Maryam (Mary)

Verse 9

Translation:

9. He said: "So (it will be): thy Lord saith `That is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before when thou hadst been nothing!' "

Notes (Tafseer):

2462. Who is the "He" in this clause? As I have construed it, following the majority of Commentators, it means the angel who brought the message from Allah. Cf. xix. 21 below. But some Commentators construe it to refer to Zakariya. In that case the meaning will be: Zakariya after a little reflection said (in his wonder) "So!", i.e., "Can it really be so? Can I really have a son in my old age?" The speech following,"Thy Lord saith," etc., will then be that of the angel-messenger.

2463. Every man was nothing just before he was created, i.e., his personality was called into being by Allah. Even if there are material processes in forming the body, in accordance with the laws of nature, the real creative force is the power of Allah. But here there is a subtler meaning. John was the harbinger of Jesus, preparing the way for him; and this sentence also prepares us for the more wonderful birth of Jesus himself, see verse 21 below. Everything is possible with Allah.

1. Al-Fatiha (The Opening) (7)
2. Al-Baqara (The Cow) (286)
3. Aal-E-Imran (The Family Of 'Imran, The House Of 'Imran) (200)
4. An-Nisa (Women) (176)
5. Al-Maeda (The Table, The Table Spread) (120)
6. Al-Anaam (Cattle, Livestock) (165)
7. Al-Araf (The Heights) (206)
8. Al-Anfal (Spoils Of War, Booty) (75)
9. At-Tawba (Repentance, Dispensation) (129)
10. Yunus (Jonah) (109)
11. Hud (Hud) (123)
12. Yusuf (Joseph) (111)
13. Ar-Rad (The Thunder) (43)
14. Ibrahim (Abraham) (52)
15. Al-Hijr (Al-hijr, Stoneland, Rock City) (99)
16. An-Nahl (The Bee) (128)
17. Al-Isra (Isra', The Night Journey, Children Of Israel) (111)
18. Al-Kahf (The Cave) (110)
19. Maryam (Mary) (98)
20. Ta-Ha (Ta-ha) (135)
21. Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) (112)
22. Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) (78)
23. Al-Mumenoon (The Believers) (118)
24. An-Noor (Light) (64)
25. Al-Furqan (The Criterion, The Standard) (77)
26. Ash-Shuara (The Poets) (227)
27. An-Naml (The Ant, The Ants) (93)
28. Al-Qasas (The Story, Stories) (88)
29. Al-Ankaboot (The Spider) (69)
30. Ar-Room (The Romans, The Byzantines) (60)
31. Luqman (Luqman) (34)
32. As-Sajda (The Prostration, Worship, Adoration) (30)
33. Al-Ahzab (The Clans, The Coalition, The Combined Forces) (73)
34. Saba (Saba, Sheba) (54)
35. Fatir (The Angels, Orignator) (45)
36. Ya-Seen (Ya-sin) (83)
37. As-Saaffat (Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn Up In Ranks) (182)
38. Sad (Sad, (the Letter) Sad ( S )) (88)
39. Az-Zumar (The Troops, Throngs) (75)
40. Al-Ghafir (The Believer, The Forgiver (god)) (85)
41. Fussilat ((signs) Spelled Out, Ha-mim) (54)
42. Ash-Shura (Councel, Consultation) (53)
43. Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments Of Gold, Luxury) (89)
44. Ad-Dukhan (Smoke) (59)
45. Al-Jathiya (Crouching) (37)
46. Al-Ahqaf (The Wind-curved Sandhills, The Dunes) (35)
47. Muhammad (Muhammad) (38)
48. Al-Fath (Victory, Conquest) (29)
