(p-156) Surah Maryam, peace be upon her

Its purpose is to clarify His attributes, glorified and exalted is He, with the comprehensiveness of mercy by bestowing blessings upon all of His creation. This necessitates the indication of His attributes of perfection, which implies the comprehensiveness of power to create the astonishing, which implies [the completeness of power -] necessitating the power to resurrect and the purity from having a child [because it can only be for one in need, and it can only be like that of a parent -], and there is no equal to Him, glorified and exalted is He, let alone a counterpart. This is indicated by her naming as Maryam, because her story is the most indicative of the completeness of power and the comprehensiveness of knowledge. This is because the most astonishing of creations and the most comprehensive of them is the human being, and the most remarkable of the ways of his creation [the four -] after being human is that of a female without the mediation of a male. This is because the weakest of categories, and the most astonishing is that from her, despite her weakness, the strongest of the species, which is the male, is born. Especially if he is endowed with the power of speech, knowledge, and scripture in childhood, and informs of his complete safety, so the matter is like that. No one - despite the multitude of enemies - could touch him with any harm. This is in addition to what she gathered from [the emergence of fresh dates at a time not suitable for it from dry wood, and from the flowing of water in a place not suitable for it]. And likewise, her naming also indicated what is in the beginning of her letters. This indicates that the articulation of the letter 'kaf' is from the farthest part of the tongue, which is closest to the throat and is adjacent to the lower palate, and it is slightly lower than the articulation of the letter 'qaf' towards the front of the mouth. It has the qualities of whispering, strength, openness, clarity, and concealment. The articulation of the letter 'ha' is from the farthest part of the throat, but it is slightly closer to the tongue than the 'hamzah'. It has the qualities of [whispering, softness, openness, clarity, and concealment]. The articulation of the letter 'ya' is from the middle of the tongue and the upper palate, and it has the qualities of strength, softness, openness, and clarity, which is the most prevalent of its qualities. The articulation of the letter 'ain' is from the middle of the throat, and it has the qualities of [strength and between strength and softness, openness, and clarity]. The articulation of the letter 'sad' is from the tip of the tongue and between the roots of the lower incisors, and it has the qualities of whispering, softness, closure, elevation, and hissing. So the opening with these letters here is an indication - and Allah knows best - that the people of Allah in general - those mentioned in this surah and others - will have their matter with the opposers initially - as indicated by the 'kaf' - weak with a strong openness, just as was the case of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, when he first called. His matter became well-known, but he was weak due to the denial of his people, although they did not exaggerate in denial. Then the matter becomes in the early conflicts - as indicated by the 'ha' - to clarity. Then it increases with the collusion of the arrogant against them, weakness, and concealment. This is also indicated by its reading with inclination. And alongside that, there must be a type of appearance - as indicated by the opening of the 'ha' and this is also indicated by the reading of the opening. This is just as the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, when he explicitly insulted their deities and belittled their dreams and misled their fathers, they all rose against him. Many of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, migrated to Abyssinia, and Abu Talib feared the multitude of the Arabs, so he recited his poem in that regard. The situation persisted until Quraysh forced them to the valley. And it would be in the midst of their matter - as indicated by the 'ya' and its reading with the opening - that they have strength with softness and prominence, which is the most prevalent among them outwardly, as indicated by the reading of the inclination. So their humiliation would be behind a dignity, and their dignity would be in a garment of humiliation. This is known by those who have experienced it and looked at it with the eye of reality and discerned it. This is just as it was when some of Quraysh stood up to break the unjust pact and expel them from the valley. Then at the death of Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, and Abu Talib, he, blessings and peace be upon him, went to Ta'if, and they rejected him - by my father and mother and my soul and my child and my eye. When he approached the honored Mecca, he could not enter it without protection, so he hid in the cave of Hira and sent [to -] someone to protect him. Then he sent until he was protected by Al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi, and