وَمَريَمَ ابنَتَ عِمرانَ الَّتي أَحصَنَت فَرجَها فَنَفَخنا فيهِ مِن روحِنا وَصَدَّقَت بِكَلِماتِ رَبِّها وَكُتُبِهِ وَكانَت مِنَ القانِتينَ

And Mary, daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded the chastity of her womb, so We breathed into it of Our spirit. She confirmed the words of her Lord and His books, and she was one of the obedient.

EXEGESIS

Farj literally means a gap between two things.^{‎[1]Tibyan, 10/54.} Thus, for example, a gap left in the ranks of congregational prayer can be called a furjah. The gap sometimes appearing between two sides of a loincloth is also called a farj. The Quran uses this euphemistically to signify the private parts of a person in a modest and polite way,^{‎[2]Lisan, 2/341-342. When troubles are lifted, one experiences a ‘break’ in difficulties, so deliverance from hardship is also called faraj; see Raghib, p. 628.} probably because they are situated in the gap between the legs. Because the term is frequently used in this sense in the Quran, it has since become synonymous with a person’s private parts.  

The believers are commanded to avoid all forms of sexual indecency by being told that they should be of those who guard their private parts (furūj) (70:29). Mary guarding her farj, then, means she had guarded her chastity, avoiding any misconduct in that regard.^{‎[3]Tibyan, 10/54; Qurtubi, 18/203.}

Aḥṣanat (guarded) comes from the word ḥiṣn, meaning a protected fortification, as in and they thought their fortresses (ḥuṣūn) would protect them from Allah (59:2).^{‎[4]Raghib, pp. 239-240.} Marriage therefore acts as a fortress, protecting one’s chastity: As to others than these, it is lawful for you to seek [union with them] with your wealth, in wedlock (muḥṣinīn), not in license (4:24). Alternatively, it can mean one who protects the sanctity of their marriage by protecting their chastity; and give them their dowries in an honourable manner [such of them] as are chaste women (muḥṣanāt) (4:25). However, as we know Mary was not married, aḥṣanat here means protecting her virginity.

The rūḥ (spirit) is that which gives a human being life.^{‎[5]Raghib, pp. 369-370.} The word is used for many other things in the Quran as well, such as the angel Gabriel: We sent to her Our spirit (rūḥanā) and he became incarnate for her (19:17), or a special being that carries out God’s command: In it the angels and the spirit (al-rūḥ) descend (97:4), or the holy spirit which aids God’s messengers: and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, manifest proofs and strengthened him with the holy spirit (rūḥ al-qudus)’ (2:253), or the spirit of faith that exists within believers: He has written faith into their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit (rūḥ) from Him (58:22).^{‎[6]It has also been suggested that it can refer to the Quran itself, because it guides to faith and gives life to one’s spirituality, Thus have We revealed to you the spirit (ruḥ) of Our dispensation (42:52). See Nemuneh, 12/252.} In this verse, the most appropriate of these meanings should be the holy spirit, as it relates to the birth of Prophet Jesus (a) whose birth was exceptional.^{‎[7]See 19:27-34.}

Ṣaddaqat (confirmed) comes from the root of ṣidq, which is the opposite of kidhb (lie), and means to be truthful. The emphatic verb ṣaddaqat means to affirm the veracity of one who speaks the truth, hence we read about He who brings the truth (ṣidq) and he who confirms (ṣaddaqa) it (39:33).^{‎[8]Raghib, pp. 478-479.} Those who affirm the truth of religion in their hearts by their tongue and through their actions are hence known as the ṣiddiqīn: Whoever obeys Allah and the Apostle – they are with those whom Allah has blessed, including the prophets and the truthful (ṣiddiqīn), the martyrs and the righteous (4:69). This is a lofty title bestowed by God to some of His most pious servants, including his prophets: And mention in the book Abraham. Indeed he was a truthful one (ṣiddīq), a prophet (19:41). The bestowment of this title to Mary is hence a testament to the high station of faith that she occupied; The Messiah, son of Mary, is but an apostle. Certainly [other] apostles have passed before him, and his mother was a truthful one (ṣiddīqah) (5:75).

