The story of Mary, peace be upon her | Episode (17) | And soothe your eyes, Mary

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. The story of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran, peace be upon her.

0:10 "And let your eye be comforted," O Maryam.

0:19 After Maryam, peace be upon her, gave birth to ‘Isa, peace be upon him,

0:24 she began to be overcome by increasing anxieties.

0:27 That is why she said at the time of birth,

0:30 “And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm-tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died ere this and had become a thing of naught, forgotten!” (19:23)

0:36 these anxieties

0:38 were centered on how she would face her people.

0:42 What would she say to them?

0:44 And what would they think of her?

0:47 This confrontation

0:49 required psychological composure

0:51 so that she would know what to say and how to act.

0:56 It also required psychological strength

0:59 to absorb their suspicions about her,

1:01 whatever those suspicions might be,

1:04 and it was not expected that they would be favorable thoughts.

1:08 She needed to absorb the hurtful words that might be directed at her.

1:13 Therefore, Maryam, peace be upon her, had to be

1:16 at peace when facing her people.

1:20 For Maryam, peace be upon her,

1:22 was in need of two things to calm herself

1:26 and maintain her composure in the face of her people.

1:29 The first:

1:31 physical rest after childbirth.

1:34 For if the body is exhausted,

1:37 it is difficult for it to think and focus.

1:40 A woman after childbirth needs what will strengthen her body

1:45 so that her health may return,

1:47 and she may have the strength to think and focus on what she says and does.

1:52 Therefore, it was said to her:

1:54 “And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee.” (19:25)

2:01 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

2:05 Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

2:08 He, the Almighty, says:

2:10 "Eat of the dates that fall upon you,"

2:14 "and drink from the water of the stream that your Lord has placed beneath you."

2:19 Do not fear hunger or thirst.

2:22 "And let your eye be comforted."

2:24 He says: Be at ease, rejoice in the birth of your son, and do not grieve.

2:31 The word "eye" is in the accusative case because it is the entity described as being comforted.

2:36 The meaning of the statement is:

2:38 May your eye be comforted by your child.

2:41 Abu Zahra, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

2:44 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

2:47 "Eat of the fresh, ripe dates,"

2:49 "and drink from the flowing stream."

2:52 "And let your eye be comforted" by the pure boy Allah the Almighty has gifted you.

2:58 The comfort of the eye is its stillness.

3:01 When a person is in distress and fear,

3:04 their eye wanders and does not settle.

3:06 Thus, we use the comfort of the eye as a metaphor for stillness and tranquility.

3:11 The comfort of the eye signals the comfort of the soul.

3:14 The command to comfort the eye,

3:16 even if it is not under the control of the will,

3:19 is a command to calm the soul and banish frightening thoughts,

3:24 and not to expect evil,

3:26 because Allah is with her.

3:29 Miracles occurred as evidence that He, glory be to Him, was with her.

3:34 And whoever has Allah with them,

3:37 must be at peace, with a comforted eye and soul.

3:42 So He guided her to three things to achieve the first requirement,

3:47 which is bodily rest.

3:49 They are:

3:50 First:

3:51 Eating the dates that fall from the palm tree after she shakes it.

3:57 Some scholars have derived from this verse

4:00 that the best food for a woman who has just given birth

4:03 is dates.

4:04 They said:

4:06 If there were anything better for a woman in postpartum than dates,

4:09 Allah would have fed it to Maryam at the time of her delivery of ‘Isa.

4:14 Al-Tahir Ibn ‘Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

4:17 "Rutab" (fresh dates)

4:19 are dates that have not yet fully dried.

4:21 "Jani" (freshly gathered)

4:23 is a form meaning "that which is gathered."

4:25 Meaning, recently plucked.

4:27 It is a metaphor for the immediacy of its falling,

4:30 meaning its freshness.

4:32 It was not from dates stored beforehand,

4:35 because the closer dates are to their palm tree,

4:39 the better their taste.

4:42 Second:

4:43 Drinking from the flowing water.

