3:45 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

يخبر تعالى أن الملائكة بشرت مريم عليها السلام بأعظم بشارة، وهو كلمة الله عبده ورسوله عيسى ابن مريم، سمي كلمة الله لأنه كان بالكلمة من الله، لأن حالته خارجة عن الأسباب، وجعله الله من آياته وعجائب مخلوقاته، فأرسل الله جبريل عليه السلام إلى مريم، فنفخ في جيب درعها فولجت فيها تلك النفخة الذكية من ذلك الملك الزكي، فأنشأ الله منها تلك الروح الزكية، فكان روحانيا نشأ من مادة روحانية، فلهذا سمى روح الله { وجيها في الدنيا والآخرة } أي: له الوجاهة العظيمة في الدنيا، جعله الله أحد أولي العزم من المرسلين أصحاب الشرائع الكبار والأتباع، ونشر الله له من الذكر ما ملأ ما بين المشرق والمغرب، وفي الآخرة وجيها عند الله يشفع أسوة إخوانه من النبيين والمرسلين، ويظهر فضله على أكثر العالمين، فلهذا كان من المقربين إلى الله، أقرب الخلق إلى ربهم، بل هو عليه السلام من سادات المقربين.

هذه بشارة من الملائكة لمريم عليها السلام بأن سيوجد منها وله عظيم له شأن كبير قال الله تعالى "إذ قالت الملائكة يا مريم إن الله يبشرك بكلمة منه" أي بولد يكون وجوده بكلمة من الله أي يقول له كن فيكون وهذا تفسير قوله "مصدقا بكلمة من الله" كما ذكره الجمهور على ما سبق بيانه "اسمه المسيح عيسى ابن مريم" أي يكون هذا مشهورا في الدنيا يعرفه المؤمنون بذلك وسمي المسيح قال بعض السلف: لكثرة سياحته وقيل: لأنه كان مسيح القدمين لا أخمص لهما وقيل: لأنه كان إذا مسح أحدا من ذوي العاهات برئ بإذن الله تعالى وقوله تعالى "عيسى ابن مريم" نسبة إلى أمه حيث لا أب له "وجيها في الدنيا والآخرة ومن المقربين" أي له وجاهة ومكانة عند الله في الدنيا بما يوحيه الله إليه من الشريعة وينزله عليه من الكتاب وغير ذلك مما منحه الله به وفي الدار الآخرة يشفع عند الله فيمن يأذن له فيه فيقبل منه أسوة بإخوانه من أولي العزم صلوات الله وسلامه عليه وعليهم أجمعين.

Delivering the Good News to Maryam of `Isa's Birth

This Ayah contains the glad tidings the angels brought to Maryam that she would give birth to a mighty son who will have a great future. Allah said,

إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ يمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ

((Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him,) a son who will come into existence with a word from Allah, `Be', and he was. This is the meaning of Allah's statement (about Yahya)

مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(Believing in the Word from Allah.) 3:39, according to the majority of the scholars.

اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ

(His name will be Al-Masih, `Isa, the son of Maryam) and he will be known by this name in this life, especially by the believers. `Isa was called "Al-Masih" (the Messiah) because when he touched (Mash) those afflicted with an illness, they would be healed by Allah's leave. Allah's statement,

عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ

(`Isa, the son of Maryam) relates `Isa to his mother, because he did not have a father.

وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ

(Held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah.) meaning, he will be a leader and honored by Allah in this life, because of the Law that Allah will reveal to him, sending down the Scripture to him, along with the other bounties that Allah will grant him with. `Isa will be honored in the Hereafter and will intercede with Allah, by His leave, on behalf of some people, just as is the case with his brethren the mighty Messengers of Allah ﷺ, peace be upon them all.

`Isa Spoke When He was Still in the Cradle

Allah said,

وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِى الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً

(He will speak to the people, in the cradle and in manhood,) calling to the worship of Allah Alone without partners, while still in the cradle, as a miracle from Allah, and when he is a man, by Allah's revelation to him.

Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَا تَكَلَّمَ مَوْلُودٌ فِي صِغَرِهِ إِلَّا عِيسَى وَصَاحِبُ جُرَيْج»

(No infant spoke in the cradle except `Isa and the companion of Jurayj.)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

«لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ فِي الْمَهْدِ إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةٌ: عِيسَى، وَصَبِيٌّ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ جُرَيْجٍ، وَصَبِيٌّ آخَر»

(No infant spoke in the cradle except three, `Isa, the boy during the time of Jurayj, and another boy.)

وَمِنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(And he will be one of the righteous.) in his statements and actions, for he will possess, pure knowledge and righteous works.

`Isa was Created Without a Father

When Maryam heard the good news that the angels conveyed from Allah, she said;

رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ

("O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.")