Qānitīn (obedient) was discussed in the commentary on verse 5.

EXPOSITION

This verse is a continuation of the statement Allah draws an[other] example for those who have faith in the previous verse.^{‎ Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān; see Qurtubi, 18/203. However, there is no need to claim there is omission when the article And can easily be related to the statement of the previous verse.”][9]”Mizan,} The second example that God provides to the believers to take lesson from is Mary, another woman who reached the highest levels of faith. Three qualities are mentioned for Mary that make her exemplary.

First, God mentions her chasteness. Indeed, especially in today’s society, it is an important reminder that a believer should seek to be chaste and pure, and not seek to exceed the boundaries set by God. This attribute is mentioned first as it links directly to what she is most known for: being the mother of the Messiah.^{‎[10] Mizan, 19/345, says her chasteness is mentioned because some Jews accused her of indecency: and their uttering a monstrous calumny against Mary (4:156).}

Second, her firmness of faith is referenced. By mentioning that she believed in all the words and books of God, an important point is being made; a believer should not pick and choose what suits them from the faith, in this way being of those Who reduced the Quran into pieces (15:91). This ties into the central theme of this surah and the final attribute of obedience mentioned next.

The surah ends by describing Mary with a single adjective. The meaning of the word qānit (obedient) was already explained in the commentary on verse 5, and as we argued there, it was thematically the most significant of the qualities that the wives of the Prophet should have cultivated within themselves. It is therefore the final word of the surah, leaving the reader to ponder upon it and its importance. It is a powerful summary of the whole surah and its main theme, and a masterful example of the way thematic connections are constructed in the surah. We may also note that the expression and she was one of the obedient, instead of she was obedient, is also significant, as it is almost like an indirect invitation for others to join the ranks of those God-fearing and obedient believers. It is as if to say there are many of them, and the reader may also attempt to strive to be like them. This understanding is strengthened by the fact that the masculine qānitīn is used instead of the feminine qānitāt, showing that the address here is general, to all the readers of this chapter.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Muʿādh ibn Jabal: ‘The Messenger of God (s) came upon Khadijah as she was about to breathe her last, and said: “I am saddened by what has befallen you, but God has placed much good in sadness. When you meet your sister wives tell them my regards.” She replied: “And who are they, O Messenger of God?” He said: “Mary the daughter of ʿImrān, and Āsiyah the daughter of Muzāḥim, and Ḥalīmah – or Kalīmah – the sister of Moses,” and the narrator doubted [as to what her name was]. She then said: “Gladly and willingly.”’^{‎[11] Tabrisi, 25/157; Thalabi, 9/352; Qurtubi, 18/204. In Nur, 5/377, the same report is transmitted from Majmaʿ al-Bayān, but instead of Ḥalīmah it is Kulthūm; it is not clear why, but perhaps Nur had access to a different manuscript of Majmaʿ al-Bayān.}
2. From Saʿd ibn Junādah, that the Prophet said: ‘God has married me to Mary the daughter of ʿImrān, and the wife of Pharaoh, and the sister of Moses in paradise.’^{‎[12] Suyuti, 6/246.}

Note: This narration explains what is meant by sister wives in the previous hadith.

3. Zamakhsharī relates a tradition in which ʿĀʾishah asks the Prophet: ‘Why does God mention the name of the believer [meaning Mary], but does not name the faithless one?’ To this the Prophet (s) replied: ‘Because of loathing towards her.’ She then asked him: ‘What is her name?’ To which he replied: ‘The name of the wife of Noah was Wāʿilah, and the name of the wife of Lot was Wāhilah.’

Note: After relating this tradition, Zamakhsharī notes that it is a clear fabrication, since naming or not naming someone is not a sign of love or hate, because enemies of God are named in the Quran. Also, the wife of Pharaoh should have been named if this was the case as she is mentioned as an example to the believers just like Mary.^{‎[13] Zamakhshari, 4/573-574.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

There is a lot of discussion amongst the exegetes about the meaning of We breathed into it of Our spirit.

1. As we mentioned earlier, spirit (rūḥ) can also be used for the archangel Gabriel: We sent to her Our spirit (19:17). Because of that, Ṭūsī mentions that some have argued that We breathed into it of Our spirit means Gabriel breathed into her womb.^{‎[14] Tibyan, 10/54.}
2. It is related from Qatādah that womb (farj) in this verse means armpit (jayb), because any gap is called a farj. Hence, the verse accordingly would mean Gabriel blew into Mary’s armpit.^{‎[15] Tibyan, 10/54; Suyuti, 6/246; Tabari, 28/110. This opinion is also adopted by Tabrisi, 10/479.}
3. Ṭabrisī tells us that some others have claimed that this means God created Prophet Jesus (a) in Mary’s womb and then blew His spirit into him.^{‎[16] Tabrisi, 10/479.} In this case, the fīhi should mean ‘into him’, as in Prophet Jesus (a), instead of into it, as in Mary’s womb. Indeed, in Sūrat al-Nisāʾ God says: Jesus son of Mary, was only an apostle of Allah, and His word that He cast toward Mary and a spirit (rūḥ) from Him (4:171).
4. In his commentary on 4:171, Qurṭubī says that rūḥ is one of the names of Prophet Jesus (a). He was named so because Gabriel breathed into Mary. Based on this, We breathed into it of Our spirit should mean that Jesus (a) was created in Mary by God, through the angel Gabriel, and that in addition to being the Messiah and His word, he was the breath (rūḥ) of God.
5. Makārim Shīrāzī says the spirit here is the spirit that is a special creation of God that carries out his commands.^{‎[17] Nemuneh, 24/306.}
6. It has been said that ruḥ here has the meaning of raḥmah (mercy), as we have in the verse, Then ease (rawḥ), abundance, and a garden of bliss (56:89).^{‎[18] Qurtubi, 6/23.}
7. Ālūsī says this means that God created Prophet Jesus (a) without any intermediary.^{‎[19] Alusi, 14/359.}

The second opinion seems to be based on a very literal understanding of the verse. Because they thought Gabriel physically breathed into Mary, they considered the first meaning inappropriate, so they said it must mean the armpit. Ālūsī says that the proponents of this view then held that the effect of it spread from her armpit to her womb.^{‎[20] Alusi, 14/359.}

Considering the meaning of the word rūḥ as we discussed, and verse 4:171, the best of these meanings is that God blew the special spirit that aided Prophet Jesus (a) into him while he was still in the womb. This is why he was exceptionally born as a prophet.

In any case, it is clear that the possessive Our spirit is used not because it is somehow a part of God, but rather to show the significance and importance of that thing, similar to the Kaaba being called ‘God’s house’.^{‎[21] Nemuneh, 24/306.}

There are several opinions mentioned about the meaning of words (kalimāt) of her Lord:

1. According to Ṭūsī, it should mean that which God has spoken to his prophets and angels.^{‎[22] Tibyan, 10/55.}
2. Ṭabrisī notes that some have argued it means the promise (waʿd) and the threat (waʿīd) of God about paradise and hell respectively, and His commands and prohibitions.^{‎[23] Tabrisi, 10/479.}
3. It is reported that Qatādah and Muqātil said words here means Prophet Jesus (a), as he was the ‘word of God’ (kalimat allāh).^{‎[24] Tabari, 28/110.}
4. Rāzī and Zamakhsharī claim it means the scriptures (ṣuḥuf) given to prophets like Prophet Idrīs (a).^{‎[25] Razi, 30/575; Zamakhshari, 4/573. Zamakhshari says they were named words because they were not very long.}
5. Qurṭubī says it means the words of Gabriel when he told Mary: I am only a messenger of your Lord that I may give you a pure son (19:19).^{‎[26] Qurtubi, 18/204.}

There is also disagreement about the meaning of books:

