"O Mary! Worship
Thy Lord devoutly:
Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer)
With those who bow down."

This is part of the tidings
Of the things unseen,
Which We reveal unto thee
(O Prophet!¹ ) by inspiration:
Thou wast not with them
When they cast lots
With arrows as to which
Of them should be charged
With the care of Mary² :
Nor wast thou with them
When they disputed (the point).

Behold! the angels said:
"O Mary! Allah giveth thee
Glad tidings of a Word
From Him: his name
Will be Christ Jesus.
The son of Mary, held in honor
In this world and the Hereafter
And of (the company of) those
Nearest to Allah.

"He shall speak to the people
In childhood³ and in maturity.
And he shall be (of the company)
Of the righteous."

She said: "O my Lord!
How shall I have a son
When no man hath touched me?"
He said: "Even so:
Allah createth
What He willeth:
When He hath decreed
A Plan He but saith
To it, 'Be', and it is!

"And Allah will teach him
The Book and Wisdom,
The Law and the Gospel,

"And (appoint him)
A messenger to the Children
Of Israel (with this message):
"I have come to you,
With a sign from your Lord,
In that I make for you
Out of clay, as it were,
The figure of a bird,
And breathe into it,
And it becomes a bird
By Allah's leave:
And I heal those
Born blind, and the lepers,
And I quicken the dead,
By Allah's leave;
And I declare to you
What ye eat, and what ye store
In your houses. Surely
Therein is a Sign for you
If ye did believe.

"(I have come to you),
To attest the Law
Which was before me.
And to make lawful
To you part of what was
(Before) forbidden to you;
I have come to you
With a Sign from your Lord.
So fear Allah and obey me.

"It is Allah
Who is my Lord
And your Lord;
Then worship Him.
This is a way
That is straight."     Qur'an 3: 42-51

She placed a screen
(To screen herself) from them;
Then We sent to her
Our angel, and he appeared
Before her as a man             Next col >>

She said: "I seek refuge
From thee to (Allah)
Most Gracious: (come not near)
If thou dost fear Allah⁵."

He said: "Nay, I am only
A messenger from thy Lord,
(To announce) to thee
The gift of a holy son."

She said: "How shall I
Have a son, seeing that
No man has touched me,
And I am not unchaste?"

He said: "So (it will be):
Thy Lord saith, `That is
Easy for Me: and (We
Wish) to appoint him
As a Sign unto men
And a Mercy from Us':
It is a matter
(So) decreed."

So she conceived him,
And she retired with him
To a remote place.

And the pains of childbirth
Drove her to the trunk
Of a palm-tree:
She cried (in her anguish):
"Ah! would that I had
Died before this! Would that
I had been a thing
Forgotten and out of sight!"
But (a voice) cried to her
From beneath the (palm-free):
"Grieve not! for thy Lord
Hath provided a rivulet
Beneath thee;

"And shake towards thyself
The trunk of the palm-tree;
It will let fall
Fresh ripe dates upon thee.

"So eat and drink
And cool (thine) eye.
And if thou dost see
Any man, say `I have
Vowed a fast to (Allah)
Most Gracious, and this day
Will I enter into no talk
With any human being.' "

At length she brought
The (babe) to her people,
Carrying him (in her arms).
They said: "O Mary!
Truly an amazing thing
Hast thou brought!

"O sister of Aaron!
Thy father was not
A man of evil, nor thy
Mother a woman unchaste!"

But she pointed to the babe.
They said: "How can we
Talk to one who is
A child in the cradle?"

He⁶ said: "I am indeed
A servant of Allah:
He hath given me
Revelation and made me
A prophet;

"And He hath made me
Blessed wheresoever I be,
And hath enjoined on me
Prayer and Charity as long
As I live:
"(He) hath made me kind
To my mother, and not
Overbearing or miserable;

"So Peace is on me
The day I was born,
The day that I die,
And the Day that I
Shall be raised up
To life (again)"!

Such (was) Jesus the son
Of Mary: (it is) a statement
Of truth, about which
They (vainly) dispute.     Qur'an 19: 16-34