Surah Maryam is the Ninteenth Surah of the Holy Qur’an and it is composed of ninety eight verses. The surah takes its name from the story of Hazrat Mary(pbuh) that begins from the sixteenth verse.
“Mention Maryam in the Book, how she withdrew from her people to an eastern place,” (Surah Maryam, 16)
In the first verses of the surah, the prayer of the Prophet Zacharia (pbuh) is revealed. The Prophet Zacharia (pbuh) told Allah that his wife is infertile, he is old and they cannot have any children; thus he is worried about the ones who will come after him and asked Allah to send him a helper from His Sight. Allah accepted his sincere prayer and heralded them with a boy named John. Our Lord sent the Prophet John (pbuh) as an honest and god-fearing person.
In the surah, there is also the story of Hazrat Mary (pbuh) who is illustrated as the symbol of chastity and purity by Almighty Allah. Our Lord has told us that He made His servant, the Prophet Zacharia (pbuh), responsible for Hazrat Mary (pbuh). As it is revealed in the verse, Hazrat Mary left her family and went to some place in the east by herself. When she was there, the angel Gabriel visited her in the form of a person. However, Hazrat Mary (pbuh) thought that he was a human being and asked him to stay away from her. Gabriel told her that he was sent to herald the good news of a boy child from Allah’s Sight. Hazrat Mary (pbuh) was pregnant as a miracle of Allah even though no man had ever touched her. When she had her child and returned back to her community, Hazrat Mary (pbuh) did not talk to anyone, as Allah commanded, even though her community rejected her; nor did she defend herself against their scurrilous accusations, keeping to the command given her by our Lord.
Later on in the surah;
• There is a story about the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). The conversations between the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his father, who refuses to believe in his prophethood and the true religion he preached, are told. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) warned his father not to worship things other than Allah and told him to submit himself to Allah because of the knowledge Allah granted him. He warned him not to obey satan with the advice he gave to his father. However, his father became angry at his son, who tried to draw him and his community away from the mistaken religion of his ancestors, and told Prophet Abraham (pbuh) that unless he gave up this behavior he would stone him. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) turned away from his community and what they worshipped because of this attitude of his father. The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) left them with the idols they worshipped, and migrated from his hometown.
• In Surah Maryam, there is also information about other prophets who were sent. Our Lord revealed that the Prophet Moses (pbuh) was very sincere and that he made his brother the Prophet Aaron (pbuh) his helper. In addition, the characteristics of the Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) were also told. It is revealed that he commanded his community to perform the prayer and give alms, and that Allah was pleased with him due to his good morality. Almighty Allah reveals that He gave all of His messengers several blessings.
• Our Lord reveals that He is the Creator of all things in the heavens above, the earth below and everything in between them and thus one needs to worship Him alone and be determined and resolute about one’s prayers.
• It is revealed that Almighty Allah will increase the faith of those who find the true path and therefore one needs to be determined about doing good deeds.
In the final verses of Surah Maryam, it is revealed that those who say “The All-Merciful has a son” are making a grave mistake, and that those in the heavens and the earth must turn to our Lord alone as His servants. It is revealed that on the Day of Judgment, they will come into the presence of Almighty Allah as “all alone.” It is also revealed that in comparison to those who deny or those who are idolaters, our Lord will grant a love for His servants who do good deeds.
