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Surah 19. Maryam

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19:1
كٓهيعٓصٓ K a fh a y a AAayn sa d
Kaf. Ha. Ya. 'Ayn. Sad.1
  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix II.

Kaf Ha' Ya' 'Ayn Suad.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Kãf-Ha-Ya-'Aĩn- Ṣãd.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Kaf. Ha. Ya. Ain. Sad.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Kaf. Ha. Ya. `Ain. Sad. 2455
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is the only Sura which begins with these five Abbreviated Letters, K.,H.,Y.,A.,S. For Abbreviated Letters generally, see Appendix 1.

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19:2
ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ Th ikru ra h mati rabbika AAabdahu zakariyy a
AN ACCOUNT of the grace which thy Sustainer bestowed upon His servant Zachariah:2
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "An account of thy Sustainer's grace upon...", etc. According to the account in the Gospels, not contradicted by the Qur'an, Zachariah's wife Elisabeth was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Cf. Luke i, 36).

This is a reminder of blessings that your Rabb bestowed on His servant Zakariya,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'This is' a reminder of your Lord's mercy to His servant Zachariah,
  - Mustafa Khattab
A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zachariah.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
(This is) a recital of the Mercy of thy Lord to His Servant Zakariya. 2456
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Mercy of Allah to Zakriya was shown in many ways: (1) in the acceptance of his prayer; (2) in bestowing a son like Yahya; and (3) in the love between father and son, in addition to the work which Yahya did as Allah's Messenger for the world. Cf. iii. 38-41 and notes. There the public ministry was the point stressed; here the beautiful relations between the son and the father.

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19:3
إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّا I th n a d a rabbahu nid a an khafiyy a n
When he called out to his Sustainer in the secrecy of his heart,3
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "with secret calling".

when he invoked his Rabb in secret,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
when he cried out to his Lord privately,
  - Mustafa Khattab
When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret 2457
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In secret: because he feared that his own family and relatives were going wrong (xix. 5), and he wanted to keep the lamp of Allah burning bright. He could not very well mention the fear about his colleagues (who were his relations) in public.

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19:4
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَٱشْتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا Q a la rabbi innee wahana alAAa th mu minnee wa i shtaAAala a l rrasu shayban walam akun biduAA a ika rabbi shaqiyy a n
he prayed: "O my Sustainer! Feeble have become my bones, and my head glistens with grey hair. But never yet, O my Lord, has my prayer unto Thee remained unanswered.4
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "never have I been unfortunate in my prayer to Thee".

saying: "O Rabb! Surely my bones have weakened and the hair of my head glisten with grey, while I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, O Rabb!
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
saying, 'My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, my Lord!
  - Mustafa Khattab
Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
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! 2458
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This preface shows the fervent faith of Zakariya. Zakariya was a prophet of the Most High Allah. His office was in the Temple, and his relatives were his colleagues. But he found in them no true spirit of the service of Allah and man. He was filled with anxiety as to who would uphold the godly ideas he had in mind, which were strange to his worldly colleagues.

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19:5
وَإِنِّى خِفْتُ ٱلْمَوَٰلِىَ مِن وَرَآءِى وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا Wainnee khiftu almaw a liya min war a ee wak a nati imraatee AA a qiran fahab lee min ladunka waliyy a n
"Now, behold, I am afraid of [what] my kinsfolk [will do] after I am gone,5 for my wife has always been barren. Bestow, then, upon me, out of Thy grace, the gift of a successor
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "after me". He evidently anticipated that his kinsfolk - who, like himself, were priests attached to the Temple - would be morally too weak to fulfil their duties with dignity and conviction (Razi), and thus, perhaps, unable to safeguard the future of Mary, whose guardian he was (cf. the first paragraph of 3:37 ).

Yet I fear about my relatives after me, for my wife is barren, grant me a heir by Your grace
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And I am concerned about 'the faith of' my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So grant me, by Your grace, an heir,
  - Mustafa Khattab
Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"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 2459
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

His was not merely a desire for a son. If it had been, he would have prayed much earlier in his life, when he was a young man. He was too full of true piety to put merely selfish things into his prayers. But here was a public need, in the service of the Lord.

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19:6
يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَٱجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا Yarithunee wayarithu min a li yaAAqooba wa i jAAalhu rabbi ra d iyy a n
who will be my heir as well as an heir [to the dignity] of the House of Jacob; and make him, O my Sustainer, well-pleasing to Thee!"
  - Mohammad Asad
who should inherit me and inherit the posterity of Ya'qoob, and make him, O my Rabb, a desirable person!"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
who will inherit 'prophethood' from me and the family of Jacob, and make him, O Lord, pleasing 'to You'!'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable ( unto Thee).
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"(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!" 2460
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is true that an heir inherits property, but his higher duty is to represent in everything the personality of him from whom he inherits. It is doubtful whether Zakariya had any worldly property. But he had character and virtue, as a man of God, and this he wanted to transmit to his heir as his most precious possession. It was almost the most precious possession of the posterity of Jacob. The people around him had fallen away from Allah's Message. Could his heir, like him, try and renew it?