1. It has been said to be the Torah and the Bible (injīl).^{‎[27] Tabrisi, 10/479; Tabari, 28/110.}
2. Rāzī and Zamakhsharī say they are ‘the four books’.^{‎[28] Razi, 30/575; Zamakhshari, 4/573.} With this he means the books given to the four prophets of great determination (ulū al-ʿazm).
3. Rāzī says it could also be all that God has written in His preserved tablet (lawḥ maḥfūẓ).^{‎[29] Razi, 30/575.}
4. Tabatabai says it is all the divinely revealed books.^{‎[30] Mizan, 10/345. He says that words should then mean any revelation that was not in book form. This is also the opinion of Nemuneh, 24/305.}

Rāzī says that if we accept the second opinion, then words should refer to the duties imposed by God. He links it to the verse, and when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words (kalimāt) (2:124).

Considering the theme of the surah, the best meaning is that she believed in all the divinely sent revelations and all the commands and prohibitions of God.

Finally, Ṭabrisī and others say it is possible that the description and she was one of the obedient refers to the family of Mary, as she was from a family of obedient believers, as they were a household of goodliness and obedience.^{‎[31] Tabrisi, 10/479-480. See also Thalabi, 9/352; Zamakhshari, 4/573.} Tabatabai rejects this, since it would seem to indicate that she was not one of the obedient herself, whereas we read in the Quran that God says to Mary: O Mary, be obedient to your Lord, and prostrate and bow down with those who bow (3:43).^{‎[32] Mizan, 10/346.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost… that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.^{‎[33] Matthew 1:18-20.}

[1] Tibyan, 10/54.
[2] Lisan, 2/341-342. When troubles are lifted, one experiences a ‘break’ in difficulties, so deliverance from hardship is also called faraj; see Raghib, p. 628.
[3] Tibyan, 10/54; Qurtubi, 18/203.
[4] Raghib, pp. 239-240.
[5] Raghib, pp. 369-370.
[6] It has also been suggested that it can refer to the Quran itself, because it guides to faith and gives life to one’s spirituality, Thus have We revealed to you the spirit (ruḥ) of Our dispensation (42:52). See Nemuneh, 12/252.
[7] See 19:27-34.
[8] Raghib, pp. 478-479.
[9] Mizan, 19/345. Some have argued that it is not a continuation, but there is an omission in this verse and God is saying in effect: And [remember] Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān; see Qurtubi, 18/203. However, there is no need to claim there is omission when the article And can easily be related to the statement of the previous verse.
[10] Mizan, 19/345, says her chasteness is mentioned because some Jews accused her of indecency: and their uttering a monstrous calumny against Mary (4:156).
[11] Tabrisi, 25/157; Thalabi, 9/352; Qurtubi, 18/204. In Nur, 5/377, the same report is transmitted from Majmaʿ al-Bayān, but instead of Ḥalīmah it is Kulthūm; it is not clear why, but perhaps Nur had access to a different manuscript of Majmaʿ al-Bayān.
[12] Suyuti, 6/246.
[13] Zamakhshari, 4/573-574.
[14] Tibyan, 10/54.
[15] Tibyan, 10/54; Suyuti, 6/246; Tabari, 28/110. This opinion is also adopted by Tabrisi, 10/479.
[16] Tabrisi, 10/479.
[17] Nemuneh, 24/306.
[18] Qurtubi, 6/23.
[19] Alusi, 14/359.
[20] Alusi, 14/359.
[21] Nemuneh, 24/306.
[22] Tibyan, 10/55.
[23] Tabrisi, 10/479.
[24] Tabari, 28/110.
[25] Razi, 30/575; Zamakhshari, 4/573. Zamakhshari says they were named words because they were not very long.
[26] Qurtubi, 18/204.
[27] Tabrisi, 10/479; Tabari, 28/110.
[28] Razi, 30/575; Zamakhshari, 4/573.
[29] Razi, 30/575.
[30] Mizan, 10/345. He says that words should then mean any revelation that was not in book form. This is also the opinion of Nemuneh, 24/305.
[31] Tabrisi, 10/479-480. See also Thalabi, 9/352; Zamakhshari, 4/573.
[32] Mizan, 10/346.
[33] Matthew 1:18-20.