Surah Maryam, Ayah 30

Maryam with Al-Masih before the People, Their Rejection of Her and His Reply to Them

Allah, the Exalted, informs of Maryam's situation when she was commanded to fast that day and not to speak to any human being. For verily, her affair would be taken care of and her proof would be established. Thus, she accepted the command of Allah and she readily received His decree. She took her child and brought him to her people, carrying him. When they saw her like this they made a big deal about her situation and they sternly protested against of it, and

قَالُواْ يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً

(They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariy.") Fariy means a mighty thing. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Nawf Al-Bikali that he said, "Her people went out searching for her, she was from a family that was blessed with prophethood and nobility. However, they could not find any trace of her. They came across a cow herder and they asked him, `Have you seen a girl whose description is such and such' He replied, `No, but tonight I saw my cows doing something that I've never seen them do before.' They asked, `What did you see' He said, `Tonight I saw them prostrating in the direction of that valley."' `Abdullah bin Ziyad said (adding to the narration), "I memorized from Sayyar that he (the cattle herder) said, `I saw a radiant light.' " So they went towards the direction that he told him, and Maryam was coming towards them from that direction. When she saw them she sat down and she was holding her child in her lap. They came towards her until they were standing over her.

إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّـهِ ("I am the servant of Allah" - 19:30) There is a report that when her family members started berating and censuring Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) ، Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was sucking milk. When he heard their accusations he stopped sucking milk and moved over to his left side facing them, and raising his index finger he said:إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّـهِ i.e. I am the servant of Allah. In this way in his very first words Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) made it clear that although his birth was a miracle, he himself was not God, but only a servant of God. This was to eliminate forever the possibility of people worshipping him as God due to his miraculous birth.

آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

"He has given me the Book and made me a prophet." - 19:30.

In these words, Sayyidna ` Isa I even in his infancy announced his future prophethood and the revelation to him of a sacred book from Allah Ta` ala. Since no prophet has been granted prophethood and a sacred book before the age of forty years, therefore this pre-announcement of his prophethood by Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہا السلام) here means to convey in advance that he would be bestowed prophethood and the Book at the proper time. In a similar manner The Holy Prophet ﷺ said that he was bestowed prophethood even before Adam (علیہ السلام) was yet in the process of his creation. This shows that the promise for granting prophethood to Sayyidna Muhammad Al-Mustafa ﷺ was firm and final. Here too, because of the certainty of occurrence, the grant of prophethood is referred to in the past tense. By announcing his future prophethood he (Sayyidna ` Isa علیہ السلام) dispelled peoples' doubts and exonerated his mother from the charge of fornication, because his being a Prophet was proof enough that his birth was free from any blemish.

Mary gained confidence on hearing the words of the angel. She took the child and returned to her family. Seeing her in this condition, the Jewish people started condemning and scolding her. Maryam did as the angel had told her. She remained silent and pointed towards the child, meaning that this was not an ordinary type of child and in order to have proof thereof, they should talk to him and he, in spite of being an infant, would understand what they said and give a clear reply.