Tafsir of Surah Maryam - Verse 30

Maryam with Al-Masih before the People, Their Rejection of Her and His Reply to Them

Allah, the Exalted, informs of Maryam's situation when she was commanded to fast that day and not to speak to any human being. For verily, her affair would be taken care of and her proof would be established. Thus, she accepted the command of Allah and she readily received His decree. She took her child and brought him to her people, carrying him. When they saw her like this they made a big deal about her situation and they sternly protested against of it, and

قَالُواْ يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً

(They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariy.") Fariy means a mighty thing. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Nawf Al-Bikali that he said, "Her people went out searching for her, she was from a family that was blessed with prophethood and nobility. However, they could not find any trace of her. They came across a cow herder and they asked him, `Have you seen a girl whose description is such and such' He replied, `No, but tonight I saw my cows doing something that I've never seen them do before.' They asked, `What did you see' He said, `Tonight I saw them prostrating in the direction of that valley."' `Abdullah bin Ziyad said (adding to the narration), "I memorized from Sayyar that he (the cattle herder) said, `I saw a radiant light.' " So they went towards the direction that he told him, and Maryam was coming towards them from that direction. When she saw them she sat down and she was holding her child in her lap. They came towards her until they were standing over her.

قَالُواْ يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً

(They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a mighty thing (Fariy).") This means it was a mighty thing that she had brought.

يأُخْتَ هَـرُونَ

(O sister of Harun!) This means, "O one resembling Harun (Aaron) in worship."

مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيّاً

(Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste woman.) They meant, "You are from a good, pure family, well-known for its righteousness, worship and abstinence from worldy indulgence. How could you do such a thing" `Ali bin Abi Talhah and As-Suddi both said, "It was said to her,

يأُخْتَ هَـرُونَ

(O sister of Harun!) referring to the brother of Musa, because she was of his descendants. This is similar to the saying, `O brother of Tamim,' to one who is from the Tamimi tribe, and `O brother of Mudar,' to one who is from the Mudari tribe. It has also been said that she was related to a righteous man among them whose name was Harun and she was comparable to him in her abstinence and worship. Concerning Allah's statement,

فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُواْ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً

(Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle") This is what took place while they were in doubt about her situation, condeming her circumstances, saying what they wanted to say. At that time they were slandering her and falsely accusing her of a horrendous act. On that day she was fasting and keeping silent. Therefore, she referred all speech to him (the child) and she directed them to his address and speech to them. They scoffed at her because they thought that she was mocking at them and playing with them. They said,

كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً

(How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle) Maymun bin Mahran said,

فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ

(Then she pointed to him.) "She indicated, `Speak to him.' They then said, `After she has come to us with this calamity, she now commands us to speak to one who is a child in the cradle!"' As-Suddi said, "When she pointed to him they became angry and said, `Her mocking us, to the extent of commanding us to speak to this child, is worse to us than her fornication.' "

قَالُواْ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً

(They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle") This means, "How can someone speak who is in his cradle, in the state of infancy and a child" `Isa said,

إِنِّى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ

(Verily, I am a servant of Allah,) The first thing that he said was a declaration of the lofty honor of his Lord and His being free of having a child. Also, he affirmed that he himself was a worshipper of his Lord. Allah said,

ءَاتَانِىَ الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً

(He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.) This was a declaration of innocence for his mother from the immorality that was attributed to her. Nawf Al-Bikali said, "When they said what they said to his mother, he (`Isa) was nursing from her breast. At their statement he released the breast from his mouth and reclined on his left saying,

إِنِّى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ءَاتَانِىَ الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً

(Verily, I am a servant of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.) And he continued speaking until he said,

مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً

(as long as I live.)" Concerning his statement,

وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ

(And He has made me blessed wherever I be,) Mujahid, `Amr bin Qays and Ath-Thawri all said that this means, "And He made me a teacher of goodness." In another narration from Mujahid, he said, "A person of great benefit." Ibn Jarir reported from Wuhayb bin Al-Ward, a freed slave of the Bani Makhzum tribe, that he said, "A scholar met another scholar who had more knowledge than himself. So he said to him, `May Allah have mercy upon you, what acts of mine should I perform openly' The other replied, `Commanding good and forbidding evil, for verily, it is the religion of Allah, which He sent His Prophets with to His servants.' The scholars have indeed agreed upon the statement of Allah,

وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ

(And He has made me blessed wherever I be,) Then it was said, `What was his blessing' He (Wuhayb) replied, `Commanding good and forbidding evil wherever he was.' " His saying,

وَأَوْصَانِى بِالصَّلَوةِ وَالزَّكَوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً

(and He has enjoined on me Awsani Salah and Zakah, as long as I live.) This is similar to the statement of Allah to Muhammad ﷺ,

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

(And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).) 15:99 `Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Qasim reported from Malik bin Anas that he commented on Allah's statement,

وَأَوْصَانِى بِالصَّلَوةِ وَالزَّكَوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً

(and He has enjoined on me Awsani Salah and Zakah, as long as I live.) He said, "Allah informed him of what would be of his affair until his death. This is the firmest evidence against the people who deny Allah's preordained decree." Concerning Allah's statement,

وَبَرّاً بِوَالِدَتِى

(And to be dutiful to my mother.) This means, "He (Allah) has commanded me to treat my mother well." He mentioned this after mentioning obedience to his Lord, Allah. This is because Allah often combines the command to worship Him with obedience to the parents. This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً

(And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.) 17:23 And He, the Exalted, said,

أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ

(Give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.) 31:14 Concerning his statement,

وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّاراً شَقِيّاً

(and He made me not arrogant, unblessed.) This means, "He (Allah) has not made me too proud or arrogant to worship Him, obey Him and be dutiful to my mother, and thus be unblessed." Concerning Allah's statement,

وَالسَّلَـمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيّاً

(And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!) This is his affirmation that `he is a worshipper of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and that he is a creature created by Allah. He (`Isa) will live, die and be resurrected, just like the other creatures that Allah has created. However, he will have peace in these situations, which are the most difficult situations for Allah's creatures.' May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him.

إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّـهِ ("I am the servant of Allah" - 19:30) There is a report that when her family members started berating and censuring Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) ، Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was sucking milk. When he heard their accusations he stopped sucking milk and moved over to his left side facing them, and raising his index finger he said:إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّـهِ i.e. I am the servant of Allah. In this way in his very first words Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) made it clear that although his birth was a miracle, he himself was not God, but only a servant of God. This was to eliminate forever the possibility of people worshipping him as God due to his miraculous birth.

آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

"He has given me the Book and made me a prophet." - 19:30.

In these words, Sayyidna ` Isa I even in his infancy announced his future prophethood and the revelation to him of a sacred book from Allah Ta` ala. Since no prophet has been granted prophethood and a sacred book before the age of forty years, therefore this pre-announcement of his prophethood by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہا السلام) here means to convey in advance that he would be bestowed prophethood and the Book at the proper time. In a similar manner The Holy Prophet ﷺ said that he was bestowed prophethood even before Adam (علیہ السلام) was yet in the process of his creation. This shows that the promise for granting prophethood to Sayyidna Muhammad Al-Mustafa ﷺ was firm and final. Here too, because of the certainty of occurrence, the grant of prophethood is referred to in the past tense. By announcing his future prophethood he (Sayyidna ` Isa علیہ السلام) dispelled peoples' doubts and exonerated his mother from the charge of fornication, because his being a Prophet was proof enough that his birth was free from any blemish.

In spite of Mary’s pointing toward the child, the people could not understand how they were supposed to talk to a small child. At that time, the child himself started speaking. In his miraculous utterances, there was, on the one hand, complete absolution of Mary and, on the other, advance evidence of his prophethood, so that when he grew up and declared his prophethood, there should be no scope for any doubt about it.