19. [Maryam, Mecca 44]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:



قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ...   

19: 30.  He said:

"I am indeed a servant of Allah:

...آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا ﴿٣٠﴾

He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;

وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ...   

19: 31.  "And He hath made me Blessed wheresoever I be,

...وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا ﴿٣١﴾

and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;

C2483. There is a parallelism throughout the accounts of Jesus and Yahya, with some variations. Both the parallelisms and the variations are interesting.

For instance Jesus declares at the very outset that he is a servant of Allah, thus negativing the false notion that he was Allah or the son of Allah.

The greatness of Yahya is described in 19:12-13 in terms that are not applied to Jesus, but the verses 19:14-15 as applied to Yahya are in almost identical terms with those applied to Jesus here (19:32-33).

Devotion in Prayer and Charity is a good description of Christ at its best, and pity, purity, and devotion in Yahya are a good description of the ways leading to Prayer and Charity, just as John led to Jesus.

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا ﴿٣٢﴾

19: 32.  "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;

C2484. Overbearing violence is not only unjust and harmful to those on whom it is practised; it is perhaps even more harmful to the person who practices it, for his soul becomes turbid, unsettled, and ultimately unhappy and wretched,-the state of those in Hell. Here the negative qualities are "not overbearing or miserable."

As applied to John they were "not overbearing or rebellious." John bore his punishment from the State without any protest or drawing back.

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا ﴿٣٣﴾

19: 33.  "So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

C2485. Cf. 19:15, and n. 2469.

Christ was not crucified (4:157). (R).

ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ...   

19: 34.  Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary:

...قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾

(it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.

C2486. The disputations about the nature of Jesus Christ were vain, but also persistent and sanguinary. The modem Christian churches have thrown them into the background, but they would do well to abandon irrational dogmas altogether.

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ...   

19: 54.  Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il:

...إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَّبِيًّا ﴿٥٤﴾

He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger (and) a Prophet.

C2506. Isma'il was Dhabih Allah i.e., the chosen sacrifice for Allah in Muslim tradition.

When Abraham told him of the sacrifice, he voluntarily offered himself for it, and never flinched from his promise, until the sacrifice was redeemed by the substitution of a ram under Allah's commands.

He was the fountain-head of the Arabian Ummah, and in his posterity came the Prophet of Allah. The Ummah and the Book of Islam reflect back the prophethood on Isma'il.

وَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ...   

19: 55.  He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity,

...وَكَانَ عِندَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّا ﴿٥٥﴾

and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.

C2507. An acceptable sacrifice: see last note.


Other Versions:

19: 30

Asad [But] he said: “ Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed unto revelation and made me a prophet,

Pickthall He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet,

Transliteration Qa_la in ni abdul la_h a_ta_niyal kita_ba wa ja'a ani nabiy ya_


19: 31

Asad and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live,

Pickthall And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive,

Transliteration Wa ja'alani muba_rakan aina ma_ kuntu wa ausha_ni bis sala_ti waz zaka_ti ma_ dumtu hay ya_


19: 32

Asad and [has endowed me with] piety towards my mother; and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace.

Pickthall And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest.

Transliteration Wa bar ram biwa_lidati wa lam yaj'alni jab ba_ran syaqiy ya_

19: 33

Pickthall Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!

Transliteration Was sala_mu 'alay ya yauma wulidtu wa yauma amu_tu wa yauma ub'atsu hay ya_

19: 34

Asad Such was, in the words of truth, Jesus the son of Mary, about whose nature they so deeply disagree.

19: 54

Pickthall And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah) a Prophet.

Transliteration Wadz kur fil kita_bi isma_'ila in nahu_ ka_na sha_diqal wa'di wa ka_na rasu_lan nabiy ya_


Waothkur fee alkitabi ismaAAeela innahu kana sadiqa alwaAAdi wakana rasoolan nabiyyan

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Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning


Muhammad Asad

 

AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Ishmael. Behold, he was always true to his promise, and was an apostle [of God], a prophet,

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M. M. Pickthall

 

And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet.

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Shakir

 

And mention Ismail in the Book; surely he was truthful in (his) promise, and he was a messenger, a prophet.

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Yusuf Ali

 

Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.

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[Al-Muntakhab]

 

Also, narrate O Muhammad to the people what is discoursed in the Book -the Quran- relative to Ismail who was true-hearted, true to his promise, and his words and his deeds together accorded; he was a Messenger endowed with the prerogative of Prophethood.

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[Progressive Muslims]

 

And recall in the Scripture Ishmael; he was truthful to his promise, and he was a messenger prophet.

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Abdel Haleem

 

Mention too, in the Quran, the story of Ishmael. He was true to his promise, a messenger and a prophet.





Pickthall Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.

Transliteration Za_lika 'isab nu maryam qaulal haq qil lazi fihi yamtaru_n