Allah, the Exalted, informs of Maryam's situation
when she was commanded to fast that day and not to speak to any human being.
For verily, her affair would be taken care of and her proof would be
established. Thus, she accepted the command of Allah and she readily received
His decree. She took her child and brought him to her people, carrying him.
When they saw her like this they made a big deal about her situation and they
sternly protested against of it, and
[قَالُواْ
يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً]
(They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a
thing Fariy.'')
Fariy means a mighty thing. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah,
As-Suddi and others. Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Nawf Al-Bikali that he said,
"Her people went out searching for her, she was from a family that was
blessed with prophethood and nobility. However, they could not find any trace
of her. They came across a cow herder and they asked him, `Have you seen a girl
whose description is such and such' He replied, `No, but tonight I saw my cows
doing something that I've never seen them do before.' They asked, `What did you
see' He said, `Tonight I saw them prostrating in the direction of that
valley.''' `Abdullah bin Ziyad said (adding to the narration), "I
memorized from Sayyar that he (the cattle herder) said, `I saw a radiant
light.' '' So they went towards the direction that he told him, and Maryam was
coming towards them from that direction. When she saw them she sat down and she
was holding her child in her lap. They came towards her until they were
standing over her.
[قَالُواْ
يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً]
(They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a
mighty thing (Fariy).'') This means it was a mighty thing that she had brought.
[يأُخْتَ
هَـرُونَ]
(O sister of Harun!) This means, "O one
resembling Harun (Aaron) in worship.''
[مَا كَانَ
أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيّاً]
(Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery,
nor your mother was an unchaste woman.) They meant, "You are from a good,
pure family, well-known for its righteousness, worship and abstinence from
worldy indulgence. How could you do such a thing'' `Ali bin Abi Talhah and
As-Suddi both said, "It was said to her,
[يأُخْتَ
هَـرُونَ]
(O sister of Harun!) referring to the brother of
Musa, because she was of his descendants. This is similar to the saying, `O
brother of Tamim,' to one who is from the Tamimi tribe, and `O brother of
Mudar,' to one who is from the Mudari tribe. It has also been said that she was
related to a righteous man among them whose name was Harun and she was
comparable to him in her abstinence and worship. Concerning Allah's statement,
[فَأَشَارَتْ
إِلَيْهِ قَالُواْ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً
]
(Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can
we talk to one who is a child in the cradle'') This is what took place while
they were in doubt about her situation, condeming her circumstances, saying
what they wanted to say. At that time they were slandering her and falsely
accusing her of a horrendous act. On that day she was fasting and keeping
silent. Therefore, she referred all speech to him (the child) and she directed
them to his address and speech to them. They scoffed at her because they
thought that she was mocking at them and playing with them. They said,
[كَيْفَ
نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً]
(How can we talk to one who is a child in the
cradle) Maymun bin Mahran said,
[فَأَشَارَتْ
إِلَيْهِ]
(Then she pointed to him.) "She indicated,
`Speak to him.' They then said, `After she has come to us with this calamity,
she now commands us to speak to one who is a child in the cradle!''' As-Suddi
said, "When she pointed to him they became angry and said, `Her mocking
us, to the extent of commanding us to speak to this child, is worse to us than
her fornication.' ''
[قَالُواْ
كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً]
(They said: "How can we talk to one who is a
child in the cradle'') This means, "How can someone speak who is in his
cradle, in the state of infancy and a child'' `Isa said,
[إِنِّى
عَبْدُ اللَّهِ]
(Verily, I am a servant of Allah,) The first thing
that he said was a declaration of the lofty honor of his Lord and His being
free of having a child. Also, he affirmed that he himself was a worshipper of
his Lord. Allah said,
[ءَاتَانِىَ
الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً]
(He has given me the Scripture and made me a
Prophet.) This was a declaration of innocence for his mother from the
immorality that was attributed to her. Nawf Al-Bikali said, "When they
said what they said to his mother, he (`Isa) was nursing from her breast. At
their statement he released the breast from his mouth and reclined on his left
