قُلۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تُحِبُّوۡنَ اللّٰہَ فَاتَّبِعُوۡنِیۡ یُحۡبِبۡکُمُ اللّٰہُ وَ یَغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ ذُنُوۡبَکُمۡ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۳۲﴾
قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِي يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ

English
Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’
English Short Commentary
Say, [b]‘If you love Allah, follow[398] me; then will Allah love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful.
398. The verse emphatically declares that the goal to attain Divine love is now impossible of achievement except by following the Holy Prophet. It further removes the misunderstanding that may possibly arise from 2:63 that belief in the existence of God and in the Hereafter is alone sufficient for salvation. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Say, [b]‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults. And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’[322]
322. Commentary:
The verse is most important inasmuch as it pertains to the attainment of the love of God which is considered by Islam to be the highest goal of human life. It constitutes an open and unqualified challenge to mankind, particularly to Christians, who claim to be under the direct leadership of the "son of God", while they and the Jews both call themselves "the children of Allah and His beloved ones" (5:19). The verse emphatically declares that the goal pertaining to the attainment of Divine love is now impossible of achievement except by accepting Islam and following the Holy Prophet Muhammad. Those who seek to love God and attain to His nearness must follow the guidance of the Prophet of Islam, which will make them the beloved ones of God. This is the only door now left open for the attainment of Divine love; and as God loves only pure souls, such men as sincerely follow Islam and act upon its teachings will be purified by Him and have their faults forgiven them. (close)
اُردو
تُو کہہ دے اگر تم اللہ سے محبت کرتے ہو تو میری پیروی کرو اللہ تم سے محبت کرے گا، اور تمہارے گناہ بخش دے گا۔ اور اللہ بہت بخشنے والا (اور) بار بار رحم کرنے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
تو کہہ کہ (اے لوگو) اگر تم اللہ سے محبت رکھتے ہو تو میری اتباع کرو (اس صورت میں) وہ (بھی) تم سے محبت کرے گا اور تمہارے قصور تمہیں بخش دے گا اور اللہ بہت بخشنے والا (اور) باربار رحم کرنے والا ہے۔
Français
Dis : « Si vous aimez Allāh, alors suivez-moi, Allāh vous aimera et vous pardonnera vos péchés, et Allāh est Très-Pardonnant, Miséricordieux. »
Español
Diles: “Si amáis a Al-lah, seguidme; entonces Al-lah os amará y os perdonará vuestros pecados. Y Al-lah es el Sumo Indulgente, el Misericordioso.”
Deutsch
Sprich: "Liebt ihr Allah, so folget mir; (dann) wird Allah euch lieben und euch eure Fehler verzeihen; denn Allah ist allverzeihend, barmherzig."
قُلۡ اَطِیۡعُوا اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ ۚ فَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُحِبُّ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ ﴿۳۳﴾
قُلۡ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ
English
Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger;’ but if they turn away, then remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers.
English Short Commentary
Say, [c]‘Obey Allah and His Messenger;’ but if they turn away, then remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers.
English Five Volume Commentary
Say, [a]‘Obey Allah and His Messenger;’ but if they turn away, then remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers.[323]
323. Commentary:
In contrast to the previous verse, the present verse tells us of the end of those who do not love God and refuse to obey Him and His Messenger. They are disbelievers and are deprived of God’s love. (close)
اُردو
تُو کہہ دے اللہ کی اطاعت کرو اور رسول کی۔ پس اگر وہ پِھر جائیں تو یقیناً اللہ کافروں کو پسند نہیں کرتا۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
تو کہہ (کہ) تم اللہ اور اس رسول کی اطاعت کرو (اس پر) اگر وہ منہ پھیر لیں تو (یاد رکھو کہ) اللہ کافروں سے ہر گز محبت نہیں کرتا۔
Français
Dis. « Obéissez à Allāh et au Messager. » Mais s’ils tournent le dos, alors souvenez-vous qu’assurément Allāh n’aime pas les mécréants.
Español
Diles: “Obedeced a Al-lah y al Mensajero;” pero si vuelven la espalda , recordad que Al-lah no ama a los incrédulos.
Deutsch
Sprich: "Gehorchet Allah und dem Gesandten"; doch wenn sie sich abkehren, dann (bedenke), dass Allah die Ungläubigen nicht liebt.
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ اصۡطَفٰۤی اٰدَمَ وَ نُوۡحًا وَّ اٰلَ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ وَ اٰلَ عِمۡرٰنَ عَلَی الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳۴﴾
۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحٗا وَءَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمۡرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
English
Allah did choose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran above all peoples —
English Short Commentary
Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran[399] above all peoples of the time.
399. ‘Imran may possibly refer to two persons: (1) Amram of the Bible, who was a son of Kohath and a grandson of Levi. He was the father of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Moses being the youngest of the three (Jew. Enc. under Amram; Exod. 6:18-20); (2) ‘Imran, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus. This ‘Imran was the son of Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir). The Qur’an has chosen this name with a twofold purpose: (1) To include, besides Moses, a reference to Aaron, the elder brother of Moses, and (2) to use it as a sort of preamble for introducing the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and, through it, that of Jesus himself. The repetition of the name ‘Imran in 3:36 also points to the same conclusion. It is significant that whereas the verse mentions the names of Adam and Noah singly and individually, it refers to Abraham and ‘Imran as heads of families. This has been done to point out that the latter names include references to certain individuals from among their progeny. Thus the expression "family of Abraham" not only refers to Abraham personally but also to his sons and grandsons—Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. It may also include a reference to the Holy Prophet of Islam who was likewise descended from Abraham. Similarly, the words "family of ‘Imran" refer to Aaron, Moses and Jesus. ‘Imran himself is not included, as he was not a Prophet. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Allah did choose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran above all peoples—[324]
324. Important Words:
عمران (‘Imran) may possibly refer to two persons: (1) Amram of the Bible, who was a son of Kohath and a grandson of Levi. He was the father of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Moses being the youngest of the three (Jew. Enc. under Amram; also Exod. 6:18-20). (2) ‘Imran, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus. This ‘Imran was the son of Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir).
Commentary:
From this verse onward the Quranic narration narrows down specifically to the Christian people, the present verse beautifully beginning with the mention of Adam and ending with that of "the Family of ‘Imran". ‘Imran, as stated above, was (1) the name of the father of Moses and (2) of the father of Mary. The Quran has chosen this name with a twofold purpose: (1) to include, besides Moses, a reference to Aaron, the elder brother of Moses, and (2) to use it as a sort of preamble for introducing the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and, through it, that of Jesus himself. The repetition of the name "‘Imran" in the verse following the succeeding one also points to the same conclusion.
