بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Maryam 19:11
Mary · Juz 16 · Page 305
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكۡرَةٗ وَعَشِيّٗا ١١
So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allāh] in the morning and afternoon.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 19:10–11
The Sign of the Pregnancy
Allah, the Exalted, informed about Zakariyya that he said,
قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً
(He (Zakariyya) said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign.") "Give me a sign and a proof of the existence of that which You have promised me, so that my soul will be at rest and my heart will be at ease with Your promise." Similarly Ibrahim said,
رَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيْفَ تُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِى
(My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead. He (Allah) said: "Do you not believe" He said: "Yes (I believe), but to put my heart at ease.")2:260 Then Allah says,
قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ
(He said: "Your sign is...") meaning, "Your sign will be..."
أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً
(that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect.) Meaning, `your tongue will be prevented from speaking for three nights while you are healthy and fit, without any sickness or illness.' Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Wahb, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others said, "His tongue was arrested without any sickness or illness." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "He used to recite and glorify Allah, but he was not able to speak to his people except by gestures. " Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said,
ثَلَثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً
(three nights, though having no bodily defect.) "The nights were consecutive." However, the first statement that is reported from him and the majority is more correct. This Ayah is similar to what Allah, the Exalted, said in Surah Al `Imran,
قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِىِّ وَالإِبْكَرِ
(He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." (Allah) said "Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning.)3:41 This is a proof that he did not speak to his people for these three nights and their days as well.
إِلاَّ رَمْزًا
(except with signals.) Meaning, with bodily gestures, this is why Allah says in this noble Ayah,
فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنَ الْمِحْرَابِ
(Then he came out to his people from the Mihrab) referring to the place where he was given the good news of the child.
فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ
(he indicated to them by signs) Meaning he made a gesture to them that was subtle and swift.
أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيّاً
(to glorify Allah in the morning and in the afternoon.) That they should be agreeable to what he was commanded to do during these three days, to increase in his deeds and gratitude to Allah for what He had given him. Mujahid said,
فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ
(he indicated to them by signs) "He made a gesture." Wahb and Qatadah said the same.
Page 305
19:1
كٓهيعٓصٓ ١
Kāf, Hā, Yā, ʿAyn, Ṣād.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
19:2
ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبۡدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ ٢
[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
19:3
إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيّٗا ٣
When he called to his Lord a private call [i.e., supplication].
19:4
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّي وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَيۡبٗا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيّٗا ٤
He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled1 with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "ignited." The spread of white hair throughout the head is likened to that of fire in the bush. ↩
19:5
وَإِنِّي خِفۡتُ ٱلۡمَوَٰلِيَ مِن وَرَآءِي وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا فَهَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيّٗا ٥
And indeed, I fear the successors1 after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir
1 translator’s note
- Those relatives from the father's side who would inherit religious authority. ↩
19:6
يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَۖ وَٱجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيّٗا ٦
Who will inherit me1 and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."
1 translator’s note
- Inherit from me religious knowledge and prophethood. ↩
19:7
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيّٗا ٧
[He was told],1 "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."
1 translator’s note
- By Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) through the angels. ↩
19:8
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِيّٗا ٨
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"
19:9
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٞ وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـٔٗا ٩
[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.'"
19:10
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّيٓ ءَايَةٗۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالٖ سَوِيّٗا ١٠
[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."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., without illness or defect. ↩
19:11
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكۡرَةٗ وَعَشِيّٗا ١١
So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allāh] in the morning and afternoon.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy