In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil ibn Salim al-Shamr.
Surah Maryam.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Kaf-Ha-Ya-'Ayn-Sad.
A mention of the mercy of your Lord upon His servant Zakariyya.
“When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret,” (19:3)
He said, "My Lord, my bones have become brittle."
"And my head has flared with white hair."
“Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord.” (19:4)
Kaf-Ha-Ya-'Ayn-Sad.
This is a mention of the mercy of your Lord upon His servant Zakariyya.
When he called upon his Lord and asked Him with a private supplication.
He said, "My Lord, my bones have weakened."
"And gray hair has spread across my head."
"And I have never been disappointed, my Lord, in my supplication to You."
"For You have never failed to answer my prayers before."
"As I used to call upon You in my time of need."
"Rather, You would answer and fulfill my needs before I even asked."
“Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)
"And my wife was barren."
“Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)
"To inherit from me and inherit from the family of Ya'qub."
"And make him, my Lord, pleasing to You."
"I fear my cousins and my kinsmen."
"After I am gone, that they might inherit [the leadership]."
"And my wife was unable to bear children."
"So grant me from Yourself a son who will be an heir and a helper."
"To inherit my wealth after my death."
"And to inherit the prophethood from the family of Ya'qub."
"And make, my Lord, the heir whom You grant me pleasing."
"Pleasing to You."
"And pleasing to Your servants in his religion and character."
"O Zakariyya, We give you glad tidings of a boy whose name is Yahya."
“(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him).” (19:7)
So his Lord answered him.
And said to him:
"O Zakariyya, We give you glad tidings of our gift to you: a boy named Yahya."
"We have not given anyone before him that name."
“He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?” (19:8)
Zakariyya said, when Allah gave him the glad tidings of Yahya:
"My Lord, how can I have a boy, and in what way will that come to be?"
"My wife is barren and cannot conceive."
"And I have grown too old and weak to have relations with women."
"I have reached such an advanced age that my bones have become brittle and dry."
Zakariyya was seeking confirmation from his Lord regarding the news.
About the manner in which he would be granted a son.
Not out of denial, peace be upon him, of the reality of what Allah had promised him.
He said, "Thus it shall be."
“He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.” (19:9)
Allah said to Zakariyya, answering him:
"The matter is just as you say."
"That your wife is barren."
"And that you have reached an extreme old age."
"But your Lord says:"
"The creation of the boy I have promised you,"
"Whose name I have told you is Yahya,"
"Is easy for Me."
"And the creation of the boy I have promised to grant you,"
"Is no more wondrous than your own creation."
"For I created you and brought you into existence as a sound human being,"
"Before I created the son I promised to grant you."
"When you were nothing at all."
He said, "My Lord, grant me a sign."
“He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.” (19:10)
Zakariyya said:
"My Lord, grant me a sign and a proof of what Your angels have promised me."
"So that my heart may be at peace."
Allah said:
"Your sign for that is:"
"That you shall not speak to the people for three nights, while you are sound and healthy."
"With no dumbness or illness preventing you from speaking."
“Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)
“Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)
“Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)
So Zakariyya came out to his people from his prayer chamber when his tongue was restrained from speaking to people.
As a sign from Allah to him of the truth of His promise.
And he signaled to them.
This signal may have been by hand or by writing.
Or by other means through which his intent could be understood.
Or he signaled to them to glorify Allah morning and evening.
It is possible that he commanded them to perform the glorification (tasbih), which is the remembrance of Allah.
And it is possible that he meant by it the prayer (salah).
Then Yahya was born to Zakariyya.
And when he was born, Allah said to him:
"O Yahya, take the Torah with determination."
And We gave him understanding of the Book of Allah in his childhood.
Before he reached the age of manhood.
“And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout,” (19:13)
And as a mercy from Us to him and out of love for him.
We gave Yahya wisdom while he was still a child.
And We gave him purity from sins.
He was fearful of Allah, fulfilling His obligations, and avoiding His prohibitions.
Hastening to obey Him.
“And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious.” (19:14)
“Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive!” (19:15)
And he was dutiful to his parents.
He was not arrogant toward the obedience of his Lord or his parents.
Rather, he was humble and submissive to Allah and his parents.
And there was security from Allah for him on the day he was born.
From being touched by the evil of Satan as other children of Adam are.
And security from Allah for him from the trials of the grave and the terror of the Resurrection.
And security for him from the punishment of Allah on the Day of Judgment.
“And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,” (19:16)
“And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.” (19:17)
“And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.” (19:17)
And mention, O Muhammad, in the Book of Allah which He revealed to you, Maryam, daughter of 'Imran.
When she withdrew from her family.
And secluded herself in a place to the east of them.
And she took a veil to screen herself from them and from the people.
So We sent Our angel Jibril to her.
And he appeared to her in the form of a perfectly formed human being.
“She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if thou art Allah-fearing.” (19:18)
“He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son.” (19:19)
Maryam feared our messenger and thought he was a man who intended to violate her.
She said, "I seek refuge in the Most Gracious from you, that you might do to me what He has forbidden."
"If you are one who fears Him and avoids His prohibitions."
Our spirit said to her, "I am only a messenger from your Lord, O Maryam."
"Sent to you so that Allah may grant you a pure boy, free from sins."
“She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste?” (19:20)
He said, "Thus it shall be; your Lord says it is easy for Me."
“He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained.” (19:21)
And it was a matter already decreed.
Maryam said to Jibril, "How can I have a boy?"
"When no man has touched me in a lawful marriage."
"And I have not been unchaste to have done so in an unlawful way."
Jibril said to her, "The matter is as you describe."
"That no man has touched you and you have not been unchaste."
"But your Lord said:"
"The creation of the boy is easy for Me; it is not difficult for Me to create him."
"And so that We may make the boy whom We grant you a sign and a proof of My creation."
"And a mercy from Us to you."
"And his creation from you was a matter that Allah had already decreed."
"And it had already passed in His judgment and prior knowledge that it would come to pass."