'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, says: "And mention in the Book, Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place towards the east. And she took, apart from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Spirit, and he appeared to her as a well-proportioned man." She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, if you should be among the righteous." He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you news of a pure boy." She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?" This is the beginning of a story that is not from the previous one, and the address is to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. And 'the Book' refers to the Qur'an, and 'Mary' is the daughter of Imran, the mother of Jesus, the sister of the mother of John. People have differed regarding her withdrawal, and 'withdrawal' means to move away. Al-Suddi said: She withdrew to purify herself from menstruation, while others said: To worship Allah. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is the better opinion; and that is because Mary was dedicated to the service of the place of worship and its service and worship therein, so she withdrew from the people for that reason. His saying, "a place towards the east," means in the direction of the east from the dwellings of her people. The reason for it being in the east is that they used to honor the direction of the east, from where the lights are released, and the eastern directions are better than others in everything, as narrated by Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him. Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: I know why the Christians took the east as a qibla; due to Allah's saying, "when she withdrew from her family to a place towards the east," so they took the birth of Jesus as a qibla. Some people said: The screen was what she took to conceal herself from the people for her worship. Al-Suddi said: It was from tree trunks, and it was said: From garments. Some of the interpreters said: She took the place in the eastern part of the mihrab. And 'the Spirit' refers to Gabriel, peace be upon him, and it was said: Jesus. Al-Zajjaj reported both sayings. Whoever said that it is Gabriel meant that he appeared to her, and whoever said that it is Jesus meant that the angel appeared to her. Al-Naqqash said: Whoever reads 'Our Spirit' with a stressed noon makes it the name of an angel among the angels. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I have not seen this reading from anyone else. People have differed regarding the prophethood of Mary; it was said: She was a prophetess by this message and by her conversation with the angel, and it was said: She was not a prophetess, but she spoke to an image of a man, and her vision of the angel was like the vision of Gabriel in the form of Dihyah, and in his questioning about Islam. The first opinion is more evident.

'And His saying, the Most High: ﴿She said, 'Indeed, I seek refuge with the Most Merciful from you, if you should be among the righteous.'﴾ The meaning is: Maryam said to the angel who appeared to her as a man when she saw him having broken the veil she had taken, and she thought ill of him. She said: 'Indeed, I seek refuge with the Most Merciful from you, if you are one who is righteous.' Abu Wail said: She knew that the righteous one is one who has restraint. Wahb ibn Munabbih, may Allah be pleased with him, said: She meant the name of a wicked man who was among her people at that time. When she saw him climbing over to her, she thought he was him, so she sought refuge with the Most Merciful from him. This was narrated by Makki, may Allah have mercy on him, and others. It is weak and goes along with conjecture. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to her: ﴿Indeed, I am the messenger of your Lord to give you﴾. He made the gift from himself since the announcement of it was from him. The majority read: 'to give you' as previously mentioned. Nafi and Abu Amr read: 'that He may give you' with the 'ya', meaning: 'that Allah may give you'. There is a difference reported about Nafi, may Allah have mercy on him, and in the Mushaf of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, it says: 'that Allah may give you.' When Maryam heard that and felt what had come upon her, she inquired about it through him, while no man had touched her with marriage, nor had she been one who commits adultery. And 'the one who commits adultery' refers to one who openly engages in fornication, so she is one who seeks it, 'baghiyah' in the form of 'fa'ool' like 'batool'. If it were in the form of 'fa'il', it would have been possible for the feminine 'h' to be added, and it would be said: 'baghiyyah.'