It is significant that whereas the verse mentions the names of Adam and Noah singly and individually, it refers to Abraham and ‘Imran as heads of families. This has been done in order to point out that the latter names include references to certain individuals from among their progeny. Thus the expression "family of Abraham" not only refers to Abraham personally but also to his sons and grandsons, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. It may also include a reference to the Holy Prophet of Islam who was likewise descended from Abraham. Similarly, the words "Family of ‘Imran" refer to Aaron, Moses and Jesus. ‘Imran himself is not included, as he was not a Prophet. See also 3:36.
The verse also helps to clarify the meaning of such Quranic expressions as "Allah chose or exalted this or that person or this or that people above all peoples", for, here Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran have all been spoken of as being chosen above all peoples. As all these cannot possibly be above all others, for that would be a contradiction in terms, the only inference is that each one of the above-mentioned individuals and families was exalted above the men or the peoples of his or their age only and not above the peoples of all ages.
The verse also serves to point out that just as Adam, Noah, Abraham and the children of ‘Imran were successful in spite of the opposition of the people, so will God make the Prophet of Islam successful in spite of the hostility of the enemies of Islam and will prove that he and his Companions were His chosen people. (close)
اُردو
یقیناً اللہ نے آدم اور نوح اور آلِ ابراہیم اور آلِ عمران کو سب جہانوں کے مقابل پر چُن لیا۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اللہ نے آدم اور نوح (کو) اور ابراہیم کے خاندان اور عمران کے خاندان کو یقیناً سب جہانوں پر فضیلت دی تھی۔
Français
Allāh a choisi Adam et Noé et la famille d’Abraham et la famille de ‘Imrān par-dessus tous les peuples de leur époque.
Español
Al-lah escogió a Adán, a Noé, a la familia de Abraham y a la familia de ‘Imrán por encima de todos los pueblos.
Deutsch
Allah erwählte Adam und Noah und das Haus Abrahams und das Haus Imrâns vor den Völkern,
ذُرِّیَّۃًۢ بَعۡضُہَا مِنۡۢ بَعۡضٍ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿ۚ۳۵﴾
ذُرِّيَّةَۢ بَعۡضُهَا مِنۢ بَعۡضٖۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
English
A race, co-related with one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
English Short Commentary
[a]They were descendants of one another and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
English Five Volume Commentary
A [a]race, co-related with one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.[325]
325. Commentary:
The word ذریة (a race) has been put in the verse not as مبتدا but as حال. The verse must, therefore, be considered a part of the preceding one and would literally mean, "while these were or are a race correlated with one another", the inference being that the individuals and families mentioned in the preceding verse were chosen by God because they all belonged to the same stock, the stock of good and righteous people. (close)
اُردو
ان میں سے بعض بعض کی ذُرّیت میں سے ہیں اور اللہ بہت سننے والا (اور) دائمی علم رکھنے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
(اس نے) ایک ایسی نسل کو (فضیلت دی) جو ایک دوسرے سے پوری مطابقت رکھنے والی تھی اور اللہ بہت سننے والا (اور) بہت جاننے والا ہے۔
Français
Une race dont les membres sont de la même famille ; et Allāh entend tout et sait tout.
Español
Una raza mutuamente relacionada. Y Al-lah es quien todo lo oye, el Omnisciente.
Deutsch
ein Geschlecht, die einen von den anderen; und Allah ist allhörend, allwissend.
اِذۡ قَالَتِ امۡرَاَتُ عِمۡرٰنَ رَبِّ اِنِّیۡ نَذَرۡتُ لَکَ مَا فِیۡ بَطۡنِیۡ مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّیۡ ۚ اِنَّکَ اَنۡتَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۳۶﴾
إِذۡ قَالَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ عِمۡرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرۡتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطۡنِي مُحَرَّرٗا فَتَقَبَّلۡ مِنِّيٓۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ
English
Remember when the woman of ‘Imran said, ‘My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated to Thy service. So do accept it of me; verily, Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.’
English Short Commentary
Remember when a woman of ‘Imran[400] said, ‘My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated[401] to Thy service. So do Thou accept it of me; verily, Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.’
400. ‘Imran in the present verse is either the abbreviated form of Al-e- ‘Imran (the family of ‘Imran, father of Moses) just as in 2:41 Isra’il is the abbreviated form of Bani Isra’il (the Children of Israel) or it refers to ‘Imran, the father of Mary. (close)
401. Muharrar means, emancipated; a child divorced from all worldly affairs and dedicated by its parents to the service of the Church (Lane & Mufradat). It was a custom among the Israelites that those persons who were dedicated to the service of the Church remained unmarried (Gospel of Mary, 5:6 & Bayan under 3:36). In this verse the mother of Mary whose name was Hanna (Enc. Bib.) has been spoken of as Imra’atu‘Imran (woman of ‘Imran) while in 19:29 Mary herself has been addressed as Ukht-e-Harun (sister of Aaron). ‘Imran (Amran) and Aaron were respectively the father and brother of Moses, while he had also a sister named Miriam. Being ignorant of Arabic idiom and Quranic style, Christian writers, who ascribe the authorship of the Qur’an to the Holy Prophet, think that in his ignorance he confused Mary, mother of Jesus, with Mary or Miriam, the sister of Moses. Thus they pretend to have discovered a serious anachronism in the Qur’an—an altogether absurd charge, inasmuch as quite a number of passages can be cited to show that the Qur’an considers Moses and Jesus as two Prophets separated from each other by a long line of Prophets (2:88; 5:45). It is on record that when the Holy Prophet sent Mughirah to Najran, the Christians of that place asked him: "Do you not read in the Qur’an Mary (mother of Jesus) being mentioned as the sister of Aaron, while you know that Jesus was born long time after Moses?" did not know the answer," says Mughirah, "and on my return to Medina I enquired about it of the Holy Prophet who answered, 'Why did you not tell them that the Israelites used to name their children after their deceased Prophets and saints (Tirmidhi). In fact, there is actually a tradition to the effect that the husband of Hanna and the father of Mary was known as ‘Imran whose father (Mary’s grandfather) had the name Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir). Thus this ‘Imran is different from the ‘Imran who was the father of Moses and whose own father was Kohath (Exod. 6:18-20). The fact that Hanna’s husband, or for that matter Mary’s father, has been named Joachim in the Christian Scriptures (Gospel of the Birth of Mary & Enc. Brit. under Mary) should perplex no one as Joachim is the same as Yoshim, mentioned by Ibn Jarir as the father of ‘Imran. The Christian Scriptures give the name of the grandfather instead of the father, which is a common practice. Besides, there are instances in the Bible of one person being known by two names. Gideon, for instance, was also called Jerubbaal (Judg. 7:1). So it should occasion no surprise if the second name of Jochim happened to be ‘Imran. Moreover, like individuals, families, too, are sometimes known after the names of their distinguished ancestors. In the Bible the name 'Israel' sometimes stands for the Israelites (Deut. 6:3, 4) and Kedar for the Ishmaelites (Isa. 21:16; 42:11). Similarly, Jesus has been called the son of David (Matt. 1:1). So the words Imra’atu‘Imran may also mean Imra’atu Al-e-‘Imran, i.e. a woman from the family of ‘Imran. This explanation finds further support from the fact that the words Al-e-‘Imran (family of ‘Imran) have been used by the Qur’an only two verses before. The word Al (family) was dropped here owing to the nearness (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Remember when the woman of ‘Imran said, ‘My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated to Thy service. So do accept it of me; verily, Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.’[326]
326. Important Words:
محررا (dedicated to special service) is derived from حر i.e. it became hot; or he became free. حرر means, he wrote; or he wrote well and elegantly and accurately. حرر رقبة means, he freed a slave. حرر ابنه means, he dedicated his son for the worship of God and the service of the church or the temple; or he devoted him to that service as long as he should live. محرر means, freed from slavery; emancipated; a child devoted by the parent to the service of the church or the temple; or one divorced from all affairs of the world and dedicated to the service of the temple (Lane, Mufradat & Jarir). It was a custom among the Israelites that those who were dedicated to the service of the temple remained unmarried (Gospel of Mary, 5:6; and Bayan under 3:36).
