The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of Sura Maryam (mary)

Commentary : Verse 27.28

27- فَاَتَتْ بِهِ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ قَالُوا يَامَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً

28- يَااُخْتَ هَارُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ اُمُّكِ بَغِيّاً

  1. " Then she brought the child to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: 'Verily you have done a very indecent thing'."

  2. " O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman."

Commentary:

The Arabic term /fariyya/ means 'an indecency, a great sin'.

Jesus Speaks in Cradle!

At last, Mary brought her child to her people, carrying him in her arms. When those people saw a new-born- child in her bosom, they wondered so that their mouths remained half open. The verse says:

" Then she brought the child to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: 'Verily you have done a very indecent thing'."

Some of them, who were hasty in judgment, said about Mary that it was a pity with that glorious background and this pollution! And a thousand pities her pure family who became so disgraced like that. Then, as the verse says, they encountered her as follows:

"… They said: 'Verily you have done a very indecent thing'."

Some others, addressing Mary, told her:

" O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman."

They addressed Mary by the phrase 'O sister of Aaron', because Aaron was a pure and pious man, and he was so well known among the Children of Israel for his piety that whenever they wanted to show how pious and righteous a person was, they would address the one as a brother or sister of Aaron.

Some Verses and Traditions about Calumny:

Allah, the Almighty, says: " And whoever commits a fault or a sin, then accuses an innocent person of it, he has burdened (himself) with a calumny and a manifest sin."(1)

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: " When a believer accuses his brethren, faith will dissolve way from his heart like salt is dissolved in water."(2)

Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "(The sin of) calumny charged against the pious is heavier than the skies."(3)

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: "Calumny against the pious is heavier than firm, (steady) mountains."(4)

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) said: "A (true) believer does not deceive his brethren, is not treacherous to him, does not abase him, does not denigrate him, and does not tell him he hates him."(5)

Imam Rida (a.s.) narrated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who said: "He who belies a believing man or a believing woman, or says something about him which is not in him, on the Day of Judgment Allah will make him stand on a heap of Fire until he comes out of what he had said against him."(6)

1- Sura-An-Nisa', No.4 verse 112 2- Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 3058 3- Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol. 3, p. 102 4- Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol. 72, p.194 5- Ibid 6- Ibid

Commentary : Verse 29.30

29- فَاَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلّـِمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً

30- قَالَ إِنّـِى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ءَاتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً

  1. " Then Mary pointed to him. They said: 'How shall we speak to one who is (yet) a child in the cradle?' "

  2. " He (miraculously) said: 'Verily I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet'."

Commentary:

Since Mary had observed a silence fasting, in order to fulfill her vow, she signed instead of speaking. The verse says:

" Then Mary pointed to him. They said: 'How shall we speak to one who is (yet) a child in the cradle?' "

The first word of Jesus (a.s.) was about servitude unto Allah, but his followers exaggerated and considered Jesus as God or God's son.

Once Imam Baqir (a.s.) was asked whether Hadrat Jesus (a.s.) was also the witness of Allah when Jesus was in cradle. Imam (a.s.) said Jesus (a.s.) was a prophet then, but he was not a Messenger until when he was seven years old. It was in that year that the rank of Messengership was bestowed on him. (Tafsir-i-Kanz-ud-Daghayegh)

By a short sentence, Jesus (a.s.) both banished the accusation from his mother, and spoke about his own future, and pointed to the future duty of people. The verse in this regard says:

" He (miraculously) said: 'Verily I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet'."

However, the Qur'an in the first verse says that Mary was silent to obey the command of Allah. The only thing she did was that she pointed to her new-born-child, Jesus, when her action caused the people's astonishment more than before. They told her: "How shall we speak to one who is (yet) a child in the cradle?"

According to some other commentary books, they said to each other that the mockery and ridicule of Mary was harder and heavier to them than her deviation from the path of chastity.

But this situation did not last so long, because that new-born-child started speaking, and said: "Verily I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet."

Commentary : Verse 31.32

31- وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِى بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَادُمْتُ حَيّاً

32- وَبَرّاً بِوَالِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّاراً شَقِيّاً

  1. " And He has made me blessed wherever I may be and He has enjoined on me prayer and almsgiving so long as I live."

