Surah Maryam (19): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Commentary

In the Holy Qur'an Surah Maryam has been placed immediately after Surah Al-Kahf, presumably because there appears some kind of similarity between the two Surahs. While the former deals with some unusual anecdotes, the latter also covers a number of extraordinary events.

كهيعص are letters known in Arabic as; حُرُوفِ مُقَطَّعَۃ whose meanings, like are known only to Allah Ta` ala and people should not even attempt to probe their meanings.

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)

إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّ‌أْسُ شَيْبًا

"Here I am that bones within me have turned feeble, and the head has flared up grey with old age." - 19:4

Human body becomes weak with the aging of bones, because it is the bones which keep the body firm and upright. When bones lose their strength, the whole body turns weak.

The literal meaning of اشْتَعَالَ is a sudden burst of fire. Here the word is used as a simile for grey hair covering the head like a glow of fire.

Mention of one's needs in supplication is desirable

Here Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) before making his supplication, mentioned about his weakness and old age by referring to his bones. One of the reasons for this was, as pointed out in the translation, that in his peculiar circumstances i.e. his old age and physical weakness, it was not appropriate for him to ask for a child. Another reason given by Imam Qurtubi in his commentary is, that for possible acceptance of supplication it is better to mention one's weakness, destitution and inadequacy. For this reason religious scholars have emphasized that one should recount Allah Ta` ala's blessings and his own exigency before making his supplication.

مَوَالِيَ is the plural of مَولٰی . This word has many meanings in the Arabic language, one of them being a cousin, or other relations on the father's side. Here the word has been used in this sense.

The Legacy of Prophets cannot be inherited

يَرِ‌ثُنِي وَيَرِ‌ثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ

"Who inherits me and inherits the house of Ya` qub." - 19:6.

The religious scholars are all agreed that here the inheritance does not mean wealth, because in the first place, it has not been established that Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) had much wealth. Hence, the question as to who would inherit the same, does not arise. Secondly, it is inconsistent with the exalted position of a prophet to concern himself with such matters. And thirdly, a saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، which has been unanimously accepted by all religious scholars, says:

ان العلماء ورثۃ الأنبیاء لم یورثوا دینارا ولا درھما انما ورثوا العلم، فمن اخذہ اخذ بحظ وافر۔ (رواہ احمد و أبو داؤد وابن ماجۃ والترمذی)

"Indeed the knowledgeable scholars are the inheritors of the prophets, because the prophets do not leave any material wealth. Their legacy is knowledge. One who has acquired knowledge has received great fortune."

The above saying of the Prophet ﷺ is also recorded in Al-Kafi, by Al-Kulaini, the well-known book of the Shiite school. It is narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari through Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

لا نورث، ما ترکنا صدقۃ

"No one inherits our (i.e. prophets' ) wealth, because whatever wealth we leave behind is Sadaqah (Charity) (صدقۃ)."

In the verse itself after يَرِ‌ثُنِي the addition of the words يَرِ‌ثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ (19:6) confirms the view that here the material inheritance is not implied, because the son, Yahya علیہ السلام ، could not have inherited the material wealth of the family of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) ، which could only be inherited by their near relations and not by Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) . It is against the law of inheritance for distant relations to receive any part of inheritance in the presence of close relatives.

Ruh ul-Ma` ani quotes the following from Al-Kafi, by Al-Kulaini, the well-known Shi'ah scholar:

عن ابی البختری عن ابی عبداللہ قال : إن سلیمان ورث داؤد وإن محمَّدا ﷺ ورث سلیمان

Sulayman Ali was the heir of Dawud (علیہ السلام) and Muhammad ﷺ was the heir of Sulayman

It is quite obvious that the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not inherit any material wealth from Sulayman (علیہ السلام) ، nor did Sulayman (علیہ السلام) receive any such inheritance from Dawud (علیہ السلام) . Clearly the reference here is to the wisdom and the knowledge which all prophets of Allah possess.

لم نجعَل لَّہ مِن قَبلُ سَمِیاً

"We did not create any one before him of the same name." - 19:7.

The word سَمِی means "person having the same name." It also means "similar." If the first meaning is adopted here then it would suggest that no one else had the name Yahya before him. This fact also suggests that he possessed certain special attributes which were not granted to anyone else before him. And if we take the second meaning of the word سَمِی then it will mean that some of his attributes and situations were such that they were peculiar to him and were not shared by any other prophet, and that he was unique in the possession of those special attributes, for instance his self abnegation and denial of worldly comforts (حصُور). However, it does not necessarily follow that he was superior to all the prophets who preceded him, for the superiority of Sayyidna Ibrahim Khalilullah (علیہ السلام) and Sayyidna Musa Kalimullah (علیہ السلام) over him is established and well known. (Mazhari)

The word عِتِيًّا is derived from which actually means 'unresponsive' or 'insensitive', and in the present context it means dryness of the bones.

سَوِيًّا means healthy. This word has been added here to denote that Sayyidna Zakariyya's (علیہ السلام) loss of speech for three days was not due to any illness, for during this entire period of three days he could utter words of prayer and supplication. This special condition was a miracle and a sign from Allah Ta’ ala about his wife's pregnancy.