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

Commentary : Verse 48

48- وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا رَبّـِى عَسَى اَلآَّ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبّـِى شَقِيّاً

  1. " And I will withdraw from you and what you call on besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord: may be I shall not remain unblessed in calling upon my Lord."

Commentary:

In this holy verse, Allah, the Exalted, states the words of Abraham (a.s.) as follows:

"And I will withdraw from you and what you call on besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord: may be I shall not remain unblessed in calling upon my Lord."

This verse, in one side, indicates the courtesy of Abraham unto his uncle, 'A-zar, that when he said: "Be gone from me", Abraham accepted; and, on the other side, it defines his conclusiveness in his belief. Abraham impliedly says that his separation from him ('A-zar) is not for the reason that he has renounced his firm belief in Monotheism, but it is for the lack of preparation in 'A-zar unto accepting the truth.

However, Abraham announces that if he calls upon his Lord, He answers him, but how miserable they are that they call upon some more miserable ones than themselves who never answer their prayer, nor they even hear them.

Explanations:

Those young people who live among some deluded families, should follow the line of Abraham:

  1. Invitation together with courtesy: "O my father."
  2. Sympathy accompanied with logic: "Why do you worship".
  3. Warning followed by prayer: "I fear… I will seek forgiveness for you". Greeting together with seeking forgiveness: "Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you …". And, at the end, separation: "I will withdraw from you…".
  4. Among the last stages of 'forbidding from doing evils' there is breaking a communication: "And I will withdraw from you …". If we are not able to change the defective environment, at least, we must leave it.
  5. One of the fundamental principals of the godly schools is repudiation from infidels, since repudiation is before mastership. At first, we must separate from infidelity, false deity, and corruption, then we may join the truth.

Commentary : Verse 49

49- فَلَمَّا اعْتَزَلَهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَكُلاًّ جَعَلْنَا نَبِيّاً

  1. " So when he withdrew from them and what they worshipped besides Allah, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob and each (of them) We made a prophet."

Commentary:

A godly action performed by a grandfather may bring the bounty of Allah for a generation.

Abraham (a.s.) kept his word and persisted fully on his own promise with resistance. He was always the caller of Monotheism even though all the members of the heretic society of that time raised against him, but, finally, he did not remain alone. A great many people became his followers during all centuries so that all the theists of the world are proud of him. The Qur'an implies when he withdrew from all the things they worshipped other than Allah, the Lord bestowed on him Isaac and after Isaac his son Jacob, each of whom were made a great prophet by Allah. The verse says:

" So when he withdrew from them and what they worshipped besides Allah, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob and each (of them) We made a prophet."

This great bounty was the fruit of that resistance which Abraham showed from himself in the way of struggling against idols and withdrawing from that false creed.

The Feature of Abraham:

Abraham desisted from stars, moon, and sun, and won Allah's favour. He said: "…I do not like the setting ones."(1) He (a.s.) left his deviated uncle and, consequently, became the father of all people: "…the faith of your father Abraham;…"(2)

His uncle was in ill terms with him by saying: "Be gone from me for a long time",(3) but Allah favoured him because Abraham said: "… for verily He is ever affectionate to me."(4)

Abraham withdrew from them for the sake of Allah and said: "I will withdraw from you",(5) then he became famous in the world: "…and assigned unto them a high and true renown".(6) He run away from the temple of idols and he became the builder of the House of Monotheism: "And (remember) when Abraham and Ishmael raised up the foundations of the House; …".(7) He sacrificed his life in the path of Allah, and, as a result of it, the fire became safe and sound for him: "We said: 'O fire be a comfort and peace to Abraham".(8) He prepared his son to be devouted as a sacrifice: "…he threw him down upon his forehead",(9) and Allah ransomed him with a great sacrifice which later became obligatory in that place.

1- Sura Al-'An'am, No.6, verse 76 2- Sura Al-Hajj, No. 22, verse 78 3- Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 46 4- Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 47 5- Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 48 6- Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 50 7- Sura Al-Baqarah, No.2, verse 127 8- Sura Al-'Anbiya, No. 21, verse 69 9- Sura As-Saffat, No.37, verse 103

Abraham lived childless until nearly the end of his life but he was content with it, so prophethood was assigned in his progeny.

He built the K?'bah in the most deserted place, but it became the most attractive places all over the earth.

He was all alone in the desert when he called out, then there arrived answers from throughout the world: "And proclaim among men the Pilgrimage."(1)

He left out his thirsty little child there by the command of Allah, then the water of Zamzam gushed and flowed for ever.

He greeted before the threat of his idolatrous uncle: "He said: 'Peace be upon you, …".(2) Then Allah sent greeting to him when He said: "Peace be on Abraham"(3)

Abraham was a single person, but today all the heavenly schools relate themselves to Abraham, in a manner that some pagans, the Jews, and the Christians say that Abraham belongs to them.

The people of his time were his enemy, while Allah chose him as His friend. The Qur'an says: "And Allah took Abraham as a Friend."(4)

1- Sura Al-Hajj 2- Sura Maryam, No. 19, verse 47 3- Sura As-Saffat, No. 37, verse 109 4- Sura An-Nisa', No. 4, verse 125

Commentary : Verse 50

50- وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُمْ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَا وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ عَلِيّاً

  1. " And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and assigned unto them a high and true renown."

Commentary:

A righteous child is the reward of the godly efforts of the parents, and more important than that is the child's spiritual rank. When Abraham (a.s.) withdrew from those arrogant idol worshippers and went toward the Holy Land, Allah bestowed on him Isaac as his son, and Jacoob as his grandson, and He comforted him from the pain and of separation of his relatives by bestowing children on him and ornamenting them with the rank of prophethood.

Besides children and prophethood, Allah also bestowed on him some other bounties and caused them to be honoured among people so that their good names were mentioned respectfully by all people. The adherents of all religions love Abraham and his progeny so that they pray for them and consider them the followers of their own religion.

Some commentators say that the meaning of 'high renown' about them is that Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) and his community continue mentioning their good name until the Day of Resurrection. (Majma'-ul-Bayan)

The application of /lisan/ in such contexts means a remembrance of a person mentioned among people; and when it is added with the term /sidq/ it means 'a good remembrance and fame among people'; and when it is added with the term /'aliyan/, which means 'high, outstanding', their concept is that a very good thought and remembrance of a person remains among people. The verse says:

" And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and assigned unto them a high and true renown."

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) in a tradition says: "A good renown for a person which Allah assigns for him among people is better than the (abundant) wealth which he consumes and devises"(1)

In principle, apart from the spiritual aspects, sometimes, good fame among people can work as a great capital for a person and his children, the examples of which have been seen frequently in the society.

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) said: "When Allah loves a servant, He may inspire uprightness in him."(2)

1- Usul-i-Kaffi, acoording to the record of Nur-uth-Thaqalayn, the commentary, vol. 3, p.339. 2 Qurar-ul-Hikam, vol. 3, p. 161