19:3 Maryam (Mary)

تفسير الآيتين 2و 3 :ـأي: هذا { ذِكْرُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا ْ} سنقصه عليك، ونفصله تفصيلا يعرف به حالة نبيه زكريا، وآثاره الصالحة، ومناقبه الجميلة، فإن في قصها عبرة للمعتبرين، وأسوة للمقتدين، ولأن في تفصيل رحمته لأوليائه، وبأي: سبب حصلت لهم، مما يدعو إلى محبة الله تعالى، والإكثار من ذكره ومعرفته، والسبب الموصل إليه. وذلك أن الله تعالى اجتبى واصطفى زكريا عليه السلام لرسالته، وخصه بوحيه، فقام بذلك قيام أمثاله من المرسلين، ودعا العباد إلى ربه، وعلمهم ما علمه الله، ونصح لهم في حياته وبعد مماته، كإخوانه من المرسلين ومن اتبعهم، فلما رأى من نفسه الضعف، وخاف أن يموت، ولم يكن أحد ينوب منابه في دعوة الخلق إلى ربهم والنصح لهم، شكا إلى ربه ضعفه الظاهر والباطن، وناداه نداء خفيا، ليكون أكمل وأفضل وأتم إخلاصا.

وقوله "إذ نادى ربه نداء خفيا" قال بعض المفسرين إنما أخفى دعاءه لئلا ينسب في طلب الولد إلى الرعونة لكبره. حكاه الماوردي وقال آخرون إنما أخفاه لأنه أحب إلى الله كما قال قتادة في هذه الآية "إذ نادى ربه نداء خفيا" إن الله يعلم القلب التقي ويسمع الصوت الخفي وقال بعض السلف قام من الليل عليه السلام وقد نام أصحابه فجعل يهتف بربه يقول خفية يا رب يا رب يا رب فقال الله له: لبيك لبيك لبيك.

Which was revealed in Makkah

Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded a Hadith of Umm Salamah in his Sirah, and Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded from Ibn Mas`ud, the story of the Hijrah (migration) to Ethiopia from Makkah. The narration mentions that Ja`far bin Abi Talib recited the first part of this Surah to An-Najashi and his companions.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Story of Zakariyya and His Supplication for a Son The discussion about the separate letters has already preceded at the beginning ofSurat Al-Baqarah.

Concerning Allah's statement,

ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ

(A reminder of the mercy of your Lord) This means that this is a reminder of Allah's mercy upon His servant Zakariyya. Yahya bin Ya`mar recited it, (ذَكَّرَ رَحْمَةَ رَبكَ عبدَه زكريا) "He has reminded of your Lord's mercy to His servant Zakariyya." The word Zakariyya in the Ayah has been recited with elongation and also shortened. Both recitations are well-known. He was a great Prophet from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is recorded that the Prophet said about Zakariyya that He was a carpenter who used to eat from what he earned with his own hand through carpentry. Concerning Allah's statement,

إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَآءً خَفِيّاً

(When he called his Lord with a call in secret.) He only made his supplication secretly because it is more beloved to Allah. This is similar to what Qatadah said concerning this Ayah,

إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَآءً خَفِيّاً

(When he called out his Lord with a call in secret. ) "Verily, Allah knows the pious heart and he hears the hidden voice."

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّى

(He said: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble...") meaning, "I have become weak and feeble in strength."

وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً

(and gray hair has Ashta`al on my head,) means the gray hair has burned into the black hair. The intent is to inform of weakness and old age, and its external and internal traces. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيّاً

(and I have never been unblessed in my invocation to You, O my Lord!) This means, "I have not experienced from You except that You would respond to my supplication and that You would never refuse me in whatever I ask of You." Concerning His statement,

وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِىَ مِن وَرَآئِى

(And verily, I fear Mawali after me,) Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi, all said, "In saying the word Mawali, he (Zakariyya) meant his succeeding relatives." The reason for his fear was that he was afraid that the generation that would succeed him would be a wicked generation. Thus, he asked Allah for a son who would be a Prophet after him, who would guide them with his prophethood and that which was revealed to him. In response to this I would like to point out that he was not afraid of them inheriting his wealth. For a Prophet is too great in status, and too lofty in esteem to become remorseful over his wealth in this fashion. A Prophet would not disdain to leave his wealth to his successive relatives, and thus ask to have a son who would receive his inheritance instead of them. This is one angle of argument. The second argument is that Allah did not mention that he (Zakariyya) was wealthy. On the contrary, he was a carpenter who ate from the earnings of his own hand. This type of person usually does not have a mass of wealth. Amassing wealth is not something normal for Prophets, for verily, they are the most abstentious in matters of this worldly life. The third argument is that it is confirmed in the Two Sahihs, in more than one narration, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَا نُورَثُ، مَا تَرَكْنَا فَهُوَ صَدَقَة»