امرأة (woman) is derived from مرأ i.e. it (the food) was wholesome. مرء or امرأ means, a man. مرأة or امرأة means, a woman; a perfect woman; a wife (Lane).
عمران (‘Imran). In the present verse the word is either the abbreviated form of آل عمران (the family of ‘Imran, father of Moses) just as they use the word "Israel" for "the Children of Israel" (see 2:41), or it refers to ‘Imran, the father of Mary. See also 3:34.
Commentary:
In this verse the mother of Mary whose name was Hanna (Enc. Bib.) has been spoken of as امرأة عمران (woman of ‘Imran), while in 19:29 Mary herself has been addressed as اخت ھارون (sister of Aaron). ‘Imran (Amram) and Aaron were respectively the father and brother of Moses, while he had also a sister named Miriam. Being ignorant of Arabic idiom and Quranic style, Christian writers, who ascribe the authorship of the Quran to the Holy Prophet, think that in his ignorance he confused Mary, mother of Jesus, with Mary or Miriam, the sister of Moses. Thus they pretend to have discovered a serious anachronism in the Quran––an absurd charge, inasmuch as quite a number of passages can be cited to show that the Quran considers Moses and Jesus as two Prophets separated from each other by a long line of Prophets (e.g. 2:88; 5:44-46).
These Christian writers are not the first to make this "discovery". The "credit" for it goes to the Christians of Najran who, as long as 1,350 years ago, raised the same objection and received a prompt reply. It is on record that when the Holy Prophet sent Mughirah to Najran, a Christian of that place asked him: "Do you not read in the Quran Mary (mother of Jesus,) being mentioned as the sister of Aaron, while you know that Jesus was born a long, long time after Moses?" "I did not know the answer," says Mughirah, "and on my return to Medina I enquired about it of the Holy Prophet who readily answered, 'Why did you not tell them that the Israelites used to name their children after their deceased Prophets and saints?' " (Tirmidhi). In fact, there is actually a tradition to the effect that the husband of Hanna and the father of Mary was named ‘Imran whose father, (i.e. Mary’s grandfather) had the name Yoshhim or Yoshim (Jarir & Kathir). Thus this ‘Imran is different from the ‘Imran who was the father of Moses and whose own father was Kohath (Exod. 6:18-20).
The fact that Hanna’s husband, or for that matter Mary’s father, has been named Joachim in the Christian scriptures (Gospel of the Birth of Mary and the Enc. Brit. under Mary) should not perplex us as Joachim is the same as Yoshim mentioned by Ibn Jarir as the father of ‘Imran. The Christian scriptures give the name of the grandfather instead of the father, which is not an uncommon practice. Besides, there are instances in the Bible of one person being known by two names. Gideon, for instance, was also called Jerubbaal (Judg. 7:1). So there should be no surprise if the second name of Joachim happened to be ‘Imran.
Moreover, like individuals, families, too, are sometimes known after the names of their distinguished ancestors. In the Bible, the name Israel sometimes stands for the Israelites (Deut. 6:3, 4) and Kedar for the Ishmaelites (Isa. 21:16; 42:11). Similarly, Jesus has been called the son of David (Matt. 1:1). So the words امرأة عمران may also mean امرأة آل عمرانi.e. a woman from the family of ‘Imran, or a perfect woman from the family of ‘Imran. This explanation finds further strength from the fact that the words آل عمران (family of ‘Imran) have been used by the Quran only two verses before the present one. So the word آل (family) was dropped here owing to the nearness of reference. And it is admitted that Hanna, the mother of Mary, who was the cousin of Elisabeth (John’s mother) belonged to the House of Aaron and through him to that of ‘Imran (Luke 1:5, 36).
The vow of Mary’s mother seems to have been taken under the influence of the Essenes who were generally held in high esteem by the people of that time, and who practised celibacy and excluded women from their membership, and dedicated their lives to the service of religion and their fellow beings (Enc. Bib. and Jew. Enc.). It is remarkable that the teachings of the Gospels have much in common with those of the Essenes. It is also clear from the meaning of the word محرر as given under Important Words above, that Mary’s mother had vowed the dedication of her child’s life to the service of the temple, and as such she intended the child never to marry, which shows that Mary was meant to belong to the priestly class. This is why, elsewhere in the Quran, she is called the sister of Aaron and not of Moses (19:29) though both were real brothers, for whereas Moses was the founder of the Jewish Law, Aaron was the head of the Jewish priestly class (Enc. Bib. and Enc. Brit. under Aaron). Thus Mary, mother of Jesus, was the sister of Aaron not in the sense that she was his real sister but in the sense that, like Aaron, she belonged to the priestly order. (close)
اُردو
جب عمران کی ایک عورت نے کہا اے میرے ربّ! جو کچھ بھی میرے پیٹ میں ہے یقیناً وہ میں نے تیری نذر کر دیا (دنیا کے جھمیلوں سے) آزاد کرتے ہوئے۔ پس تُو مجھ سے قبول کر لے۔ یقیناً تُو ہی بہت سننے والا (اور) بہت جاننے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
(یاد رکھو) جب (آل) عمران کی عورت نے کہا کہ اے میرے رب! جو کچھ میرے پیٹ میں ہے (اسے) آزاد کرکے میں نے تیری نذر کر دیا ہے۔ پس تو (اسے) میری طرف سے جس طرح ہو قبول فرما۔ یقیناً تو ہی بہت سننے والا (اور) بہت جاننے والا ہے۔
Français
Souvenez-vous quand la femme de la famille d‘Imrān dit : « Mon Seigneur, certainement je T’ai voué ce que je porte en mon sein, il est libéré de toute entrave séculière. Donc acceptecela de ma part. En vérité, Tu es Celui Qui entend tout et Qui sait tout. »
Español
Y acordaos de cuando la mujer de ´Imrán dijo: “Mi Señor, Te he prometido lo que hay en mi vientre para que se consagre a Tu servicio. Acéptamelo, pues. En verdad, sólo Tú eres el que todo lo oye, el Omnisciente.