Mary said, "How can I have a son while I did not marry, nor intend to marry, nor am I an indecent woman, may Allah forbid" The angel conveyed to Maryam, Allah's answer,

كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ

(So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills.)

He is Mighty in power and nothing escapes His ability. Allah used the word `create' here instead of the word `does' as in the tale about Zakariyya 3:40, to eradicate any evil thought concerning `Isa. Allah next emphasized this fact when He said,

إِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be! ـ and it is.) meaning, what Allah wills, comes into existence instantly and without delay. In another Ayah, Allah said,

وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye.) 54:50, meaning, "We only issue the command once, and it comes into existence instantly, as fast as, and faster than, a blink of the eye. "

Mention when the angels namely Gabriel said ‘O Mary God gives you good tidings of a Word from Him that is a boy whose name is the Messiah Jesus son of Mary He addresses her attributing him to her in order to point out that she will give birth to him without a father for the custom is to attribute the child to its father honoured shall he be in this world through prophethood and the Hereafter through his intercession and the high stations al-darajāt al-‘ulā cf. Q. 2075 and of those brought close to God.

The previous verse (44) appeared parenthetically between the present verses 45 - 46 and verses 42 - 43 and the purpose was to affirm the prophethood of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ . The present verse resumes with the story of Sayyidah Maryam which actually pre-pares the ground for a fuller account of the birth, mission and miracles of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) .

Commentary

One of the qualities of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) mentioned in this verse is that 'he shall speak in the cradle' which means that he will speak while still a child, although no child has the ability to do so. When soon after the birth of infant Jesus (علیہ السلام) ، as mentioned in another verse, people chided Sayyidah Maryam on the basis of a false accusation, this new-born infant, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) spoke up, saying: اِنِّی عبداللہ (I am a servant of Allah). Then following immediately, it was said that he will also talk to people when he will be in the later middle of his age (kahl). It is worth noting here that the incidence of speaking in infancy was certainly a sign and a miracle and it is quite appropriate to mention it at this point. But, speaking to people during one's middle age is very normal, something everyone does no matter whether he is a Muslim, or a non-Muslim, learned or illiterate. Why has this been mentioned here as something special? what could it mean?

One answer to this question appears in Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) who says that the real purpose here is to particularly focus onthe miraculous nature of meaningful infant speech. The reference to the speech in the middle age is there to indicate that his childhood speech too would not be the usual baby-talk, rather it would be rational, even learned and eloquent, as man does in his advanced years. If we were to look into the true historical background of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، we would discover that this reference to him as speaking to people in his middle age provides a great standing argument in favour of the Islamic position which, according to the Qur'anic belief, is that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has been raised alive onto the heavens.

Hadith narrations prove that Sayyidna (علیہ السلام) while so raised, was in the approximate age bracket of 30-35 years which is youth at its best. Middle age, kohl in Arabic, was something he never reached during his life in this world. So, his talking to people in his middle age can happen only when he were to grace this world once again with his presence. Therefore, the way his childhood speech was a miracle, his speech in the middle age could be nothing else but another miracle.

When the angels said, “O Mary, surely God gives thee the good news of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, celebrated in this world and the next, and one of those given proximity.” In this verse the God of the universe, the enactor of the world's folk, the assigner of daily provi- sions to the servants, the bestower of bounty and the lovingly kind, the caresser of the friends, caresses Mary and honors her. With this honoring He gives her excellence over the women of the world and separates her from all of them. First, He calls her with the vocative of honor, saying “O Mary.” Exalted is this address! Exalted is this call! Thousands of thousands of prophets and friends went, either in the repose of having found it, or in remorse and hope for it. O spirit of the world! If a thousand times you call on Him saying, “My Lord, my Lord,” that is not like His calling on you once, “My servant, My servant.” Even if you accept Him in lordhood, that gains you nothing, for in any case His lordhood is inseparable from you. What does the work is that once He should accept you for servanthood. Abū Yazīd BasṬāmī said, “God stood me before Him in a thousand standing places, presenting the empire to me, but I was saying, 'I do not desire it.' In the last standing place He said to me, 'O Abū Yazīd, what do you desire?' I said, 'I desire not to desire,'” that is, I desire what You desire. “Then He said, 'You are My servant in truth.'” Even if you do not have the gall to speak with God like Abū Yazīd, you are not too small to present your need to Him, to show Him your burning and hope, and to say, “O Lord, a name and mark is enough for me! You have come from Your threshold to place a name on me. Whatever name You want, let it be.” A man went to the bazaar to buy a slave. They presented the slaves to him and he chose one to buy. He said, “O slave, what's your name?” He said, “First buy me so that I may belong to you. Then call me by whatever name you want.