SURAH MARYAM

Kāf, Hā, Yā, ʿAyn, Ṣād.[806]

[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah

When he called to his Lord a private call [i.e., supplication].

He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled[807] with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].

And indeed, I fear the successors[808] after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir

Who will inherit me[809] and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."

[He was told],[810] "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."

He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"

[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.'"

[Zechariah] said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, [being] sound."[811]

So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allāh] in the morning and afternoon.

[Allāh said], "O John, take the Scripture [i.e., adhere to it] with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy

And affection from Us and purity, and he was fearing of Allāh

And dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant.

And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he is raised alive.

And mention, [O Muḥammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.

And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel [i.e., Gabriel], and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.

She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allāh."

He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy [i.e., son]."

She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?"

He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.'"

So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.

And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."

But he[812] called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.

And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'"

Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented.

O sister [i.e., descendant] of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."

So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?"

[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allāh. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.

And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakāh as long as I remain alive

And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant.

And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive."

That is Jesus, the son of Mary - the word of truth about which they are in dispute.

It is not [befitting] for Allāh to take a son; exalted is He![813] When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.

[Jesus said], "And indeed, Allāh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."

Then the factions differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to those who disbelieved - from the scene of a tremendous Day.

How [clearly] they will hear and see the Day they come to Us, but the wrongdoers today are in clear error.

And warn them, [O Muḥammad], of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded;[814] and [yet], they are in [a state of] heedlessness, and they do not believe.

Indeed, it is We who will inherit the earth and whoever is on it, and to Us they will be returned.

And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet.

[Mention] when he said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?

O my father, indeed there has come to me of knowledge that which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path.

O my father, do not worship [i.e., obey] Satan. Indeed Satan has ever been, to the Most Merciful, disobedient.

O my father, indeed I fear that there will touch you a punishment from the Most Merciful so you would be to Satan a companion [in Hellfire]."

[His father] said, "Have you no desire for my gods, O Abraham? If you do not desist, I will surely stone you, so avoid me a prolonged time."

[Abraham] said, "Peace [i.e., safety] will be upon you.[815] I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Indeed, He is ever gracious to me.

And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allāh and will invoke[816] my Lord. I expect that I will not be in invocation to my Lord unhappy [i.e., disappointed]."

So when he had left them and those they worshipped other than Allāh, We gave him Isaac and Jacob, and each [of them] We made a prophet.

And We gave them of Our mercy, and We made for them a mention [i.e., reputation] of high honor.