesus was not the son of God. " After relating the story of Prophets John and Jesus in vv. 1-40, the story of Prophet Abraham has been related (vv. 41-50) also for the benefit of the Migrants for he also had been forced like them to leave his country by the persecution of his father, his family and his country men. On the one hand, this meant to console the Emigrants that they were following the footsteps of Prophet Abraham and would attain the same good end as that Prophet did. On the other hand, it meant to warn the disbeliever, of Makkah that they should note it well that they were in the position of the cruel people who had persecuted their forefather and leader, Abraham, while the Muslim Emigrants were in the position of Prophet Abraham himself. Then the mention of the other Prophets has been made in vv. 51-65 with a view to impress that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) had brought the same way of Life that had been brought by the former Prophets but their followers had become corrupt and adopted wrong ways. In the concluding passage (vv. 66-98), a strong criticism has been made of the evil ways of the disbelievers of Makkah, while the Believers have been given the good news that they would come out successful and become the beloved of the people, in spite of the worst efforts of the enemies of the Truth.