Deutsch
(Denke daran) wie Imrâns Frau sprach: "Mein Herr, ich habe Dir geweiht – als Befreiten –, was in meinem Schoße ist. So nimm (es) an von mir; wahrlich, Du allein bist der Allhörende, der Allwissende."
فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتۡہَا قَالَتۡ رَبِّ اِنِّیۡ وَضَعۡتُہَاۤ اُنۡثٰی ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتۡ ؕ وَ لَیۡسَ الذَّکَرُ کَالۡاُنۡثٰی ۚ وَ اِنِّیۡ سَمَّیۡتُہَا مَرۡیَمَ وَ اِنِّیۡۤ اُعِیۡذُہَا بِکَ وَ ذُرِّیَّتَہَا مِنَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ الرَّجِیۡمِ ﴿۳۷﴾
فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتۡهَا قَالَتۡ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعۡتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتۡ وَلَيۡسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلۡأُنثَىٰۖ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيۡتُهَا مَرۡيَمَ وَإِنِّيٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
English
But when she was delivered of it, she said, ‘My Lord, I am delivered of a female’ — and Allah knew best what she had brought forth and the male she was thinking of was not like the female she had brought forth — ‘and I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected.’
English Short Commentary
But when she was delivered of it, she said, ‘My Lord, I am delivered of a female,’[402]—and Allah knew best of what she was delivered[402A] and the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of—‘and I have named her Mary,[402B] and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection[402C] from Satan, the rejected.’[402D]
402. Mary’s mother had made the vow in the hope that she would be blessed with a son whom she would dedicate to the service of God. Instead a daughter was born to her. So she was naturally perplexed. (close)
402A. The words, Allah knew best of what she was delivered, form a parenthetical clause spoken by God, whereas the following words, the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of, may be taken to have been spoken either by God or by Mary’s mother. Most probably they are God’s words and mean, as rendered in the text, that the female child she had brought forth was superior to the male child she desired to have. If taken to have been spoken by Mary’s mother, they would mean that the female child she had given birth to could not be like the male child she desired to have, inasmuch as a boy only was fitted to do the special service to which she desired to dedicate him. The clause, I have named her Mary, contains an implied prayer to God to make the girl as exalted and as good and virtuous as the name Mary (meaning exalted or a pious worshipper) signified. (close)
402B. Maryam was the mother of Jesus. She was probably named after the sister of Moses and Aaron, known as Mariam (later pronunciation, Miriam). The word, which is probably a compound one in Hebrew means, star of the sea; mistress or lady; exalted; pious worshipper (Cruden’s Concordance; Kashshaf & Enc. Bib.). (close)
402C. These words offer some difficulty. If Mary’s mother intended her child to be dedicated to the service of God, she must have known that the child would remain unmarried for life. What is, then, the sense in offering prayer for the child’s offspring? The most probable explanation is that God had told her in a vision that her daughter would grow up to womanhood and would have a child, whereupon she prayed that Mary and her child might both be granted God’s protection. In spite of this, however, she appears to have left the future of Mary in God’s hand and dedicated her, as she had originally intended, to the service of God (3:36; Gospel of the Birth of Mary). This must have been an exceptional case, for ordinarily only males were eligible for such dedication. The assumption that Mary’s mother had a vision that her daughter would have a son finds mention in the Gospel of Mary (3:5) though perhaps in a somewhat different form. There was nothing unusual about the prayer of Hanna, Mary’s mother, that Mary and her offspring might be protected from satanic influences. All pious parents are actuated by such a desire for their children and pray that they should grow up to lead good and virtuous lives. It is also to be noted that though Islam declares all Prophets of God to be safe from the influence of Satan, the Bible does not ascribe this protection to Jesus (Mark, 1:12, 13). (close)
402D. Rajim, derived from Rajama, means: (1) One driven away from God’s presence and mercy or one cursed; (2) forsaken and abandoned; (3) pelted with stones; (4) deprived of all goodness and virtue (Lane). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
But when she was delivered of it, she said, ‘My Lord, I am delivered of a female’—and Allah knew best what she had brought forth and the male she was thinking of was not like the female she had brought forth—‘and I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected.’[327]
327. Important Words:
مریم (Mary) was the mother of Jesus. She was probably named after the sister of Moses and Aaron, known as Mariam (later pronunciation Miriam). The word, which is probably a compound one consisting of مر and یم it possesses, in Hebrew, a variety of interpretations, some of them being "bitter sea"; "drop of the sea"; "star of the sea"; "bitterness"; "mistress" or "lady". From two alternative roots Mariam might also mean, "the rebellious", or "the corpulent" (Enc. Bib. under Mary). It also means "exalted" (Cruden’s Concordance). Muslim traditionists ascribe to the word the meaning of "pious worshipper" (Kashshaf).
الرجیم (the rejected) is passive participle from رجم. They say رجمه i.e. he pelted him with stones; he smote and killed him; he drove him away; he cursed him; he boycotted or forsook him; he reviled or abused him. رجم الرجل means, the man said a thing on conjecture. رجم القبر means, he put up a stone at the tomb to serve as a sign. الرجیم means: (1) one whom God has driven away from His presence and mercy, i.e. the one rejected; (2) one whom God has cursed; (3) one who has been forsaken and abandoned; and (4) one who has been pelted with stones (Aqrab & Lane). It also means, one driven away or deprived of all goodness and virtue (Mufradat).
Commentary:
Mary’s mother had made the vow in the hope that she would be blessed with a son whom she would dedicate to the service of God. Instead a daughter was born to her. So she was naturally perplexed.
