Surah 19

MARYAM (Mary)

In the Name of God,1 the Gracious, the Merciful 2

1 Kaf  Ha  Ya  Ayn  Sad.3

2 A reminder of the mercy of the Lord to his servant Zakariyya4. 3 Behold! He cried to his Lord in secret, 4 praying, “O my Lord! Infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head glistens with grey; but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to you! 5 Now I fear what my relatives will do after me, but my wife is barren. So give me an heir as from yourself, 6 one that will truly represent me, and represent the posterity of Yaqub5; and make him, O my Lord, one with whom you are well pleased!” 7 His prayer was answered, “O Zakariyya! We give you good news of a son. His name shall be Yahya6. We have not conferred distinction on anyone by that name before.” 8 He said, “O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have now grown very old?” 9 He said, “So it will be. Your Lord says, ‘That is easy for me. Indeed, I created you from nothing!'”

10 Zakariyya said, “O my Lord! Give me a sign.” The answer was, “Your sign is that you shall speak to no man for three nights, even though you are not dumb.” 11 So Zakariyya came out to his people from the chamber. He told them by signs to celebrate God’s praises in the morning and in the evening.

12 To his son came the command, “O Yahya! Hold on to Al-Kitab firmly.” And we gave him wisdom even as a youth, 13 and pity for all creatures as from us, and purity. He was devout 14 and kind to his parents; and he was not overbearing or rebellious. 15 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!

16 Remember in Al-Kitab the story of Maryam, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the east. 17 She secluded herself from them and then we sent to her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. 18 She said, “I seek refuge from you in God most gracious. Do not come near if you fear God.” 19 He said, “No, I am only a messenger from your Lord, to announce to you the gift of a holy7 son.” 20 She said, “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me and I am not unchaste?” 21 He said, “So it will be. Your Lord says, ‘That is easy for me. And we wish to appoint him as a sign to men and a mercy from us.’  It is a matter so decreed.” 22 So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. 23 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried in her anguish, “Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!” 24 But a voice cried to her from beneath the palm tree, “Do not grieve! For your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you. 25 And shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm tree. It will let fresh ripe dates fall on you. 26 So eat and drink and cool your eye. And if you see any man, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to God most gracious, and this day I will enter into no talk with any human being.'”

27 At length she brought the baby to her people, carrying him in her arms. They said, “O Maryam! Truly an amazing thing have you brought! 28 O sister of Harun!8 Your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother an unchaste woman!” 29 But she pointed to the baby. They said, “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” 30 He said, “I am indeed a servant of God. He has given me Al-Kitab and made me a prophet. 31 And he has made me blessed wherever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer and almsgiving as long as I live. 32 He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable. 33 So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die,9 and the day that I shall be raised up to life again!” 34 Such was ‘ISA Ibn Maryam, a word of truth, about which they vainly dispute. 35 It is not befitting to God that he should take a son.10 Glory be to him! When he determines a matter, he only says to it, “Be,” and it is. 36 Truly God is my Lord and your Lord. Therefore serve him. This is a way that is straight. 37 But the sects differ among themselves. And woe to the unbelievers because of the judgment of a momentous day! 38 How plainly will they see and hear, the day that they will appear before us! But the unjust today are in clear error! 39 But warn them of the day of distress, when the matter will be determined. For behold, they are negligent and do not believe! 40 It is we who will inherit the earth, and all beings on it. To us will they all be returned.

41 Also mention in Al-Kitab the story of Ibrahim11. He was a man of truth and a prophet. 42 Behold, he said to his father, “O my father! Why worship that which can neither hear nor see, and can profit you nothing? 43 O my father! Knowledge has come to me which has not reached you. So follow me. I will guide you to a way that is even and straight. 44 O my father! Do not serve Shaitan12, for Shaitan is a rebel against God most gracious. 45 O my father! I fear lest a penalty affect you from God most gracious, so that you become a friend to Shaitan.” 46 The father replied, “Do you hate my gods, O Ibrahim? If you do not forbear, I will Indeed stone you. Now get away from me for a good long while!” 47 Ibrahim said, “Peace be on you. I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness, for he is to me most gracious. 48 And I will turn away from you all and from those whom you invoke besides God. I will call on my Lord. Perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest.” 49 When he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides God, we bestowed on him Ishaq13 and Yaqub14, and each one of them we made a prophet. 50 And we bestowed our mercy on them, and we granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth.

