Sūrah Āl-i ‘Imrān (42-63)
Qur’ānic Exegesis
(Translated from Ghāmidī’s al-Bayān by Shehzad Saleem)
وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاء الْعَالَمِينَ يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (42-43)
ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاء الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيكَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلاَمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ
And remind them also of the incident when the angels said [to Mary:] “God has selected you and blessed you with purity[1] and by exalting you above womankind chosen you [for the manifestation of a great sign.[2] So] O Mary! remain obedient to your Lord and kneel and prostrate before Him with those who bow before Him.”[3] (42-43)
These[4] are tales from the unknown [O Prophet!] which We are
مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ (44)
إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلآئِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً وَمِنَ
revealing to you and [in reality] you were not present at the time when the attendants of the temple were casting lots to decide which of them should have charge of Mary nor were you present with them when they were having an argument [in this matter].[5] (44)
Remind them when the angels said: “Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a command from Him.[6] His name is the Messiah,[7] Jesus son of Mary.[8] He shall be noble[9] in this world and in the
الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكِ اللّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاء إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَرَسُولاً إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ أَنِّي
world to come, and shall be one of those who are favoured. He shall preach [in his capacity of a prophet] in his cradle[10] and in elderly age too[11] and shall be counted among the righteous.” “Lord”, she said, “how can I bear a child when no man has touched me?” He replied: “In this manner God creates whom He wants.” When He decrees a matter, He need only say: ‘Be,” and it is.[12] [Consequently, it will happen thus and God] will instruct him in law and in wisdom which is the Torah and the Gospel,[13]
أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَأُبْرِىءُ الأكْمَهَ والأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ
and send him forth as a Messenger to the Israelites.[14] [Consequently, this is what happened and he called upon the Israelites saying:][15] “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord:[16] from clay I will make for you the likeness of a bird, then I breathe into it and by God’s directive it becomes a living bird. By God’s leave I heal the blind man and the leper, and raise the dead to life. And I can tell you what you eat and what you stock in your houses. Surely in it is a great sign for you, if you are true believers. I come to confirm the Torah[17] which preceded me
لَكُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِإِنَّ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَـذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (45-51)
فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنزَلَتْ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ
and to make lawful for you some of the things forbidden to you[18] and [look] I bring you a sign from your Lord: therefore fear God and obey me. Indeed, God is my Lord and yours also;[19] therefore serve Him only. This the straight path.” (45-51)
So when Jesus felt that these people [of his nation] were persistent in their denial come what may, he said [to his disciples[20]]: “Who will help me in the cause of God?”[21] The disciples replied: “We are God’s helpers.[22] We profess faith in
فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ (52-53)
وَمَكَرُواْ وَمَكَرَ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ إِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ
God[23] and bear witness that we submit to Him. Lord, we believe in what You revealed [and in order to fulfill its requisites] follow the prophet. So count us among those who have borne witnesses to him.”[24](52-53)
[This is what happened] and the Israelites started to devise covert schemes [against him][25] and [in response,] God also
إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ
الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَاللّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ (54-57)
you from these who have disbelieved [in you][28] and shall grant your followers[29] supremacy over these disbelievers till the Day of Judgement.[30] Then to Me you shall all return. So at that time I shall give verdict on what you have been differing in. As for these disbelievers, I shall sternly punish them both in this world and in the world to come[31] and there shall be none to help them and [from among them] those who profess faith [in God] and do righteous deeds, He shall give them their reward in full and [in reality] God does not befriend such wrong-doers.” (54-57)
ذَلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثِمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُن مِّن الْمُمْتَرِينَ فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءنَا وَأَبْنَاءكُمْ وَنِسَاءنَا وَنِسَاءكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَةُ اللّهِ عَلَى
These are our verses and a reminder replete with wisdom which We are reciting to you.[32] Jesus is like Adam in the sight of God. He created him from dust and then commanded: “Be”, and he was.[33] This is the truth from your Lord[34] therefore you should not be in any doubt.[35] Then if they still dispute with you after you have received knowledge in this regard, then tell them: “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, our people and your people,[36] then We pray[37] and call down the curse of God on every liar.”[38] This is the whole truth.
الْكَاذِبِينَ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْقَصَصُ الْحَقُّ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَإِنَّ اللّهَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُفْسِدِينَ (58-63)
There is no god but God. Surely it is God who is the Mighty, the Wise One.[39] If they show indifference then [their stubbornness will become evident to people also] because God knows such mischief mongers. (58-63)