49. Al-Hujraat (The Private Apartments, The Inner Apartments) (18)
50. Qaf (Qaf, (the Letter), ( Q )) (45)
51. Adh-Dhariyat (The Winnowing Winds) (60)
52. At-Tur (The Mount) (49)
53. An-Najm (The Star) (62)
54. Al-Qamar (The Moon) (55)
55. Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent, The Mercy Giving) (78)
56. Al-Waqia (The Event, The Inevitable) (96)
57. Al-Hadid (Iron) (29)
58. Al-Mujadila (She That Disputeth, The Pleading Woman) (22)
59. Al-Hashr (Exile, Banishment) (24)
60. Al-Mumtahina (She That Is To Be Examined, Examining Her) (13)
61. As-Saff (The Ranks, Battle Array) (14)
62. Al-Jumua (The Congregation, Friday) (11)
63. Al-Munafiqoon (The Hypocrites) (11)
64. At-Taghabun (Mutual Disillusion, Haggling) (18)
65. At-Talaq (Divorce) (12)
66. At-Tahrim (Banning, Prohibition) (12)
67. Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty, Control) (30)
68. Al-Qalam (The Pen, (the Letter) N) (52)
69. Al-Haaqqa (The Reality) (52)
70. Al-Maarij (The Ascending Stairways, Staircases Upward, Sckeptic) (44)
71. Nooh (Noah) (28)
72. Al-Jinn (The Jinn, Sprites) (28)
73. Al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One, Bundled Up) (20)
74. Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One, The Man Wearing A Cloak) (56)
75. Al-Qiyama (The Rising Of The Dead, Resurrection) (40)
76. Al-Insan (Time, Man, (every) Man, This (day-and-)age) (31)
77. Al-Mursalat (The Emissaries, Winds Sent Forth) (50)
78. An-Naba (The Tidings, The Announcement) (40)
79. An-Naziat (Those Who Drag Forth, Soul-snatchers) (46)
80. Abasa (He Frowned!) (42)
81. At-Takwir (The Overthrowing, Extinguished! Wrapping Things Up) (29)
82. Al-Infitar (The Cleaving, Bursting Apart) (19)
83. Al-Mutaffifin (Defrauding, The Cheats, Cheating) (36)
84. Al-Inshiqaq (The Sundering, Splitting Open) (25)
85. Al-Burooj (The Mansions Of The Stars, Constellations) (22)
86. At-Tariq (The Morning Star, The Nightcomer) (17)
87. Al-Ala (The Most High, Glory To Your Lord In The Highest) (19)
88. Al-Ghashiya (The Overwhelming, The Pall) (26)
89. Al-Fajr (The Dawn, Daybreak) (30)
90. Al-Balad (The City, This Countryside) (20)
91. Ash-Shams (The Sun) (15)
92. Al-Lail (The Night) (21)
93. Ad-Dhuha (The Morning Hours, Morning Bright!) (11)
94. Al-Inshirah (Solace, Consolation, Relief) (8)
95. At-Tin (The Fig, The Figtree) (8)
96. Al-Alaq (The Clot, Read!) (19)
97. Al-Qadr (Power, Fate) (5)
98. Al-Bayyina (The Clear Proof, Evidence) (8)
99. Az-Zalzala (The Earthquake) (8)
100. Al-Adiyat (The Courser, The Chargers) (11)
101. Al-Qaria (The Calamity, The Stunning Blow, The Disaster) (11)
102. At-Takathur (Rivalry In World Increase, Competition) (8)
103. Al-Asr (The Declining Day, Eventide, The Epoch) (3)
104. Al-Humaza (The Traducer, The Gossipmonger) (9)
105. Al-Fil (The Elephant) (5)
106. Quraish (Winter, Quraysh) (4)
107. Al-Maun (Small Kindnesses, Almsgiving, Have You Seen?) (7)
108. Al-Kauther (Abundance, Plenty) (3)
109. Al-Kafiroon (The Disbelievers, Atheists) (6)
110. An-Nasr (Succour, Divine Support) (3)
111. Al-Masadd (Palm Fibre, The Flame) (5)
112. Al-Ikhlas (The Unity, Sincerity, Oneness Of God) (4)
113. Al-Falaq (The Daybreak, Dawn) (5)
114. An-Nas (Mankind) (6)