he donned armor, he and those who obeyed him, and he entered until he circumambulated the House. Then it was decreed, glorified and exalted is He, that Al-Mut'im was killed in Badr as a disbeliever - after the Prophet's efforts [for his safety -] and the command that he not be killed - to make it known that He, glorified and exalted is He, is selective in His general mercy and specificity, so that no sinner may despair or any obedient one may feel secure. Then when their matter rises above the middle, becoming strong - as indicated by the 'ain' - it becomes between strength and softness, and in it is openness with prominence along with clarity in some matters, just as was the case of him, blessings and peace be upon him, at the pledge of the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them. As for the end of their matter, it is that although there is a type of weakness and a kind of softness and leniency, just as was in the battle of Hunayn and Ta'if, it is followed by a great strength with closure, elevation, and prominence that fills the horizons, as indicated by the hissing - this is in the people of Allah in general, those mentioned in this surah and others. As for what concerns 'Isa, peace be upon him, who is the embodiment of its surah and the aim of its indication [and its narrative -] making the linguistic letters from these letters mostly three letters of them indicates that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, with what was given to him in himself and in his offspring and the tongue of truth mentioned with him is the tongue of this existence. And that the state of his family, of whom 'Isa, peace be upon him, is one of their prominent figures, is the center of this existence in reality and choice - and Musa, peace be upon him, or the companions of his laws are like the 'qaf' which is from the farthest part of the tongue, and he has a great share of it. For him, the sons of Bani Israel were killed, and he was born in the year of the killing, and the reason for his migration and the beginning of his journey to Allah, the Exalted, was the killing of the Egyptian, and he was brought near as a confidant. And from (p-160) its qualities are strength, intensity, openness, elevation, and quaking, and he is deeply rooted in all of the goodness of that. And Dawud, peace be upon him, is the second of those with scriptures, like the 'hamzah' which is farther from the articulation of the 'ha', one of these letters. He was the first to unite from Bani Israel between kingship and prophethood, and he has a share of its qualities: strength, intensity, openness, with what was in him of kingship and prominence, victory over enemies, and wonders of destiny. And he has a share of its description with clarity in the beginning of his matter and in its end with what was of his weeping, humility, and submission to his Lord and his righteousness. So the 'kaf' here indicates that 'Isa, peace be upon him, is the second of the lawgivers in existence, and the 'ha' indicates that he is from the lineage of Dawud, peace be upon him. Each of them has a share of the qualities of the letter that indicates him and points to him. And the 'sad', which is from the tip of the tongue and is the conclusion of these letters, indicates with what is in it of closure pointing to the application of the message to all aspects, and from the elevation indicating to the end of greatness, and the hissing indicating the ultimate spread and fame to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and to the confirmer of his religion and renewer 'Isa, peace be upon him. [And the 'kaf' also indicates with what is in it of qualities that the initial matter of 'Isa, peace be upon him -] will have with strength a weakness, then the 'ha' - which is from the farthest part of the throat - also indicates that his matter will be concealed after that appearance and will be hidden by his ascension to the heavens. And the clarity indicates that it is close to the lower, and it (p-161) is likewise, for it is in the second by the indication of the rank of the 'kaf' and 'ha' in their articulations. And the 'ya' indicates with its strength his appearance by descending, and it indicates by being from the middle of the tongue his establishment in his matters, and by its elevation over something in that, which is the weakness of the followers and their confinement at that time. And it indicates by its openness and softness his appearance over the Dajjal among those people who have been afflicted by trials at his descent, and who have been touched by harm before his arrival. And the predominance of clarity over it indicates a matter concerning Ya'juj and Ma'juj by what Allah reveals to him, "Indeed, I have released servants of Mine that no one can overpower them, so safeguard My servants to the mountain." And the 'ain' indicates by being from the middle of the throat their confinement, and by its strength that there is no way for the enemy against them nor any access to them, and by what is in it of being between and clarity about their efforts with a good outcome. And it gives glad tidings - with what is in it of openness - of