The words, Allah knew best what she had brought forth, form a parenthetical clause spoken by God whereas the following words, the male was not like the female, may be taken to have been either spoken by God or by Mary’s mother. Most probably they are God’s words and mean as rendered in the text, that the female child she had brought forth was superior to the male child she desired to have. If taken to have been spoken by Mary’s mother, they would mean that the female child she had given birth to could not be like the male child she desired, inasmuch as only a boy was fit to do the special service to which she desired to dedicate him.
The clause, I have named her Mary, contains an implied prayer to God to make the girl as exalted and as good and virtuous as the name Mary, meaning exalted or a pious worshipper, signified.
The words, I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected, offer some difficulty. If Mary’s mother intended her child to be dedicated to the service of God, she must have known that the child would remain unmarried for life. What is, then, the sense in offering prayer for the child’s offspring? The most probable explanation is that God had told her in a vision that her daughter would grow up to womanhood and would have a child, whereupon she prayed that Mary and her child might both be granted God’s protection from Satan, the rejected. In spite of this, however, she appears to have left the future of Mary in God’s hand and dedicated her, as she had originally intended, to the service of God (3:38; 3:45; also Gospel of the Birth of Mary). This must have been an exceptional case, for ordinarily only males were eligible for such dedication. The assumption that Mary’s mother had a vision that her daughter would have a son is not unfounded. It finds mention in the Gospel of Mary (3:5) though perhaps in a somewhat different form.
There was nothing unusual about the prayer of Hanna, Mary’s mother, that Mary and her offspring might be protected from satanic influences. All pious parents are actuated by such a desire for their children and pray that they should grow up to lead good and virtuous lives. But unfortunately this simple and natural prayer of Mary’s mother, coupled with a saying of the Holy Prophet to the effect that Mary and her son Jesus were free from the touch of Satan, has given rise to widespread misunderstanding and has been made the basis of an entirely erroneous and misleading belief among a section of Muslims, besides affording to Christians a welcome excuse for attacking Islam. A section among the latter-day Muslims has come to believe that of all men and women, Jesus and his mother, Mary, alone were immune from the evil influences of Satan.
As hinted above, this doctrine is based on a tradition of the Holy Prophet which says: "No child is born but Satan touches it at the time of its birth and makes it cry, except Jesus and his mother Mary" (Bukhari). Unfortunately, this saying of the Holy Prophet has been shorn of its true setting and utterly misunderstood. These words of the Prophet, besides being not strictly relevant as they refer only to the touch of Satan at the time of the birth of a child and not absolutely, were necessitated by the fact that the Jews, out of their enmity towards Jesus, charged him and his mother with the infamous accusation that, God forbid, Mary led an immoral life, and conceived out of legal wedlock, and that consequently Jesus, her son, had an illegal birth. It was to refute this filthy charge that the Holy Prophet uttered the above-quoted words. So this saying of the Prophet is not intended to be general but has only a particular significance with a specific setting. In fact this hadith mentions the names of Jesus and his mother Mary only by way of citing an instance and what is meant is that all mortals born of a woman are likely to come under the influence of Satan except such as possess moral and spiritual qualities like unto those possessed by Mary and her son. The Arabic language is not wanting in instances where a person is named not in his individual capacity, but as representing a class of people (Kashshaf & Manawi). The names of Jesus and Mary have been specifically chosen because of the aspersion upon them by the wicked Jews. Another equally good interpretation is that the words "no child is born" occurring in this hadith are, as hinted above not general but have been used in a restricted sense, signifying not all children absolutely but only such children as were born out of wedlock in the days of Jesus, and the name of Mary has been added because it was her abnormal conception that occasioned such birth of Jesus. Another saying of the Holy Prophet supports this interpretation. Says he, "every child is born in the likeness of Islam; it is only his parents that make him a Christian, a Jew or a Fire-Worshipper" (Bukhari). So the "touch" of Satan referred to in the foregoing hadith cannot be general; it must be taken in a restricted sense.
That Jesus and his mother are not alone in being free from the touch of Satan is clear from a number of Quranic verses and several sayings of the Holy Prophet. To quote only one instance from each, the Quran says: (O Satan,) surely thou shalt have no power over My servants, except such of the erring ones as choose to follow thee (15:43). And the Holy Prophet says: "If a person goes in unto his wife praying, 'O my Lord, keep me away from Satan and so too, keep away the child you grant me', and the wife conceives on such an occasion, the child born will be free from the touch of Satan" (Bukhari).
As for himself personally the Holy Prophet says, "Every one of you has a satan attached to him (who tries to lead him astray) but God has helped me against my satan who has turned Muslim, i.e. obedient and submissive" (Musnad). This means that so far as the Holy Prophet was concerned, Satan had become virtually non-existent. This is certainly a much more exalted position than mere protection against the attack of Satan. Truly has the Prophet remarked, "If Moses and Jesus had been alive, they would have found themselves forced to follow me" (Kathir).
Finally, it may be noted that though Islam declares all Prophets of God to be virtually safe from the influence of Satan, the Bible does not ascribe this protection to Jesus for the New Testament clearly states at a number of places that he was tempted by the Devil for no less than forty days (e.g. Mark 1:12, 13). (close)
اُردو
پس جب اُس نے اُسے جنم دیا تو اس نے کہا اے میرے ربّ! میں نے تو بچی کو جنم دیا ہے۔ جبکہ اللہ زیادہ بہتر جانتا ہے کہ اس نے کس چیز کو جنم دیا تھا۔ اور نر مادہ کی طرح نہیں ہوتا۔ اور (اس عمران کی عورت نے کہا) یقیناً میں نے اس کا نام مریم رکھا ہے، اور میں اسے اور اس کی نسل کو راندہء درگاہ شیطان سے تیری پناہ میں دیتی ہوں۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
پھر جب وہ اسے جن کر فارغ ہوئی اس نے کہا کہ اے میرے رب! میں نے تو اسے لڑکی کی شکل میں جنا ہے اور جو کچھ اس نے جنا تھا اسے اللہ (سب سے) زیادہ جانتا تھا اور (اس کا ذہنی) لڑکا (اس) لڑکی کی طرح نہیں (ہوسکتا) اور (کہا کہ) میں نے اس کا نام مریم رکھا ہے اور میں اسے اور اس کی اولاد کو مردود شیطان (کے حملہ) سے تیری پناہ میں دیتی ہوں۔
Français
Mais après avoir accouché d’elle, elle dit : « Mon Seigneur, j’ai mis une fille au monde » – tandis qu’Allāh savait le mieux ce dont elle avait accouché – et le garçon qu’elle attendait n’était pas comme la fille qu’elle avait mise au monde - « et je lui ai donné le nom de Marie, et je la confie ainsi que sa progéniture à Ta protection contre Satan, le renié. »
Español
Pero cuando hubo dado a luz, dijo: “Mi Señor, he dado a luz una niña” –aunque Al-lah sabía mejor que ella lo que había parido que el varón en que ella pensaba no era como la hembra que dio a luz- “y le he puesto por nombre María, y pongo a ella y a su progenie bajo Tu protección contra Satanás, el rechazado.”