4:46 And "ma'in" (flowing/clear)

4:47 means pure, abundant water.

4:50 Third:

4:52 Joy and happiness with the newborn.

4:55 Al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

4:57 This is her reassurance regarding safety from the pain of childbirth

5:02 and the attainment of pleasant food and drink.

5:06 The second thing Maryam needed to calm herself

5:11 was the speech and argument with which she would face her people.

5:16 Maryam’s soul, peace be upon her, might have been preoccupied with thinking about what she would say to her people.

5:23 So the guidance came to her, contrary to what was circulating in her mind and occupying her thoughts.

5:29 The guidance came for her to be silent and not speak,

5:33 but rather to worship Allah by refraining from speaking to humans.

5:38 It was said to her:

5:40 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

5:44 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

5:47 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

5:52 Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

5:55 He says:

5:56 If you see anyone from the children of Adam who speaks to you or asks you about your affair or the affair of your son,

6:03 and the reason for your birth,

6:06 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:10 he says:

6:11 Then say: "I have vowed a fast to the Most Merciful, so I will not speak today to any human."

6:20 Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

6:23 And His saying:

6:24 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:28 Meaning, whoever you see,

6:31 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:35 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:38 The intent of this statement

6:40 and pointing to it,

6:43 is not that the intent is verbal speech,

6:46 so as not to contradict [the vow of silence].

6:48 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:51 Anas Ibn Malik said regarding His saying:

6:54 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

6:57 He said:

6:58 "A fast" (samtan).

7:00 Likewise said Ibn ‘Abbas and al-Dahhak.

7:03 And in a narration from Anas:

7:05 "A fast and silence."

7:07 Likewise said Qatadah and others.

7:11 The meaning is

7:12 that when they fasted in their law,

7:15 food and speech were forbidden to them.

7:19 Al-Suddi, Qatadah,

7:22 and ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Zayd affirmed this.

7:24 Abu Ishaq said,

7:26 on the authority of Harithah, who said:

7:28 I was with Ibn Mas‘ud,

7:31 and two men came.

7:32 One of them greeted him and the other did not.

7:36 He said:

7:37 "What is the matter with you?"

7:39 His companions said:

7:41 "He swore not to speak to people today."

7:44 ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud said:

7:47 "Speak to the people and greet them,"

7:50 "for that is a woman."

7:51 She knew that no one would believe her

7:54 that she had conceived without a husband,

7:57 meaning Maryam, peace be upon her,

8:00 so that it would be an excuse for her if she were asked.

8:03 Narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir.

8:07 Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

8:10 She was only commanded to do that

8:12 so that she would not be asked about her son.

8:15 Al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

8:17 As for the people's speech,

8:20 she was commanded that if she saw any human,

8:24 she should say by way of gesture:

8:27 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

8:31 meaning silence.

8:32 “So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.” (19:26)

8:36 Meaning, do not address them with speech,

8:39 so that you may find rest from their words and talk.

8:43 It was known among them

8:44 that silence was among the prescribed acts of worship.

8:48 She was not commanded to address them

8:50 to deny that [accusation] from herself,

8:53 because people would not believe her,

8:55 nor would there be any benefit in it.

8:58 And so that her exoneration

8:59 by the speech of ‘Isa in the cradle

9:01 would be the greatest witness to her innocence.

9:05 For a woman to bring forth a child without a husband,

9:08 and claim that it is from no one,

9:11 is one of the greatest claims,

9:13 which, even if a number of witnesses were brought,

9:16 would not be believed.

9:19 So the proof of this miracle

9:21 was made something of its own kind,

9:23 which is the speech of ‘Isa while he was very young.

9:28 In this matter that happened to Maryam, peace be upon her,

9:32 is a lesson for everyone who strives

9:34 to solve social or family problems,

9:38 in benefiting from these practical steps.

9:42 The person with the problem often has their thinking

9:46 under the control of the negative consequences of the problem,

9:49 and it may be difficult for them to see the solution.

9:52 So they need someone to enlighten them on the path.