the victory that there is no victory after it, and the 'sad' indicates by its articulation the increased strength, and by its whispering and softness that it is a strength without force in it, and by its closure and elevation over the entirety of religion, all people, and by the hissing that there is nothing after that except the blowing in the horn for the general destruction of every created being. Then for the scattering of the graves, and the obtaining of what is in the hearts, and all of this is from the arrangement of His Sunnah, glorified is He, in the chosen ones from His servants in this marvelous manner, and the arrangement of these letters in this structure indicates the complete power, comprehensive knowledge, and brilliant wisdom. He, glorified is He, has mercy on them by guiding them away from the path of the tyrants that led them to harshness, and kept them away from the ways of the arrogant that inevitably lead to misery. So He made their victory in the glimmers of breaking, and their defeat in the gatherings of triumph, and protected them from a permanent grandeur that leads to extravagance, arrogance, and pride, and from a stable gentleness that leads to humiliation, lowliness, and smallness. Indeed, the two names have coincided with the named, and they have become clear to the utmost clarity in his matter and have grown. And this is the meaning of what Al-Kalbi said: It is a praise that Allah praised Himself with. 'In the name of Allah, who is free from any blemish of deficiency, capable of all that He wills.' "The Most Gracious" who has encompassed all of His creatures with His bounty, "The Most Merciful" who has specifically favored the righteous among His servants with what brings happiness from His will.

When the purpose of the previous verse was to indicate that the Qur'an is sound with no deviation in it, and that it completes the order in the blessing of the initial preservation, it demonstrated this by presenting the account of what was asked about in the best manner. It revealed its hidden treasures in the most brilliant way, among other things that it included of marvelous wisdoms and strange meanings, clearly exposing those who claimed that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has a son. It concluded with a similar description of the Book and the Oneness, which negates the acceptance of multiplicity by way of a son or otherwise in every regard, and good deeds. It began this by revealing the strangest of those stories, fulfilling the verse: "Or did you think that the companions of the Cave and the Inscription were among Our signs a wonder?" [Al-Kahf: 9] in a context different from what preceded in the previous surahs, and with details that were not mentioned except in it, while not contradicting what has passed, affirming that His words do not run out, and His wonders cannot be counted or limited. If it had been from other than Him, they would have differed, while its people are the leaders of the monotheists and the leaders of the righteous, pious ones who performed good deeds and rejected polytheism, and established that for the people. Their Lord, glorified and exalted is He, had mercy on them, and all of them are among those whom the Jews consider to be the ones who commanded Quraysh to ask about the companions of the Cave and Dhul-Qarnayn out of obstinacy. As for anyone other than Jesus, blessings and peace be upon him, it is clear. As for Jesus, blessings and peace be upon him, they believe that he has not yet come and that he will come, and that the people in his days will be of one religion, confirming the promise of the Torah, which will be explained. This is in a manner that necessitates, in most of it, his exaltation above having a son, and His ability to resurrect. It began with the story of one who broke the norm regarding having a son in a clear manner that he does not need except for a transient being, whether in sense or meaning, who wants to leave behind what he could not do or was unable to do. The precedence of his story is more appropriate because the reproach with it is greater for their direct involvement in killing him and killing his son, Yahya, blessings and peace be upon them both. It indicates that the good deed established on Oneness guarantees the acceptance of supplication even if it involves breaking the norm. It then mentioned the matter of those who attributed to him and fabricated against him and intended to kill him in a manner that expresses his situation to the utmost clarity, clarifying the correct path in it, completing the reproach of the Jews who commanded Quraysh with obstinacy by pointing to the killing of Zakariya and Yahya, blessings and peace be upon them both, and the claim of the crucifixion of the Messiah, which the Torah had foretold. They are now waiting for him and claiming that they are the most special people regarding him, and the slander against his mother - may she be protected - indicating thereby the ability to resurrect. It is said in the Torah at the end of the first book: Indeed, Jacob, blessings and peace be upon him, was informed of the nearness of his death and said to his sons: Gather