بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Maryam 19:4
Mary · Juz 16 · Page 305
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. ↩
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Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 19:4–6
This is the prayer of one who had grown very old while pursuing a religious mission and failed to find among his family members anybody to carry on his task after him. The feeling of his own helplessness on the one hand, and the realization of the tremendous importance of his mission on the other, combine in the prayer expressed in these verses. In other words, this was not a mere prayer for a son in the usual sense: it was a prayer for a worthy successor capable of carrying on his prophetic mission after him.
Page 305
سورة مريم
Maryam
Mary · Meccan · 98 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
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.