51 Also mention in Al-Kitab the story of Musa15. For he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger and a prophet. 52 And we called him from the right side of the mountain, and made him draw near to us for close conversation. 53 And, out of our mercy, we gave him his brother Harun16, also a prophet. 54 Also mention in Al-Kitab the story of Ismail17. He was strictly true to what he promised, and he was a messenger and a prophet. 55 He used to enjoin on his people prayer and almsgiving, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord. 56 Also mention in Al-Kitab the case of Idris18. He was a man of truth and a prophet. 57 And we raised him to a lofty station.19

58 Those were some of the prophets on whom God bestowed his grace of the posterity of Adam20, and of those whom we carried in the Ark with Nuh21, and of the posterity of Ibrahim and Israel22, of those whom we guided and chose. Whenever the signs of God most gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears. 59 But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts. Soon, then, will they face destruction, 60 except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness. For these will enter the garden and will not be wronged in the least, 61 gardens of eternity, those which God most gracious has promised to his servants in the unseen. For his promise must come to pass. 62 They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of peace; and they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening. 63 Such is the garden which we give as an inheritance to those of our servants who guard against evil.

64 The angels say, “We descend not but by command of your Lord. To him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between. And your Lord never forgets, 65 Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them. So worship him, and be constant and patient in his worship. Do you know of any who is like him?

66 Man says, “What! When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?” 67 But does not man call to mind that we created him before out of nothing? 68 So, by your Lord, without doubt, we shall gather them together, and also the demons with them. Then shall we bring them forth on their knees round about hell. 69 Then shall we certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against God most gracious. 70 And certainly we know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein. 71 There is not one of you but will come to it. This is, with your Lord, a decree which must be accomplished. 72 But we shall save those who guarded against evil, and we shall leave the wrongdoers therein, humbled to their knees.

73 When our clear signs are rehearsed to them, the unbelievers say to those who believe, “Which of the two sides is best in point of position? Which makes the best show in council?” 74 But how many countless generations before them have we destroyed, who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye? 75 Say, “If any men go astray, God most gracious extends the rope to them, until, when they see the warning of God being fulfilled either in punishment or in the approach of the Hour, they will at length realize who is worst in position, and who is weakest in forces!” 76 And God advances in guidance those who seek guidance. And the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of their eventual returns. 77 Have you then seen the sort of man who rejects our signs, yet says, “I shall certainly be given wealth and children”? 78 Has he penetrated to the unseen, or has he taken a contract with God most gracious? 79 No! We shall record what he says, and we shall add and add to his punishment. 80 To us shall return all that he talks of, and he shall appear before us bare and alone.

81 And they have taken gods other than God, to give them power and glory! 82 Instead, they shall reject their worship, and become adversaries against them. 83 Do you not see that we have sent the demons against the unbelievers, to incite them with fury? 84 So make haste against them, for we but count out to them a limited number of days. 85 The day we shall gather the righteous to God most gracious, like a band presented before a king for honours, 86 and we shall drive the sinners to hell, like thirsty cattle driven down to water, 87 no one shall have the power of intercession, except one23 who has received permission from God most gracious.

88 They say, “God most gracious has taken a son!”24 89 Indeed you have put forth a thing most monstrous! 90 At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split apart, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, 91 that they should invoke a son for God most gracious. 92 For it is not consonant with the majesty of God most gracious that he should take a son. 93 Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to God most gracious as a servant. 94 He takes account of them all, and has numbered them all exactly. 95 And each one of them will come to him one by one on the day of judgment.

96 On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will God most gracious bestow love. 97 So have we made the Quran easy in your own tongue, that with it you may give glad tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention. 98 But how many countless generations before them have we destroyed? Can you find a single one of them now or hear so much as a whisper of them?

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  1. God, in Arabic allah, referring to the one true God, as opposed to an idol or “god.” It is the Arabic equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew), alaha (Syriac), and theos (Greek), all of which accurately translate into English as “God.” This translation choice is consistent with respected English Quran translations including those of A. Yusuf Ali (original edition), S.H. Nasr (Study Quran), T.B. Irving, and T. Itani (Clear Quran). ↩︎
  2. the Gracious, the Merciful, the highlighting of God’s grace and mercy predates the Quran, coming down from the many hundreds of references in the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil. A few samples follow:
    Taurat, Exodus 34:6 — …YAHWEH, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. 
    Zabur 145:8 — YAHWEH is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
    Taurat, Joel 2:13 — Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to YAHWEH your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
    Taurat, Yunus 4:2 — …I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.”
    Injil, 1 Timothy 1:2 — …Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and AL-MASIH ‘ISA our Lord.
    Injil, Hebrews 4:16 — Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. ↩︎
  3. 19:1 meaning unknown. ↩︎
  4. 19:2 Zakariyya, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means “YAHWEH remembers.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  5. 19:6 Yaqub, or Jacob, derived from the Hebrew name Ya’akov. An alternative name for the people of Israel. ↩︎
  6. 19:7 Yahya, this Arabic name and the English name John (for John the Baptist/Baptizer) are both derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means “YAHWEH is gracious”. (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
  7. 19:19 holy, can also be translated “pure” or “faultless.” Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam is the only prophet who is said to be without sin in the Quran. The Sunnah reinforces Prophet ‘ISA’s exclusive, unique standing from another angle, by asserting that he escaped the defiling touch of Iblis at birth, whereas every other human being is so defiled from birth. Sahih al-Bukhari 3286 says, “When any human being is born. Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead.” In addition, the Injil teaches that ‘ISA was by nature “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) and “did not sin” (1 Peter 2:22). It is a commonly held error that the other prophets are sinless. For more on this subject see Lesson Two of the study course “The Testimony of the Holy Quran.” Also compare Surah 47:19. ↩︎
  8. 19:28 sister of Harun, It is unclear why Maryam, mother of ‘ISA, is called “sister of Harun”. The only Harun mentioned in the Quran is Harun, brother of Musa, but he lived some 1400 years before Maryam, mother of ‘ISA. If Harun was Maryam’s forefather, you might expect her to be called “daughter of Harun,” but probably not “sister of Harun.” However, Harun and Musa did have a sister named Maryam. But she is not the same Maryam who gave birth to ‘ISA AL-MASIH. You can read about her in the Holy Taurat, Exodus. That other Maryam is actually called “sister of Harun” in Exodus 15:20. Furthermore, Imran is listed as the father of Musa, Harun, and Maryam in the Taurat, 1 Chronicles 6:3. ↩︎
  9. 19:33 The day that I die, is sometimes misunderstood to mean that the death of Prophet ‘ISA is still future. It must be remembered that these words were recorded as being uttered by ‘ISA when he was still an infant. ‘ISA’s death could happen at any time in the future from when he was an infant.  Earlier in this surah in verse 15, the death of Prophet Yahya is predicted using the same language, “the day that he dies.” Prophet Yahya’s death occurred when he was martyred at about 30 years of age, about 2,000 years ago. In the same way, ‘ISA’s death occurred while he was still on earth, about 2,000 years ago; not after his second coming, as some people claim. Furthermore, his death is said to be a blessed day, a day of “peace”. It is incorrect to think that the death of Prophet ‘ISA would somehow be shameful, any more than it would be for any other prophet who was martyred. ↩︎
  10. 19:35 not befitting to God that he should take a son, here the Quran appears to be at variance with the Taurat (Hosea 11:1), Zabur (Psalm 2:7), and Injil (John 3:16), which all teach that ‘ISA Ibn Maryam is God’s Son. But it is not that the man ‘ISA was suddenly one day “taken” to become the divine son of God. Al-Kitab teaches that before his birth and even before the creation of the heavens and the earth, ‘ISA was always God’s Son, eternally co-existing and one with the Father. The fact that he chose to be born to the virgin Maryam as a human being, takes nothing away from him being God. God is God forever, even after he chooses to become a human being. Nothing can diminish the glory of God. The holy Injil states plainly that ‘ISA is the SON OF GOD, but no one should understand this to mean that God has physically fathered a son. The study course “Eternal Word” deals with this issue in Lesson Four. ↩︎
