Maryam (surah)
| مريم Maryam Mary | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Meccan |
| Position | Juzʼ 16 Qāla ʾa-lam |
| No. of Rukus | 6 |
| No. of verses | 98 |
| No. of Sajdahs | 1 (Ayah 58) |
| No. of words | 972 |
| No. of letters | 3835 |
| Opening muqaṭṭaʻāt | 5 Kaaf Ha Ya Ain Saad (كهيعص) |
| Quran |
|---|
Maryam[1] (Arabic: مريم, "Mary") is the 19th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 98 verses (āyāt). It is named after Mary, mother of Jesus (Isa), and the Virgin Mary in Christian belief.
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it is an earlier "Meccan Surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina. The Birmingham Quran manuscript preserves the final eight verses (Q19:91–98), radiocarbon dated to between 568 and 645 CE (in the Islamic calendar, between 56 BH and 25 AH).[2][3]
Theodor Nöldeke's chronology identifies this Surah as the 58th Surah delivered, while the traditional Egyptian chronology places it as the 44th.
Content
In its original Arabic, the text of chapter 19 progresses through a series of varying rhyme structures that correspond to the content being discussed. Throughout the initial narration of the stories of Zachariah and John, Mary and Jesus, and other prophets, verses rhyme based on the syllable 'ya'. When the text moves on to a commentary on the true identity of Jesus, words rhyme due to a long 'ee' or 'oo' preceding a nasal 'm' or 'n', which is considered to give an air of settledness or finality to the subjects being discussed. The first rhyme scheme is then resumed during further accounts of earlier prophets and changes to a rhyme based on a medium 'a' following a voiced 'd' when the Surah discusses punishments for those who reject truth and the prophets. The strength of this vocalization is exchanged for the stronger still double 'd' sound when denouncing unbelievers for their criticism.[4]
Exegesis
Verse 19:1
The chapter opens with the Bismillah and five Arabic letters: Kaf; Ha; Ya; 'Ayn; and Sad.[5] The remaining 97 verses can be divided into three primary sections.[4]
Verses 19:2 - 19:40
The first section, verses 2–40, consists of the narrative of the prophet Zachariah and the birth of his son John, the story of Mary and the birth of her son Jesus, and a commentary on Jesus' true identity which rejects the Christian claim that he is God's son.[6]
Q19:16–37
- In the Book, tell the story of Maryam, when she went away from her family (for Prayer) to a place in the East.
- She placed a screen (to hide) from them; Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her in the form of a man of respect in every way.
- She said: "Verily, I ask shelter from you with the Most Gracious (Allah):(Do not come near me) if you guard yourself against evil."
- He said: "I am a messenger from your Lord, only to announce to you, the gift of a righteous son."
- She said: "How shall I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I am not indecent?"
- He said: "It will be so: Your Lord says 'That is easy for Me: And (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign to men and a Mercy from Us': It is a thing (already) ordained."
- So she started to carry him (Jesus), and she went (to rest) with him to a far place.
- And the pains of childbirth took her to the trunk of a palm tree: She cried "Oh! If I had died before this! If I was a thing forgotten and not seen!"
- Then (a voice) cried to her from under the tree: "Do not feel sad! Because your Lord has made a stream underneath you; And shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm tree: It will drop fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and cool (wet your) eye. And if you see any man, say, 'I have promised solemnly to the Most Gracious, and this day I will not enter into talk with any human being.'"
- At the end she brought the baby to her people, carrying baby Jesus in her arms. They said "O Maryam! Truly an amazing thing have you brought! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an adulterous man, and your mother was not an immoral woman!"
- Then, she pointed to the baby. They said, "How can we talk to one who is only a child in the cradle?"
- He (Baby Jesus) said, "Indeed I am a servant of Allah: He has given me the Injeel (Gospel) and made me a prophet; and he has made me blessed where ever I be, and has commanded for me prayer and charity as long as I live; Allah has made me kind to my mother, and not arrogant or miserable;And Peace is on me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I will be raised up alive!"
- Jesus, the son of Maryam was like this: It is a statement of truth, about which they dispute (uselessly).
- It is not suited for Almighty Allah that He should father a son. Glory to Him! When He determines anything, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.
- Jesus said: "And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him alone you, therefore, worship: That is the Straight Path."
- Then, the groups differed among themselves: so this is a warning to the disbelievers because of the Judgement on a great Day! [7]
Verses 19:41 - 19:65
The second section, verses 41–65, tells of Abraham's departure from his family's idolatrous ways and then refers to many other prophets. The text discusses the various responses of those who heard their prophecy and the fates those hearers met; throughout these descriptions, the oneness of God is emphasized.[8]
Verses 19:66 - 19:98
The third section, verses 66–98, confirms the reality of resurrection and offers depictions of the Day of Judgment alongside depictions of this life.[9]
Significance of Mary
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Mary, the figure from whom this Surah takes its name. She is attributed the honorific title 'Sister of Aaron' in verse 28, and Jesus is referred to by his familial connection to her in verse 34; in a text and culture in which individuals were identified by their descent from male family members, the identifying title 'son of Mary' places startling emphasis on Mary's motherhood. This emphasis draws attention to the unique circumstances of Jesus's birth; it was not a biological process, and no father was involved, but it rejects the Christian belief that he was begotten by God. The text describes the agony of Mary's childbirth in great detail, including her wish that she had died long ago in order to avoid such pain. Despite this great hardship, God is portrayed as compassionate and attentive to Mary's needs; He urges her not to worry and provides her with food. Feminist reading of the text points to this treatment of childbirth as verification of the process's special significance.[10]
Other scholars point to the interaction between Mary and the angel Gabriel as indicative of traditional gender roles at the time; when Mary, a solitary female, encounters the male angel, her first reaction is fear of the impropriety of the situation and uncertainty regarding the angel's intentions. She can hear the angel's message and question him only after he assures her that he has come as a messenger from God.[11]
Maryam in Syriac (ܡܪܝܡ) is a common adjective connoting blessing and perhaps the verb "[God] exalts her".
References to prophets
The text of the surah refers to many known prophetic figures, including Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Ishmael, Idris, Adam, and Noah. According to Sayyid Qutb's commentary, these references serve to emphasize God's oneness and to delineate the various possible responses to prophecy and their consequences.[4]
See also
- Prophets of Islam
- Luke 1, chapter in the Christian Bible covering some of the same events
References
- ^ Ibn Kathir. "Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Maryam". Quran 4 U. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ "Birmingham Qur'an manuscript dated among the oldest in the world". University of Birmingham. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ "'Oldest' Koran fragments found in Birmingham University". BBC. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ a b c Qutb, Sayyid. In the Shade of the Qur'an. http://kalamullah.com/shade-of-the-quran.html
- ^ Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an: Sura 19:1. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an: Sura 19:2–40. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Translation: Syed Vickar Ahamed, 2007. Approved by Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy, Cairo, Egypt.
- ^ Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an: Sura 19:41–65. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an: Sura 19:66–98. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Wadud, Amina. Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Sells, Michael. Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations. Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press.
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