Deutsch
Doch als sie es geboren hatte, sprach sie: "Mein Herr, ich habe ein Mädchen geboren" – und Allah wusste am besten, was sie zur Welt gebracht hatte und dass der (erwartete) Knabe nicht gleich dem (geborenen) Mädchen war – "und ich habe es Maria genannt, und ich empfehle sie und ihre Nachkommen Deiner Hut vor Satan dem Verworfenen."
فَتَقَبَّلَہَا رَبُّہَا بِقَبُوۡلٍ حَسَنٍ وَّ اَنۡۢبَتَہَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا ۙ وَّ کَفَّلَہَا زَکَرِیَّا ۚؕ کُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَیۡہَا زَکَرِیَّا الۡمِحۡرَابَ ۙ وَجَدَ عِنۡدَہَا رِزۡقًا ۚ قَالَ یٰمَرۡیَمُ اَنّٰی لَکِ ہٰذَا ؕ قَالَتۡ ہُوَ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَرۡزُقُ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ بِغَیۡرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿۳۸﴾
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٖ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنٗا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقٗاۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ
English
So her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, ‘O Mary, whence hast thou this?’ She replied, ‘It is from Allah.’ Surely, Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure.
English Short Commentary
So her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah[403] her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, ‘O Mary, whence hast thou this?’ She replied, ‘It is from Allah.’[404] Surely, Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure.
403. Zachariah or Zacharias was the name of an Israelite holy person whom the Qur’an presents as a Prophet (6:86) but of whom the Bible speaks only as a priest (Luke, 1:5). The person presented as a Prophet by the Bible is Zechariah (mark the difference in spelling) of whom the Qur’an, however, makes no mention. Zachariah of the Qur’an was the father of Yahya, (John) who was a cousin of Jesus. (close)
404. The gifts were evidently brought by worshippers visiting the place and there was nothing extraordinary in Mary’s reply that the gifts were from Allah, for every good thing that comes to man is really from God, He being the Final Giver. In fact, from a girl of Mary’s religious upbringing any other reply would have been rather surprising. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
So her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, ‘O Mary, whence hast thou this?’ She replied, ‘It is from Allah.’ Surely, Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure.[328]
328. Important Words:
کفلھا (made him her guardian) is derived from کفل. They say کفله i.e. he was or became responsible for him; he became his guardian. کفل خالدا زیدا means, he made Zaid the guardian of Khalid; he gave Khalid in the guardianship of Zaid (Aqrab).
زکریا (Zachariah or Zacharias) was the name of an Israelite holy person whom the Quran presents as a Prophet (6:86-90) but of whom the Bible speaks only as a priest (Luke 1:5). The person presented as a Prophet by the Bible is Zechariah (Zech. 1:1; mark the difference in spelling) of whom the Quran, however, makes no mention. زکریا of the Quran was the father of Yahya (John) who was a cousin of Jesus.
المحراب (chamber) is derived from حرب for which see 2:280. محرابmeans, a room in the uppermost story of a house; a chamber to which one ascends by stairs; the chief sitting place in a room or a house; the place or niche where the Imam stands while leading the Prayers in a mosque; a mosque or a place of worship (Aqrab & Lane). محراب (chamber of Prayer or the place of the Imam in a mosque) is probably so called because it is a place where one fights the forces of evil or where one gets divorced from the affairs and concerns of the world, the word حرب meaning fighting as well as being despoiled or deprived of all possessions (Mufradat).
Commentary:
Many fantastic stories have been woven round Mary’s reply to Zachariah’s question as to whence she got the gifts he found lying about her. The gifts were evidently brought by worshippers visiting the place and there was also nothing extraordinary in her reply that the gifts were from Allah, for every good thing that comes to man is really from God, He being the final agency. In fact, from a girl of Mary’s religious upbringing any other reply would rather have been surprising. The accounts of Mary having been provided with heavenly fruits by angels are, therefore, nothing but the figment of the commentators’ own minds and find no support whatsoever from the Quran or the sayings of the Holy Prophet. The pious reply of the child, however, made a deep impression on the mind of Zachariah and awakened in the depths of his soul the latent and natural desire of possessing a similarly virtuous child of his own.
The words, Surely Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure, are most probably the words of God and not those of Mary. But if they are Mary’s words, they make her reply all the more impressive and Zachariah’s earnest prayer, referred to in the following verse, all the more justified. (close)
اُردو
پس اس کے ربّ نے اُسے ایک حسین قبولیت کے ساتھ قبول کر لیا اور اس کی اَحسن رنگ میں نشو و نما کی اور زکریا کو اس کا کفیل ٹھہرایا۔ جب کبھی بھی زکریا اس کے پاس محراب میں داخل ہوا تو اس نے اس کے پاس کوئی رزق پایا۔ اس نے کہا اے مریم! تیرے پاس یہ کہاں سے آتا ہے؟ اس نے (جواباً) کہا یہ اللہ کی طرف سے ہے۔ یقیناً اللہ جسے چاہتا ہے بغیر حساب کے رزق دیتا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
تب اس کے رب نے اسے بہت اچھی طرح قبول کیا اور اسے عمدہ طور پر بڑھایا اور زکریا اس کا مربی بنا۔ جب کبھی بھی زکریا گھر کے بہترین حصہ میں اس کے پاس جاتا (تو) اس کے پاس کوئی (نہ کوئی) کھانا پاتا۔ (چنانچہ ایک روز ایسا دیکھ کر) اس نے کہا کہ اے مریم! یہ تیرے لئے کہاں سے آیا ہے؟ اس نے کہا کہ اللہ کی جناب سے۔ اللہ جسے چاہتا ہے یقیناً بے حساب دیتا ہے۔
Français
Son Seigneur accepta donc l’enfant d’une gracieuse acceptation et la fit grandir d’une belle croissance. Il la mit sous la tutelle de Zacharie. Toutes les fois que Zacharie lui rendait visite dans la chambre, il trouvait auprès d’elle des provisions. Il demanda : « Ô Marie, d’où as-tu eu cela ? » Elle répondit : « Cela vient d’Allāh. » Assurément, Allāh approvisionne sans compter qui Il veut.