  2. " And (He has made me) kind to my mother, and He has not made me arrogant unblessed."

Commentary:

The existence of Jesus (a.s.) was a blessed thing in which there were a lot of interests, education of others, and its continuation. Hadrat Jesus (a.s.) both lives a long blessed life which lasts until after the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s.), and his followers are abundant and are victorious against the infidels.

The origin of good things and blessings are mainly intentions, aims, and innate modes and virtues. Therefore, some people are blessed wherever they may be, as the verse, concerning Jesus, says:

" And He has made me blessed wherever I may be…"

But, some others, because of their spiritual difficulties and their separation from spirituality, are faced with their own evil qualities, and usually they are not useful for others wherever they may be.

By mentioning the word 'mother', Jesus (a.s.) has pointed to the chastity of his mother, Mary, and his lack of father, when he says:

" And (He has made me) kind to my mother, …"

Also, the Qur'an, from the tongue of Jesus, in this verse implies that Allah has made him a blessed being, or a useful being for people, wherever he may be, and He has enjoined him to prayer and almsgiving so long as he is alive. The verse, in this regard, continues saying:

" …and He has enjoined on me prayer and almsgiving so long as I live."

And, by the next verse, Jesus after implaying that Allah made him kind, benevolent, and appreciative unto his mother, adds that He did not make him arrogant and damned. The verse continues saying;

" …and He has not made me arrogant unblessed."

An Islamic tradition indicates that Jesus (a.s.) has said: "My heart is mild and I humble myself to my self." This statement is an indication to this fact that the opposite state of 'being arrogant and unblessed' is these two epithets.

A few traditions about Prayer, Almsgiving, and kindness to Parents:

A. Prayer:

  1. Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: "Islam has been founded on five things: prayer, almsgiving, Hajj, fasting and the mastership (of Ahl-ul-Bayt)." (Bihar, vol. 82, p. 234)

  2. The Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) said: "The most beloved things with Allah are prayer at its time, then kindness to parents, then Holy Struggle in the way of Allah." (Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol.7, tradition No.18897)

  3. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "The one who takes his prayer lightly is not of me. No, by Allah, such a person will not reach me by the Houd?, the pool of abundance." (Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol.82, p.

B. Almsgiving:

  1. It is narrated from Ali-ibn-Abitalib (a.s.) who said: "The pillars of Islam are three, none of which is useful without the other two. They are: Prayer, almsgiving, and the guardianship (of the Ahl-ul-Bayt)." (Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol. 68, p.386)

  2. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "Cure your patients by means of charity (sadaghah), and protect your property by the alms tax (Zakat)."

  3. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: "One who restrains paying as much as a Qirat (about 2 grams) of the (obligatory) alms tax (Zakat), will die as a Jew or a Christian." (Was'il-ush-Shi'ah, p. 186)

  4. Imam Musa-ibn-J?'far (a.s.) said: "Verily the Alms tax has been assigned as a provision for the poor and as a means for the increase of their wealth." (Was'il-ush-Shi'ah, vol. 6 p. 4)

However, communication with Allah (prayer) is not separate from communication with the deprived (almsgiving).

C. Kindness to the Parents:

  1. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: "The best deeds are: prayer in its time, kindness to parents, and Holy Struggle in the way of Allah." (Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol. 74, p. 85)

  2. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "One who obeys the command of Allah regarding parents, two doors of the Paradise will be opened for him; and if he obeys (the command of Allah regarding) one of them, then one door will be opened (to him)." (Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol. 16, p. 467)

  3. The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition has said: "He who obeys his parents and His Lord, will be in the highest position (of Heaven in Hereafter)." (Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol. 6, p. 468)

  4. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "The person who pleases his parents, has pleased Allah; and the one who discontents his parents, has discontented Allah." (Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol. 16, p. 470)

  5. The Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) said: "The person who likes his lifetime to be prolonged and his sustenance to be increased, then he should be kind to his parents and visit his kin." (Kanz-ul-'Ummal, vol. 16, p. 475)