9:56 Therefore, the one striving for reform

9:59 must first take them out of the pessimistic view of their problem

10:03 to the vastness of Allah’s mercy to His servants and His kindness to them,

10:08 by enlightening them on aspects of Allah the Almighty’s kindness to them

10:12 and His blessings upon them in the problem itself.

10:15 Then, connect them directly to Allah

10:18 by teaching them the great supplication

10:21 for the removal of worry and grief,

10:23 so that Allah may remove from them the worry and grief that has afflicted them,

10:28 and make it easy for them to look at the reality of their problem

10:31 which has filled their chest with worry and grief.

10:35 For on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:

10:39 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

10:42 "No servant has ever said,

10:44 when afflicted by worry or grief:

10:48 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant,

10:52 my forelock is in Your hand,

10:54 Your command over me is ever executed,

10:56 and Your decree over me is just.

10:59 I ask You by every name that is Yours,

11:01 with which You have named Yourself,

11:03 or revealed in Your Book,

11:06 or taught to any of Your creation,

11:09 or kept hidden in the knowledge of the unseen with You,

11:13 that You make the Qur’an the spring of my heart,

11:16 the light of my vision,

11:18 and the clearing of my sorrow,

11:20 and the removal of my anxiety.

11:22 Allah will surely remove his anxiety and replace his sorrow with joy.

11:27 They asked, "O Messenger of Allah,

11:29 should we learn these words?"

11:33 He replied, "Yes,

11:35 it is fitting for anyone who hears them to learn them."

11:40 Narrated by Ibn Hibban.

11:42 A person facing a problem who is overwhelmed by anxiety

11:45 often turns away from food and loses their appetite

11:49 due to the intensity of the thoughts and the sorrow dominating their soul regarding the problem.

11:54 Consequently, their body weakens, and their ability to think weakens as well.

11:58 Therefore, the one striving to provide a solution

12:01 must help the person in distress return to their normal state,

12:05 so that their soul may calm down and they may eat,

12:08 and they can think clearly and engage with the solution being proposed to them.

12:13 The Sunnah has guided us to a type of food

12:18 that is highly beneficial in cases of sorrow.

12:22 It is narrated from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,

12:25 that whenever a death occurred among her family,

12:29 and the women gathered for that purpose,

12:31 then dispersed, except for her family and close relatives,

12:36 she would order a pot of talbinah to be cooked.

12:40 Then, tharid (a dish of bread and broth) would be prepared,

12:42 and the talbinah would be poured over it.

12:44 Then she would say,

12:46 "Eat from it,

12:48 for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

12:53 'Talbinah brings comfort to the heart of the sick,

12:56 and it takes away some of the sorrow.'"

12:59 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

13:01 Ibn al-Mulaqqin, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

13:04 "Talbinah is a soup made from flour and bran."

13:09 The meaning of "brings comfort" (mujimmah) is

13:11 that it soothes and relieves the heart of its anxiety.

13:15 Abu al-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

13:18 "It means that it strengthens and invigorates it,

13:22 because it is a food that possesses a gentle quality,

13:26 easy for the sick person to consume.

13:28 When the sick person uses it,

13:31 the heat of hunger is dispelled,

13:34 and they receive nutritional strength without any hardship.

13:39 Thus, some of what they were experiencing is relieved, and they become energized,

13:43 and the distress and sorrow they felt due to their illness depart."

13:48 ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, used to prepare it for the family of the deceased

13:53 and add bread to it

13:55 because the sorrow of the family of the deceased distracted them from eating,

13:59 causing the heat of their internal organs to intensify from hunger and grief.

14:03 So, when she fed them the talbinah,

14:06 the intensity of their hunger was broken,

14:09 and some of what they were suffering was alleviated.

14:13 I ask Allah to remove our anxieties and sorrows,

14:17 and replace them with joy and happiness,

14:20 and well-being in this world and the Hereafter.

14:24 We will continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.

14:27 And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The story of Mary, peace be upon her | Episode (17) | And soothe your eyes, Mary

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