saying,
[إِنِّى
عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ءَاتَانِىَ الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً]
(Verily, I am a servant of Allah, He has given me
the Scripture and made me a Prophet.) And he continued speaking until he said,
[مَا دُمْتُ
حَيّاً]
(as long as I live.)'' Concerning his statement,
[وَجَعَلَنِى
مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ]
(And He has made me blessed wherever I be,)
Mujahid, `Amr bin Qays and Ath-Thawri all said that this means, "And He
made me a teacher of goodness.'' In another narration from Mujahid, he said,
"A person of great benefit.'' Ibn Jarir reported from Wuhayb bin Al-Ward,
a freed slave of the Bani Makhzum tribe, that he said, "A scholar met
another scholar who had more knowledge than himself. So he said to him, `May
Allah have mercy upon you, what acts of mine should I perform openly' The other
replied, `Commanding good and forbidding evil, for verily, it is the religion
of Allah, which He sent His Prophets with to His servants.' The scholars have
indeed agreed upon the statement of Allah,
[وَجَعَلَنِى
مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ]
(And He has made me blessed wherever I be,) Then it
was said, `What was his blessing' He (Wuhayb) replied, `Commanding good and
forbidding evil wherever he was.' '' His saying,
[وَأَوْصَانِى
بِالصَّلَوةِ وَالزَّكَوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً]
(and He has enjoined on me [Awsani] Salah and
Zakah, as long as I live.) This is similar to the statement of Allah to
Muhammad ,
[وَاعْبُدْ
رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ ]
(And worship your Lord until there comes unto you
the certainty (i.e. death).) [15:99] `Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Qasim reported from
Malik bin Anas that he commented on Allah's statement,
[وَأَوْصَانِى
بِالصَّلَوةِ وَالزَّكَوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً]
(and He has enjoined on me [Awsani] Salah and
Zakah, as long as I live.) He said, "Allah informed him of what would be
of his affair until his death. This is the firmest evidence against the people
who deny Allah's preordained decree.'' Concerning Allah's statement,
[وَبَرّاً
بِوَالِدَتِى]
(And to be dutiful to my mother.) This means,
"He (Allah) has commanded me to treat my mother well.'' He mentioned this
after mentioning obedience to his Lord, Allah. This is because Allah often
combines the command to worship Him with obedience to the parents. This is similar
to Allah's statement,
[وَقَضَى
رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّـهُ وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـناً]
(And your Lord has decreed that you worship none
but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.) [17:23] And He, the Exalted,
said,
[أَنِ
اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ]
(Give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is
the final destination.) [31:14] Concerning his statement,
[وَلَمْ
يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّاراً شَقِيّاً]
(and He made me not arrogant, unblessed.) This
means, "He (Allah) has not made me too proud or arrogant to worship Him,
obey Him and be dutiful to my mother, and thus be unblessed.'' Concerning
Allah's statement,
[وَالسَّلَـمُ
عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيّاً
]
(And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born,
and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!) This is his
affirmation that `he is a worshipper of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and that
he is a creature created by Allah. He (`Isa) will live, die and be resurrected,
just like the other creatures that Allah has created. However, he will have
peace in these situations, which are the most difficult situations for Allah's
creatures.' May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him.
[ذلِكَ
عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتُرُونَ - مَا كَانَ
للَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَـنَهُ إِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا
يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ - وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ
هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ - فَاخْتَلَفَ الاٌّحْزَابُ مِن بَيْنِهِمْ فَوْيْلٌ
لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن مَّشْهِدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ]
(34. Such is `Isa, son of Maryam. Qawlal-Haqq [it
is a statement of truth] about which they doubt (or dispute).) (35. It befits
not (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified be He. When He
decrees a thing, He only says to it: "Be!'' -- and it is.) (36. [`Isa
said]: "And verily, Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. That
is the straight path.'') (37. Then the sects differed, so woe unto the
disbelievers from the meeting of a great Day.)