(Who was below her) Meaning the one who was below her called to her. Others
recited it as,
[مِن
تَحْتِهَآ]
(from below her) With the meaning of a preposition (from) instead of a
pronoun (who). The scholars of Tafsir have differed over the interpretation of
who was calling out. Al-`Awfi and others reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,
[فَنَادَاهَا مِن
تَحْتِهَآ]
(Then cried unto her from below her,) "This is referring to Jibrilbecause
`Isa did not speak until she brought him to her people.'' Similarly, Sa`id bin
Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, `Amr bin Maymun, As-Suddi and Qatadah all said, "Verily, this
is referring to the angel Jibril.'' This means that he (Jibril) called out to
her from the bottom of the valley. Mujahid said,
[فَنَادَاهَا مِن
تَحْتِهَآ]
(Then cried unto her from below her,) "This is referring to `Isa bin
Maryam.'' Likewise, `Abdur-Razzaq reported from Ma`mar that Qatadah said that
Al-Hasan said, "This is referring to her son (`Isa).'' This is also one of the
two opinions reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr -- that it was her son, `Isa,
speaking. Sa`id said, "Have you not heard Allah saying,
[فَأَشَارَتْ
إِلَيْهِ]
(Then she pointed to him.) Ibn Zayd and Ibn Jarir preferred this opinion in
his Tafsir. Allah said,
[أَلاَّ
تَحْزَنِى]
(Grieve not:) He called to her saying, "Do not grieve.''
[قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ
تَحْتَكِ سَرِيّاً]
(your Lord has provided a Sariy under you.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri and Shu`bah
reported from Abu Ishaq that Al-Bara' bin `Azib said, s
[قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ
تَحْتَكِ سَرِيّاً]
(your Lord has provided a Sariy under you.) "This means a small stream.''
Likewise, `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "Sariy means a
river.'' `Amr bin Maymun held the same view, as he said, "It means a river for
her to drink from.'' Mujahid said, "It means river in the Syrian language.''
Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Sariy is a small flowing river.'' Others said that Sariy
refers to `Isa. This was said by Al-Hasan, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Muhammad bin
`Abbad bin Ja`far, and it is one of the two opinions reported from Qatadah. It
is also the view of `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. However, the first view
seems to be the most obvious meaning. For this reason, Allah said after it,
[وَهُزِّى إِلَيْكِ
بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ]
(And shake the trunk of date palm towards you,) meaning, "Grab the trunk of
the date-palm tree and shake it towards yourself.'' Therefore, Allah blessed her
by giving her food and drink. Then He said,
[تُسَـقِطْ عَلَيْكِ
رُطَباً جَنِيّاًفَكُلِى وَاشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْناً]
(It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and rejoice.)
Meaning to be happy. This is why `Amr bin Maymun said, "Nothing is better for
the woman confined in childbed than dried dates and fresh dates.'' Then he
recited this noble Ayah. Concerning Allah's statement,
[فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ
مِنَ البَشَرِ أَحَداً]
(And if you see any human being,) This means any person that you see,
[فَقُولِى إِنِّى
نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ صَوْماً فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيّاً]
(Say: `Verily, I have vowed a fast unto the Most Gracious (Allah) so I shall
not speak to any human being today.') Meaning, by signaling with gestures, not a
statement by speech. This is so that she does not negate her oath itself,
[فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ
الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيّاً]
(so I shall not speak to any human being today. ) Anas bin Malik commented
on,
[إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ
لِلرَّحْمَـنِ صَوْماً]
(I have vowed a fast unto the Most Gracious) He said; "A vow of silence.''
Likewise said Ibn `Abbas and Ad-Dahhak. The meaning here is that in their Law,
when fasting, it was forbidden for them to eat and speak. As-Suddi, Qatadah and
`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd have all stated this view. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said,
"When `Isa said to Maryam,
[أَلاَّ
تَحْزَنِى]
(Grieve not) She said, `How can I not grieve when you are with me and I have
no husband nor am I an owned slave woman What excuse do I have with the people
Woe unto me, if I had only died before this, and had been a thing forgotten and
unknown.' Then, `Isa said to her, `I will suffice you with a statement,
[فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ
مِنَ البَشَرِ أَحَداً فَقُولِى إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ صَوْماً فَلَنْ
أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيّاً]
(And if you see any human being, say: `Verily, I have vowed a fast unto the
Most Gracious so I shall not speak to any human being this day.')' All of this
is from the speech of `Isa to his mother.'' Wahb said the same as well.
[فَأَتَتْ بِهِ
قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ قَالُواْ يمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاً فَرِيّاً - يأُخْتَ
هَـرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيّاً -
فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُواْ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى الْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً
- قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ءَاتَانِىَ الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً -
وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِى بِالصَّلَوةِ وَالزَّكَوةِ
مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً - وَبَرّاً بِوَالِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّاراً شَقِيّاً
- وَالسَّلَـمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ
حَيّاً ]
(27. Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary!
Indeed you have brought a thing Fariy.'') (28. "O sister of Harun! Your father
was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste
woman.'') (29. Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who
is a child in the cradle'') (30. He said: "Verily, I am a servant of Allah, He
has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;'') (31. "And He has made me
blessed wherever I be, and has enjoined on me [Awsani] Salah and Zakah, as long
as I live.'') (32. "And to be dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant,
unblessed.'') (33. "And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day
I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!'')