Español
Y su Señor la aceptó con benevolencia y la hizo crecer con hermoso crecimiento, y convirtió a Zacarías en su tutor. Cada vez que Zacarías la visitaba en su habitación, la encontraba con provisiones. Dijo: “¡Oh, María! ¿De dónde viene todo esto?”. Ella respondió: “Procede de Al-lah.” En verdad, Al-lah da sin medida a quien Le place.
Deutsch
So nahm ihr Herr sie gnädig an und ließ sie wachsen zu holdem Wuchs und berief den Zacharias zu ihrem Pfleger. Sooft Zacharias zu ihr in die Kammer trat, fand er Speise bei ihr. Er sprach: "O Maria, woher hast du dies?" Sie antwortete: "Es ist von Allah." Allah gibt, wem Er will, ohne zu rechnen.
ہُنَالِکَ دَعَا زَکَرِیَّا رَبَّہٗ ۚ قَالَ رَبِّ ہَبۡ لِیۡ مِنۡ لَّدُنۡکَ ذُرِّیَّۃً طَیِّبَۃً ۚ اِنَّکَ سَمِیۡعُ الدُّعَآءِ ﴿۳۹﴾
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةٗ طَيِّبَةًۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
English
There and then did Zachariah pray to his Lord, saying, ‘My Lord, grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely, Thou art the Hearer of prayer.’
English Short Commentary
Then and there did Zachariah pray[405] to His Lord, saying, [a]‘My Lord, grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely, Thou art the Hearer of prayer.’
405. The pious reply of the child made a deep impression on the mind of Zachariah and awakened in the depths of his soul the latent and natural desire of possessing a similarly virtuous child of his own. He prayed to God to be blessed with a child like Mary. The prayer was probably repeated over a length of period as it is mentioned in varying words in different parts of the Qur’an (3:39; 19:4-7; 21:90). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
There and then did Zachariah pray to his Lord, saying, [a]‘My Lord, grant me from Thyself pure offspring; surely, Thou art the Hearer of prayer.’[329]
329. Commentary:
Deeply touched by the little girl’s reply, Zachariah was moved there and then to pray to God to be blessed with a pious child like Mary. The prayer was probably repeated over a length of period as it is mentioned in varying words in different parts of the Quran (3:39; 19:5-7; 21:90). This finds further support in the fact that whereas the first prayer was offered when Mary was yet a child, the birth of a son to Zachariah actually took place when Mary had grown up to womanhood, Jesus and John (Yahya) being nearly of the same age. Or what is equally probable, the prayer of Zachariah was accepted at the very beginning and God gave him the promise of a child at the very first prayer offered; but, after the manner of pious men, he still continued to pray for the bestowal of the promised gift. (close)
اُردو
اس موقع پر زکریا نے اپنے ربّ سے دعا کی اے میرے ربّ! مجھے اپنی جناب سے پاکیزہ ذریّت عطا کر۔ یقیناً تُو بہت دعا سننے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
تب زکریا نے اپنے رب کو پکارا (اور) کہا کہ اے میرے رب! تو مجھے (بھی) اپنی جناب سے پاک اولاد بخش۔ تو یقیناً دعاٶں کو بہت قبول کرنے والا ہے۔
Français
Sur ce, Zacharie adressa une prière à son Seigneur en disant : « Mon Seigneur, accorde-moi de Ta part une descendance pure ; assurément Tu es Celui Qui entend les prières. »
Español
Allí y entonces rogó Zacarías a Su Señor, diciendo: “Mi Señor, concédeme de Ti mismo una descendencia pura; en verdad, Tú eres quien escucha la oración”.
Deutsch
Daselbst betete Zacharias zu seinem Herrn und sprach: "Mein Herr, gewähre mir Du einen reinen Sprössling; wahrlich, Du bist der Erhörer des Gebets."
فَنَادَتۡہُ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ وَ ہُوَ قَآئِمٌ یُّصَلِّیۡ فِی الۡمِحۡرَابِ ۙ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یُبَشِّرُکَ بِیَحۡیٰی مُصَدِّقًۢا بِکَلِمَۃٍ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ وَ سَیِّدًا وَّ حَصُوۡرًا وَّ نَبِیًّا مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ﴿۴۰﴾
فَنَادَتۡهُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٞ يُصَلِّي فِي ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيَىٰ مُصَدِّقَۢا بِكَلِمَةٖ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدٗا وَحَصُورٗا وَنَبِيّٗا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
English
And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the chamber: ‘Allah gives thee glad tidings of Yahya, who shall testify to the truth of a word from Allah — noble and chaste and a Prophet, from among the righteous.’
English Short Commentary
And the angels called to him as [a]he stood praying in the chamber, [b]‘Allah gives thee glad tidings of Yahya,[406] who shall testify to the truth of a [c]word from Allah—noble and chaste and a Prophet,[407] from among the righteous.
406. Yahya or John is the name of the Prophet who appeared before Jesus to serve as his harbinger in fulfilment of the biblical prophecy (Mal. 3:1 and 4:5). The Hebrew form is Yuhanna which in that language means, God has been gracious (Enc. Brit.). The name Yahya was given by God Himself. (close)
407. John came in fulfilment of Malachi’s prophecy, "Behold I will send you Elijah, the Prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Mal. 4:5). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
And the angels called to him as [a]he stood praying in the chamber: [b]‘Allah gives thee glad tidings of Yahya, [c]who shall testify to the truth of a word from Allah—noble and chaste and a Prophet, from among the righteous.’[330]
330. Important Words:
یحیٰ (Yahya or John) is the name of the Prophet who appeared before Jesus to serve as his harbinger in fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy (Mal. 3:1 and 4:5). The Hebrew form is یوحنا which in that language means, God has been gracious (Enc. Brit.). The name Yahya was given by God Himself and was meant to point to a distinctive characteristic of his (19:8). In Arabic, the word is derived from the root حیاة (life) and means, he lives or he shall live. The implication in the name was that he would not die in childhood but would live to the age of manhood or that he would lead a righteous life. The fact that Yahya did not die a natural death but was killed (Matt. 14:10) shows yet another implication in the name, i.e. that he would die the death of a martyr and would thus live forever in the sight of God. Says the Quran, Think not of those who have been slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay, they are living in the presence of their Lord and are granted gifts from Him (3:170). Yahya is probably the only known Israelite Prophet who was actually killed, as hinted in the Quranic verse, We have not made anyone before him of that name (19:8; cf. Luke 1:61).