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19:7
يَـٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَـٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا Y a zakariyy a inn a nubashshiruka bighul a min ismuhu ya h y a lam najAAal lahu min qablu samiyy a n
[Thereupon the angels called out unto him:6 ] "O Zachariah! We bring thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son whose name shall be John. [And God says,] 'Never have We given this name to anyone before him.'"7
  - Mohammad Asad

See 3:39 .

Lit., "Never before have We made a namesake for him". The name Yahya (John) signifies "he shall live", i.e., he will be spiritually alive and will be remembered forever; and the fact that God Himself had chosen this name for him was a singular distinction, equivalent to a divine promise (kalimah, cf. note [28] on 3:39 ).

We answered his prayer saying: "O Zakariya! Surely We give you the good news of a son, his name shall be Yahya (John): a name that no one has had before him".
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'The angels announced,' 'O Zachariah! Indeed, We give you the good news of 'the birth of' a son, whose name will be John- a name We have not given to anyone before.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; We have given the same name to none before (him).
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
(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." 2461
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In accordance with his father's prayer he, and Jesus for whom he prepared the way, renewed the Message of Allah, which had been corrupted and lost among the Israelites. The Arabic form Yahya suggests "Life". The Hebrew form is Johanan, which means "Jehovah has been Gracious". Cf. Hananan in verse 13 below. It does not mean that the name was given for the first time, for we read of a Johanan the son of Careah in II Kings, xxv. 23, an otherwise obscure man. It means that Allah had, for the first time, called one of His elect by that name.

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19:8
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَـٰمٌ وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ ٱلْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا Q a la rabbi ann a yakoonu lee ghul a mun wak a nati imraatee AA a qiran waqad balaghtu mina alkibari AAitiyy a n
[Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when my wife has always been barren and I have become utterly infirm through old age?"
  - Mohammad Asad
He asked: "O Rabb! How shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have become impotent from old age?"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He wondered, 'My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have become extremely old?'
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
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?"
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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19:9
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْـًٔا Q a la ka tha lika q a la rabbuka huwa AAalayya hayyinun waqad khalaqtuka min qablu walam taku shay a n
Answered [the angel]: "Thus it is; [but] thy Sustainer says, 'This is easy for Me - even as I have created thee aforetime out of nothing.'"8
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "when [or "although"] thou wert nothing". This stress on God's unlimited power to bring into being a new chain of causes and effects forms here, as in Al 'Imran, a preamble to the announcement, expressed in very similar terms, of the birth of Jesus (see verses {19} ff.).

The answer came: "So shall it be. Your Rabb says: 'It shall not be a difficult task for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing at all!"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
An angel replied, 'So will it be! Your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!''
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
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!' " 2462 2463
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Who is the "He" in this clause? As I have construed it, following the majority of Commentators, it means the angel who brought the message from Allah. Cf. xix. 21 below. But some Commentators construe it to refer to Zakariya. In that case the meaning will be: Zakariya after a little reflection said (in his wonder) "So!", i.e., "Can it really be so? Can I really have a son in my old age?" The speech following,"Thy Lord saith," etc., will then be that of the angel-messenger.

Every man was nothing just before he was created, i.e., his personality was called into being by Allah. Even if there are material processes in forming the body, in accordance with the laws of nature, the real creative force is the power of Allah. But here there is a subtler meaning. John was the harbinger of Jesus, preparing the way for him; and this sentence also prepares us for the more wonderful birth of Jesus himself, see verse 21 below. Everything is possible with Allah.

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19:10
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةً ۚ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا Q a la rabbi ijAAal lee a yatan q a la a yatuka all a tukallima a l nn a sa thal a tha lay a lin sawiyy a n
[Zachariah] prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said [the angel]: "Thy sign shall be that for full three nights [and days] thou wilt not speak unto men."9
  - Mohammad Asad

See 3:41 and the corresponding note [29].

Zakariya said "O my Rabb! Give me a Sign". He said: "Your sign is that for three nights you shall not be able to speak to the people even being sound in health".
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Zachariah said, 'My Lord! Grant me a sign.' He responded, 'Your sign is that you will not 'be able to' speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
(Zakariya) said "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign" was the answer "shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights although thou art not dumb." 2464 2465
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The "Sign", was in order to convince Zakariya that the Lord's promise was true.