to me so that I may inform you of what will happen to you in the last days. Gather and listen, O sons of Jacob! Pay attention to Israel, your father. Then he said: O Judah, your brothers shall acknowledge your superiority over the necks of your enemies, and the sons of your father shall bow down to you. The lion's cub, Judah, as he saved my son from being killed, crouched and lay down like a lion and like a lion's cub. Who dares to rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from the house of Judah, nor shall the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs - and in one version: all - and to him shall be the expectation of the peoples. He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. He washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes. This is its text, and among the Jews, it is the Messiah, and they also call him the Expected One and the Mahdi. They believe that he will support them and save them from the humiliation they are in. I said to some of them: I bear witness that he is the Messiah, the son of Mary, who came and was followed by the Christians, and you opposed him until Allah, glorified and exalted is He, raised him. [He said -] that which is in the Torah is that he will have everything, and Jesus was not like that. I said: He will have everything when he descends following our religion, as he will accept nothing but Islam, and the people of the earth will unite in following him, and those among you who follow him will be happy, and humiliation will be removed from him. This does not contradict the words of the Torah, for it did not specify that by the time of his coming. He did not accept this. Then he came to me one day with a book from their books in the explanation of the Book of the Prophets and said in the words concerning the glad tidings related to the Messiah: "And it is not far that he may appear to Israel, then he may hide, then he may appear, and he will have everything." I said to him: Look and reflect! This is exactly what I mentioned to you before. He was astonished by that, so I said: Obey me and submit! He thought and then said: Until Allah, glorified and exalted is He, wills.

And Imam Abu Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr said in his proof: When Allah, the Exalted, said, "Or did you think that the companions of the cave and the inscription were among Our signs a wonder?" [Al-Kahf: 9], then he mentioned their story and the story of the two men, and Musa and Al-Khidr, peace be upon them, and the story of Dhul-Qarnayn. He followed that with stories that contained wonders [that are more astonishing] and hidden causes. So He began Surah Maryam with Yahya ibn Zakariya and the glad tidings of Zakariya about him after old age, the cutting off of hope, and the barrenness of his wife, until Zakariya asked, seeking clarification and astonished, "How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached extreme old age?" [Maryam: 8]. So Allah, the Exalted, answered him that this is easy for Him, and that He will make this a sign for the people. And this matter is more astonishing than the previous stories. It is as if it has been said: Or did you think, O Muhammad, that the companions of the cave and the inscription were among Our signs a wonder? We inform you [of their story and we inform you of] what is more astonishing, stranger, and clearer as a sign, which is the story of Zakariya regarding his son Yahya, peace be upon them, and the story of 'Isa regarding his being without a father, so that it may be known that the causes, in reality, do not depend on anything of their causes except by the decree of Allah. And the action belongs to Him, glorified and exalted is He, not by a cause. And to this points His saying to Zakariya, peace be upon him, "And I created you before, while you were nothing." [Maryam: 9]. Then He followed that with the glad tidings of Zakariya regarding Yahya, granting him wisdom while still a child. Then He mentioned Maryam and her son, peace be upon them, and the verses continued until the end of the surah.

* *And when this surah follows the surah that describes the Book - by which is the blessing of the first preservation - with the utmost uprightness, He began it with the disjointed letters, just as He began the surah that follows the Mother of the Book, calling to the straight path, describing the Book with guidance that guarantees uprightness, and which follows its description, and [which] follows the animals indicating the blessing of the first creation. He said: "Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad" and it consists of five letters, corresponding to those surahs, and it is a gathering of blessings, describing the Book, and the one with the first blessing, and the one with the second blessing, just as Al-A'raf, which follows the one with the first blessing, was opened with four corresponding to those surahs, along with [what precedes it from the -] Mother [that gathers -] and the describer [and the one with the first blessing]. And just as Al-Imran, which follows the describer, was opened with three corresponding to those surahs, along with the Mother and the describer.