  11. 19:41 Ibrahim, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Abraham, which means “father of many nations.” ↩︎
  12. 19:44 Shaitan, is derived from the Hebrew Satan, which means “adversary” or “accuser.” ↩︎
  13. 19:49 Ishaq, or Isaac, derived from the Hebrew name Yitzhak, meaning “he laughs.” ↩︎
  14. 19:49 Yaqub, or Jacob, derived from the Hebrew name Ya’akov. An alternative name for the people of Israel. ↩︎
  15. 19:51 Musa, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Moses meaning “to pull out” or “draw out” (of water); referring to the biblical story where he was rescued from the Nile River by Firaun’s daughter. The original account of Musa‘s story begins in the Taurat, Exodus 3. ↩︎
  16. 19:53 Harun, this Arabic name and the English name Aaron, are both derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, possibly meaning “exalted” or “high mountain.” ↩︎
  17. 19:54 Ismail, derived from the Hebrew Ishmael which means “God hears.” ↩︎
  18. 19:56 Idris, that is, Enoch in the Hebrew text of the Taurat, and in the Greek text of the Injil. ↩︎
  19. 19:57 we raised him to a lofty station, The Taurat and Injil both mention that Prophet Idris (Enoch) was taken by God alive to heaven without seeing death. In Genesis 5:24 the Taurat says, “Idris walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” In Hebrews 11:5,6 the Injil adds, “By faith, Idris was taken away, so that he would not see death, and he was not found, because God took him. For before his departure he was commended as having pleased God. Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him.” In this way, Prophet Idris is held forth as the example of a man who pleases God by his faith, and is thus rewarded. ↩︎
  20. 19:58 Adam, the Hebrew word adam means man, mankind, and gave the first man his name, Adam. The word adam can also mean ground and so helps make sense of the Taurat’s assertion that Adam was formed from the ground. Genesis 2:7 says: “YAHWEH God formed Adam (or the man) from the dust of the ground (adama), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Adam became a living soul.” ↩︎
  21. 19:58 Nuh, Arabic name derived from the Hebrew name Noah, meaning “rest.” For the original account of Nuh see the Taurat, Genesis 6. ↩︎
  22. 19:58 Israel, the Jewish people. They take their name from their forefather Prophet Yaqub (Jacob), to whom God gave the name Israel, as stated in the Taurat, Genesis 32:28 which says: He said, “Your name will no longer be called ‘Yaqub,’ but, ‘Israel,’ for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” ↩︎
  23. 19:87 no one shall have the power of intercession, except one, Al-Kitab identifies only one person as having the power of intercession—Prophet ‘ISA AL-MASIH. The Taurat says prophetically that ‘ISA “bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Shaya 53:12). The Injil plainly teaches that ‘ISA “is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, seeing he lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Also consider 1 Timothy 2:5 which says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man AL-MASIH ‘ISA.” ↩︎
  24. 19:88 God most gracious has taken a son! Here the Quran appears to be at variance with the Taurat (Hosea 11:1), Zabur (Psalm 2:7), and Injil (John 3:16), which all teach that ‘ISA Ibn Maryam is God’s Son. But it is not that the man ‘ISA was one day suddenly chosen to become the divine son of God. Al-Kitab teaches that before his birth and even before the creation of the heavens and the earth, ‘ISA was always God’s Son, eternally co-existing with the Father. The fact that he chose to be born to the virgin Maryam as a human being, takes nothing away from him being God. God is God forever, even after he chooses to become a human being. Nothing can diminish the glory of God. It would be blasphemy for anyone to say that ‘ISA, the chosen intercessor, is the physical son of God. The title SON OF GOD describes a special spiritual relationship of ‘ISA with God, but not a physical relationship. The study course “Eternal Word” deals with this issue in Lesson Four. SON OF GOD is a title belonging to AL-MASIH, the Messiah that God sent into the world to deliver his people. It was revealed through Prophet Dawud in the Zabur 2:7-9, which says: I will tell of the decree. YAHWEH* said to me, “You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, The ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
    * YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