Compare this verse with iii. 41. The variations are interesting. Here it is "for three nights": there it is "for three days". The meaning is the same, for a day is a period of 24 hours. But the point of view is different in each case. There it was from the point of view of the Ummat or Congregation, among whom he worked by day; here the point of view is that of his individual soul, which spent the nights in prayer and praise. Notice again that at the end of the next verse, we have here, "In the morning and the evening", and at the end of iii. 41, "In the evening and in the morning"-showing again that the point of view is reversed.

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19:11
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا Fakharaja AAal a qawmihi mina almi h r a bi faaw ha ilayhim an sabbi h oo bukratan waAAashiyy a n
Thereupon he came out of the sanctuary unto his people and signified to them [by gestures]: "Extol His limitless glory by day and by night!"
  - Mohammad Asad
After this Zakariya came out of the shrine and asked his people, through sign language, to glorify Allah in the morning and in the evening.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So he came out to his people from the sanctuary, signalling to them to glorify 'Allah' morning and evening.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
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.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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19:12
يَـٰيَحْيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا Y a ya h y a khu th i alkit a ba biquwwatin wa a tayn a hu al h ukma s abiyy a n
[And when the son was born and grew up10, he was told,] "O John! Hold fast unto the divine writ with [all thy] strength!" - for We granted him wisdom while he was yet a little boy,
  - Mohammad Asad

According to Razi, this is clearly implied inasmuch as the sequence presupposes that John had in the meantime reached an age which enabled him to receive and understand God's commandment.

According to Razi, this is clearly implied in as much as the sequence presupposes that John had in the meantime reached an age which enabled him to receive and understand God's commandment.

To Yahya, when he became old enough, We said: " Hold firmly to the Book." We granted him wisdom, while he was yet a boy,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
'It was later said,' 'O John! Hold firmly to the Scriptures.' And We granted him wisdom while 'he was still' a child,
  - Mustafa Khattab
(And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold the Scripture. And We gave him wisdom when a child.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
(To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him wisdom even as a youth. 2466 2467
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Time passes. The son is born. In this section of the Sura the centre of interest is Yahya, and the instruction is now given to him. 'Keep fast hold of Allah's revelation with all your might': for an unbelieving world had either corrupted or neglected it, and Yahya (John the Baptist) was to prepare the way for, Jesus, who was coming to renew and re-interpret it.

Hukm, translated Wisdom, implies something more than Wisdom; it is the Wisdom or Judgment that is entitied to judge and command, as in the matter of denouncing sin.

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19:13
وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَوٰةً ۖ وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا Wa h an a nan min ladunn a wazak a tan wak a na taqiyy a n
as well as, by Our grace, [the gift of] compassion11 and purity; and he was [always] conscious of Us
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "compassion from Us"-i.e., as a special divine gift.

and also granted him kindness and purity by Our grace, and he grew up a pious man;
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
as well as purity and compassion from Us. And he was God-fearing,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout,
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And pity (for all creatures) as from Us and purity: he was devout 2468
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

John the Baptist did not live long. He was imprisoned by Herod, the tetrarch (provincial ruler under the Roman Empire), whom he had reproved for his sins, and eventually beheaded at the instigation of the woman with whom Herod was infatuated. But even in his young life, he was granted (1) wisdom by Allah, for he boldly denounced sin; (2) gentle pity and love for all Allah's creatures, for he moved among the humble and lowly, and despised "soft raiment"; and (3) purity of life, for he renounced the world and lived in the wilderness. All his work he did in his youth. These things showed themselves in his conduct, for he was devout, showing love to Allah and to Allah's creatures, and more particularly to his parents (for we are considering that aspect of his life): this was also shown by the fact that he never used violence, from an attitude of arrogance, nor entertained a spirit of rebellion against divine Law.

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19:14
وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا Wabarran biw a lidayhi walam yakun jabb a ran AAa s iyy a n
and full of piety towards his parents; and never was he haughty or rebellious.
  - Mohammad Asad
dutiful to his parents - he was neither arrogant nor disobedient.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and kind to his parents. He was neither arrogant nor disobedient.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And kind to his parents and he was not overbearing or rebellious.
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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19:15
وَسَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا Wasal a mun AAalayhi yawma wulida wayawma yamootu wayawma yubAAathu h ayy a n
Hence, [God's] peace was upon him on the day when he was born, and on the day of his death, and will be [upon him] on the day when he shall be raised to life [again].
  - Mohammad Asad
Peace be on him the day he was born, the day of his death and the Day he will be raised to life again!
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day of his death, and the day he will be raised back to life!
  - Mustafa Khattab
Peace on him the day be was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
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)! 2469
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is spoken as in the life-time of Yahya. Peace and Allah's Blessings, were on him when he was born; they continue when he is about to die an unjust death at the hands of a tyrant; and they will be specially manifest at the Day of Judgment.

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