إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًۭا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
When the wife of Imran said, ‘My Lord, I dedicate to You in consecration what is in my belly. Accept it from me; indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing.’
فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّىٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
When she bore her, she said, ‘My Lord, I have borne a female [child]’—and Allah knew better what she had borne, and the male [child she expected] was no match for the female [child she had borne] —‘and I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Your care against [the evil of] the outcast Satan.’
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her. He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you?’ She said, ‘It comes from Allah. Allah provides whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
Thereat Zechariah supplicated his Lord. He said, ‘My Lord! Grant me a good offspring from You! Indeed You hear all supplications.’
فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌۭ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًۭا وَحَصُورًۭا وَنَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
Then, as he stood praying in the sanctuary the angels called out to him: ‘Allah gives you the good news of John, as a confirmer of a Word of Allah, eminent and chaste, a prophet, and one of the righteous.’
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ
He said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a son while old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?’ Said He, ‘So it is that Allah does whatever He wishes.’
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًۭا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَٰرِ
He said, ‘My Lord, grant me a sign.’ Said He, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except in gestures. Remember Your Lord much, and glorify Him morning and evening.’
وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women.
يَٰمَرْيَمُ ٱقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَٱسْجُدِى وَٱرْكَعِى مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ
O Mary, be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow [in worship].’
ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَٰمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ
These accounts are from the Unseen, which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they were casting lots [to see] which of them would take charge of Mary’s care, nor were you with them when they were contending.
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ
When the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, distinguished in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought near [to Allah].
وَيُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
He will speak to the people in the cradle and in adulthood, and will be one of the righteous.’
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌۭ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًۭا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
She said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a child seeing that no human has ever touched me?’ He said, ‘So it is that Allah creates whatever He wishes. When He decides on a matter He just says to it ‘‘Be!’’ and it is.
وَيُعَلِّمُهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ
He will teach him the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Evangel,
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
and [he will be] an apostle to the Children of Israel, [and he will declare,] “I have certainly brought you a sign from your Lord: I will create for you the form of a bird out of clay, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s leave. I heal the blind and the leper and I revive the dead by Allah’s leave. I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses. There is indeed a sign in that for you, should you be faithful.
وَمُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
And [I come] to confirm [the truth of] that which is before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden you. I have brought you a sign from your Lord; so be wary of Allah and obey me.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۗ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌۭ مُّسْتَقِيمٌۭ
Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so worship Him. This is a straight path.” ’
۞ فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
When Jesus sensed their faithlessness, he said, ‘Who will be my helpers [on the path] toward Allah?’ The Disciples said, ‘We will be helpers of Allah. We have faith in Allah, and you be witness that we have submitted [to Him].
رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ
Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the apostle, so write us among the witnesses.’
وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ
Then they plotted [against Jesus], and Allah also devised, and Allah is the best of devisers.
English translation: Ali Quli Qarai
Sources: Ṭabarsī [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan]; Ṭūsī [tusi_al_tibyan]; Baḥrānī, al-Burhān [bahrani_al_burhan]; al-Qummī [qummi]; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān [tabatabai_al_mizan]; An Enlightening Commentary [enlightening_commentary]. All six present.
The passage narrates the family of ʿImrān: the vow of Mary's mother and Mary's dedication and goodly upbringing (vv.35–37), Zachariah's prayer and the annunciation of John (vv.38–41), Mary's election above the women of the worlds and the casting of lots for her custody (vv.42–44), the annunciation, miracles and mission of Jesus (vv.45–51), and the disciples' faith against the plot (vv.52–54).
1. The muḥarrar vow and Mary's dedication (vv.35–37). All sources agree ʿImrān's wife (Ḥanna) vowed her unborn as a temple-servant, bore a girl, said "the male is not as the female," named her Mary, and sought refuge for her and her offspring from Satan; and that Zachariah found out-of-season fruit with her. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] al-Qummī and al-Burhān add the revelation to ʿImrān of a "blessed son who heals and revives." [qummi] [bahrani_al_burhan]
2. Zachariah, John, and the annunciation of Jesus (vv.38–47). Universal agreement on Zachariah's prayer, the angels' tidings of John (confirming "a Word from God" = Jesus, a sayyid, ḥaṣūr, a prophet), the sign of three days' silence, Mary's election and purification, the Word named Messiah who speaks in the cradle, and "Be, and it is." [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] [tabatabai_al_mizan] [enlightening_commentary]
3. Jesus's miracles and mission (vv.48–51). All read the clay-birds, healing of the born-blind and leper, reviving the dead and disclosure of what is eaten/stored as "by God's leave," qualifying the life-giving as God's act; and "fear God and obey me… worship Him" as refuting the Christians' divinization. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [tabatabai_al_mizan] [enlightening_commentary]
4. The disciples and the plot (vv.52–54). All agree on the disciples' (Ḥawāriyyūn) profession of faith and the reading of "God plotted" as His just requital of the plotters. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi]
1. The Imāmī juristic deployment (vv.35–36). al-Burhān and al-Qummī uniquely turn the muḥarrar verse into a fiqh proof — al-Bāqir refutes Mughīra b. Saʿīd: since Mary had to leave the perpetual sanctuary-service when menstruation came, the menstruant does not make up missed prayers. [bahrani_al_burhan] They also derive a hermeneutical principle — a prophetic promise about "a man of us" may be fulfilled in his descendant (ʿImrān's promised son realised in his grandson Jesus). [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] Absent from the philologists and al-Mīzān.
