Allah, the Exalted, informs about Maryam that when Jibril had spoken to her
about what Allah said, she accepted the decree of Allah. Many scholars of the
predecessors (Salaf) have mentioned that at this point the angel (who was
Jibril) blew into the opening of the garment that she was wearing. Then the
breath descended until it entered into her vagina and she conceived the child by
the leave of Allah. Muhammad bin Ishaq said, "When she conceived him and filled
her water jug (at a well), she returned (to her people). After this, her
menstrual bleeding ceased and she experienced what the pregnant woman
experiences of sickness, hunger, change of color and there was even a change in
the manner of her speech. After this, no people came to visit any house like
they did the house of Zakariyya. The word spread among the Children of Israel
and the people were saying, `Verily, her partner (in fornication) was Yusuf,
because there was no one else in the temple with her except him.' So she hid
herself from the people and placed a veil between herself and them. No one saw
her and she did not see anyone else.'' Allah said;
[فَأَجَآءَهَا
الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ]
(And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date palm.) This
means that her pains of labor compelled her to go to the trunk of a date-palm
tree that was at the place where she had secluded herself. The scholars differed
over its location. As-Suddi said, "Her place of seclusion was to the east and
that was where she would pray at the Sacred House of Jerusalem.'' Wahb bin
Munabbih said, "She ran away and when she reached an area between Ash-Sham and
Egypt, she was overcome by labor pains.'' In another narration from Wahb, he
said, "This took place eight miles from the Sacred House of Jerusalem in a
village that was known as Bayt Al-Lahm (Bethlehem).'' I say, there are Hadiths
about the Isra' (Night Journey of the Prophet ) that are reported by An-Nasa'i
on the authority of Anas, and Al-Bayhaqi on the authority of Shadad bin Aws,
that say that this took place at Bait Al-Lahm. Allah knows best. This is what is
well known that the people all relate from each other. The Christians have no
doubt held that the place of this occurrence was Bethlehem and this is what all
the people relate. It has been related in a Hadith also, if the Hadith is
authentic. Allah says, informing about her,
[قَالَتْ يلَيْتَنِى
مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْياً مَّنسِيّاً]
(She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out
of sight!'') In this is an evidence of the permissibility to wish for death when
a calamity strikes. She knew that she was going to be tested with the birth, the
people would not assist her, and they would not believe her story. After she was
known as a devout worshipper among them, they now thought that she had become a
fornicating whore. She said,
[يلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ
قَبْلَ هَـذَا]
(Would that I had died before this,) She said this to mean before this
situation.
[وَكُنتُ نَسْياً
مَّنسِيّاً]
(and I had been forgotten and out of sight!) This means, "I wish I had not
been created and I was nothing.'' This was mentioned by Ibn `Abbas. Qatadah
said,
[وَكُنتُ نَسْياً
مَّنسِيّاً]
(and I had been forgotten and out of sight!) "This means something unknown,
forgotten and no one knew who I was.''
[فَنَادَاهَا مِن
تَحْتِهَآ أَلاَّ تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيّاً - وَهُزِّى
إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَـقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَباً جَنِيّاً - فَكُلِى
وَاشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْناً فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ البَشَرِ أَحَداً فَقُولِى
إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ صَوْماً فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيّاً
]
(24. Then he cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not: your Lord
has provided a Sariy under you.'') (25. "And shake the trunk of date palm
towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you.'') (26. "So eat and
drink and rejoice. And if you see any human being, say: `Verily, I have vowed a
fast for the Most Gracious so I shall not speak to any human being
today.,'')