(We (the Prophets) do not leave behind inheritance (of wealth). Whatever we leave behind, then it is charity.) In a narration recorded by At-Tirmidhi with an authentic chain of narrations, he said,

«نَحْنُ مَعْشَرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا نُورَث»

(We, Prophets do not leave behind inheritance (of wealth).) Therefore, the meaning in these Hadiths restricts the meaning of Zakariyya's statement,

فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ وَلِيّاًيَرِثُنِى

(So give me from yourself an heir. Who shall inherit me,) inheritance of prophethood. For this reason Allah said,

وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ

(and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya`qub.) This is similar to Allah's statement,

وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَـنُ دَاوُودَ

(And Sulayman inherited from Dawud.)27:16 This means that he inherited prophethood from him. If this had meant wealth, he would not have been singled with it among his other brothers. There also would have been no important benefit in mentioning it if it was referring to wealth. It is already well-known and established in all of the previous laws and divinely revealed creeds, that the son inherits the wealth of his father. Therefore, if this was not referring to a specific type of inheritance, then Allah would not have mentioned it. All of this is supported and affirmed by what is in the authentic Hadith:

«نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا نُورَثُ، مَا تَرَكْنَا فَهُوَ صَدَقَة»

(We Prophets do not leave behind any inheritance (of wealth). Whatever we leave behind, then it is charity.) Mujahid said concerning his statement,

يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ

(Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya'qub.) 19:6 "His inheritance was knowledge, and Zakariyya was one of the descendants of Ya`qub." Hushaym said, "Isma'il bin Abi Khalid informed us that Abu Salih commented about the Ayah:

يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ

(who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya`qub.) "He would be a Prophet like his forefathers were Prophets." Allah's statement,

وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيّاً

(and make him, my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased!) means "Make him pleasing to You (Allah) and your creation. Love him and make him beloved to your creatures, in both his religion and his character."

when idh is semantically connected to rahma ‘mercy’ he called out to his Lord a call entailing a supplication in secret in the middle of the night because this time of the night invites a faster response to one’s supplication.

نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا (a low voice - 19:3) tells us that it is better to beseech Allah in supplication in undertone. Sayyidna Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas has narrated that the Holy Prophet ﷺ once said.

ان خیر الذکر الخفی ، وخیر الرزق ما یکفی

"Surely the best way to make supplication to Allah is in

undertone and the best sustenance is that which is sufficient for one's needs (i.e. neither more nor less than required) " (Qurtubi)

When he supplicated his Lord secretly. The mark of response to supplication is firm fixity in the supplication. If you are firmly fixed in supplication and you remain deprived of the response that is your portion, you will be given the eminence of the worship that is God's rightful due, and the latter step is beyond the former step. This station is greater than that station. The Prophet said, “Supplication is worship.” Know also that in supplication there must be distress, for the Real says, “He who responds to the distressed when he supplicates Him” [27:62]. There must be seeking aid, for He says, “When you sought the aid of your Lord” [8:9]. There must be pleading, for He says, “Supplicate your Lord in pleading and secret” [7:55]. There must be eagerness and dread, for He says “They were supplicating Us in eagerness and dread” [21:90]. It must be continuous, not cut off, for He says, “Those who sup- plicate their Lord morning and evening” [18:28]. There must be self-purification, for He says, “And supplicate Him, purifying the religion for Him” [7:29]. In a report has come, “God does not respond to the supplication of an inattentive heart.” There must be permitted morsels, for the Prophet said, “And his clothing is forbidden, his food is forbidden-so how should he receive a response?” The servant who has put the preconditions of supplication in place is like a caged bird whose voice is loved by the Lord of the Worlds. People have the custom of catching birds, making cages for them, and keeping them supplied with water and food so that in the morning they will sing. In the same way the Lord of the Worlds brought the worshipers and recognizers into existence, made this world their cage, and prepared benefits and wholesome things for them in this world. He set up their work and then said in the firm text of the Book, “And in the dawns they would ask for forgiveness” [51:18]. The servants lament and wail at their own incapacity at the time of dawn, and in His gentleness the Real hears and listens.