2. Fāṭima above Mary (v.42). All four Imāmī-leaning sources (incl. Ṭabarsī and Ṭūsī) cite that Mary was lady of the women of her time, while Fāṭima is lady of the women of all the worlds, with the ḥadīth of the four (Mary, Āsiya, Khadīja, Fāṭima); al-Burhān adds the ʿAlī/Fāṭima food-miracle parallel ("I saw in my daughter what Zachariah saw in Mary") and Iblīs's failure to snare Jesus (shielded by the refuge-prayer). [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan] [bahrani_al_burhan]
3. The lots (v.44). al-Burhān and al-Qummī make the casting of pens a basis for the legitimacy of lots in law — al-Bāqir: "the first over whom lots were cast was Mary; the arrows were six," with the ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and Ḥamza's-daughter parallels; Ṭabarsī cites al-Ṣādiq, "no people commit their affair to God by lot but the rightful arrow comes out." [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan]
4. Karāmāt for non-prophets (v.37). Ṭabarsī and Ṭūsī defend the Imāmī position that miracles may appear at the hands of the righteous (Mary, no prophetess), against the Muʿtazila (al-Jubbāʾī: it founded Jesus's prophethood, or answered Zachariah's prayer). [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan]
5. Jesus's law (v.50). al-Burhān uniquely details (via al-Ḥalabī) that the Gospel carried exhortations and bounds but no qiṣāṣ, ḥudūd or fixed inheritance, lightening the Torah's burdens — and that what Jesus made lawful was the Sabbath, the fats and certain birds. [bahrani_al_burhan] [qummi] Ṭabarsī/Ṭūsī give only the lawful-foods gloss and debate Abū ʿUbayda's "some = all" (rejected by al-Zajjāj). [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan]
6. "Ḥaṣūr" (v.39). All gloss it "abstaining from women"; Ṭabarsī and Ṭūsī note and reject the minority "impotent" reading as a defect unbefitting the praise-context. [tabarsi_majma_al_bayan] [tusi_al_tibyan]
The Mary–Jesus narrative is shared across all six in remarkable detail — the vow and dedication, the goodly upbringing and out-of-season provision, Zachariah's prayer and John's annunciation, Mary's twofold election, the Word named Messiah, the cradle-speech, the clay-birds and healings and revivals "by God's leave," and the disciples' faith against the plot. The divergence is again the Imāmī overlay carried by the narration-collections (al-Qummī, al-Burhān): a juristic one (the muḥarrar as proof on menstruation-and-prayer, the lots as legal precedent), a Christological-legal one (the detailed sharīʿa of Jesus), and above all a devotional exaltation of the ahl al-bayt — Fāṭima above Mary, the food-miracle parallel, Mary's real menses ("she was but a woman"), and the "prophecy-fulfilled-in-a-descendant" hermeneutic that the Imams apply to their own pronouncements. The philological tafsīrs (Ṭūsī, Ṭabarsī) supply the qirāʾāt, the derivations (muḥarrar, Messiah, ḥaṣūr), the karāmāt-for-non-prophets defence, and the grammar of "Be, and it is"; while al-Mīzān and the Enlightening Commentary give the systematic and didactic frame (the unity of the prophetic mission; the miracles as God's act). The most striking convergence is the doubled "chose" of v.42, which every Imāmī source reads as two distinct elections (from the prophets' line; for the virgin birth). A specialist should note that al-Burhān's large narration-set (the qaṭīfa and food-miracle, the lots, Jesus's revivals) was rendered representatively, and the dense qirāʾāt/grammar of Ṭabarsī and Ṭūsī for sense.
No sources found for this passage.