حصور (chaste) is derived from حصر i.e. he was or became unable to express his mind by reason of shame, etc. حصرعنه means, he became impeded and was unable to do it. حصر عن المرأة means, he abstained or kept away from sexual intercourse with the woman, whether intentionally or through impotence. حصرالسر means, he concealed the secret and refrained from divulging it. حصرہ means, he prevented or restrained him. حصور therefore, means, one who has no sexual intercourse with women, though able to have it, abstaining from them from a motive of chastity and for the sake of shunning worldly pleasures; or one who is prevented from having it by impotence; or one who does not desire them; one very careful and cautious, who abstains or refrains from a thing through fear, etc.; concealer of a secret or secrets; one who abstains from evil passions and frivolous games and sport (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The description of Yahya (John) given in the verse, i.e. سید (noble or great), and حصور (chaste or refrainer from evil passions), and نبی(Prophet) and من الصالحین (righteous), agrees with that given in Luke (1:13-17, 76). In Luke we have, "he (John or Yahya) shall be great in the sight of God…he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink…he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost...and he shall be called the prophet of the Most High." The Quran also describes Yahya as one who shall testify to the truth of a word from Allah (3:40). And John came in exact fulfilment of Malachi’s prophecy: "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord come" (Mal. 4:5). The Quranic expression حصور in the sense of "concealer of a secret" also points to the above description, for Yahya (John) was the bearer of the hidden news of the coming of Jesus. (close)
اُردو
پس فرشتوں نے اسے آواز دی جبکہ وہ محراب میں کھڑا عبادت کر رہا تھا کہ اللہ تجھے یحییٰ کی خوشخبری دیتا ہے جو اللہ کے ایک عظیم کلمہ کی تصدیق کرنے والا ہو گا اور وہ سردار اور اپنے نفس کی پوری حفاظت کرنے والا، اور صالحین میں سے ایک نبی ہو گا۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اس پر فرشتوں نے اسے جبکہ وہ گھر کے بہترین حصہ میں نماز پڑھ رہا تھا آواز دی کہ اللہ تجھے یحیٰ کی بشارت دیتا ہے جو اللہ کی ایک بات کو پورا کرنے والا ہوگا اور (نیز) سردار اور (گناہوں سے) روکنے والا اور نیکوں میں سے (ترقی کرکے) نبی ہوگا۔
Français
Et les anges l’appelèrent pendant que, debout, il priait dans la chambre. « Allāh t’annonce la bonne nouvelle de Yahya qui rendra témoignage de la vérité d’une parole d’Allāh – noble, chaste et un Prophète d’entre les justes. »
Español
Y los ángeles lo llamaron mientras oraba en el aposento: “Al-lah te da la buena nueva de Yahyá, quien dará testimonio de la verdad de una palabra de Al-lah -noble y casto- y un Profeta, de entre los justos.”
Deutsch
Da riefen ihm die Engel zu, während er betend in der Kammer stand: "Allah gibt dir frohe Kunde von Yahya (Johannes dem Täufer), der bestätigen soll ein Wort von Allah – edel und rein und ein Prophet, der Rechtschaffenen einer."
قَالَ رَبِّ اَنّٰی یَکُوۡنُ لِیۡ غُلٰمٌ وَّ قَدۡ بَلَغَنِیَ الۡکِبَرُ وَ امۡرَاَتِیۡ عَاقِرٌ ؕ قَالَ کَذٰلِکَ اللّٰہُ یَفۡعَلُ مَا یَشَآءُ ﴿۴۱﴾
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَقَدۡ بَلَغَنِيَ ٱلۡكِبَرُ وَٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٞۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ
English
He said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a son, when age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?’ He answered, ‘Such is the way of Allah: He does what He pleases.’
English Short Commentary
He said, [d]‘My Lord, how shall I have a son,[408] when age has overtaken me already, and my wife is barren?’ He answered, ‘Such is the way of Allah; He does what He pleases.’
408. Ghulam means a youth (Lane). Zachariah’s query was a spontaneous expression of innocent surprise at the Divine promise. It also contained a veiled prayer that he might live long enough to see the child born and grow up into a young man. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
He said, [a]‘My Lord, how shall I have a son, when age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?’ He answered, ‘Such is the way of Allah: He does what He pleases.’[331]
331. Important Words:
غلام (son) is derived from غلم i.e. he became excited by lust or carnal desire. اغتلم الشراب means, the beverage became strong in its influence upon the head. غلام means: (1) a young man, one whose moustache is growing forth; (2) a son, a male child; (3) a man of middle age; (4) a male slave or servant (Lane).
Commentary:
Zachariah’s question contained in the words, how shall I have a son? implies no disbelief on his part in God’s promise, as alleged by the Bible (Luke 1:20). It is simply a spontaneous expression of innocent surprise at the divine promise. It also contains a veiled prayer that he might live long enough to see the child born and grow up into a young man. Zachariah has referred to his old age and the barrenness of his wife to make God’s mercy take a practical shape all the more speedily.
The expression کذالك الله یفعل ما یشاء may be rendered as: (1) thus Allah does what He pleases; (2) this is really so, but Allah does what He pleases; (3) such is the way of Allah, He does what He pleases. (close)
اُردو
اس نے کہا اے میرے ربّ! میرے کیسے بیٹا ہوگا جبکہ مجھے بڑھاپے نے آ لیا ہے اور میری بیوی بانجھ ہے۔ اس نے کہا اسی طرح اللہ جو چاہتا ہے کرتا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اس نے کہا کہ اے میرے رب مجھے (میری زندگی میں) (عمر پانے والا) لڑکا کس طرح ملے گا‘ حالانکہ مجھ پر بڑھاپا آگیا ہے اور میری بیوی بانجھ ہے۔ فرمایا اللہ ایسا ہی (قادر) ہے۔ وہ جو چاہتا ہے کرتا ہے۔
Français
Il dit : « Seigneur, comment aurais-je un fils alors que la vieillesse m’a atteint et que ma femme est stérile ? » Il répondit : « C’est ainsi ce que Allāh veut Il le fait. »
Español
Dijo: “¡Mi Señor!, ¿cómo voy a tener un hijo, si la vejez se ha poderado de mí, y mi mujer es estéril?”. Él respondió: “Así es el designio de Al-lah; Él hace lo que quiere”.
Deutsch
Er sprach: "Mein Herr, wie soll mir ein Sohn werden, wo das Alter mich überkommen hat und mein Weib unfruchtbar ist?" Er antwortete: "So ist Allahs (Weg), Er tut, wie es Ihm gefällt."