Quran Garden

Session 374

Chapter 3

Verse 37

Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness, and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah.  Whenever Zachariah went in to see her in her sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions.  He said, "Mary, how is it you have these provisions?" And she said, "They are from God: God provides limitlessly for whomever He will." (Chapter 3: Verse 37)

In verse 35, we explained the meaning of good acceptance and upbringing.  Let's begin with the phrase "and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah." Take note that Allah accepted Mary, blessed her nurture, and when it came to her care, He chose Zachariah.  In other words, the matter of how Prophet Zachariah came to care for Mary was through divine guidance. 

The story started when the village elders gathered to discuss who would be in charge of caring for Mary.  Each member was eager to take on the honor.  The discussions went on without an agreement, tempers flared, and the leaders feared chaos, so they resorted to drawing lots.  People often resort to chance when they differ in opinion and fear that making a decision would result in conflict and hurt feelings.  By doing so, they completely remove personal desires and undue influence and leave the final decision to God.  God says:

This is an account of things beyond your knowledge that We now reveal to you.  You were not present among them when they cast lots to see which of them should care for Mary; you were not present with them when they argued. (3:44)

Prophet Zachariah was married to Eshaa, the sister of Mary's mother, Hannah.  Being the husband of her maternal aunt put Zachariah in an excellent position to care for Mary.  It is said that the lots were the pens used to write down the Torah.  The elders threw them in the sea, then watched whose pen floated to the top and whose pen sunk.  Mary would be entrusted to the person whose pen drowned.  By abandoning desires and turning to something over which there is no control, such as drawing lots, there is no room for anger and resentment.  Had someone taken on Mary's responsibility by force or coercion, he would have left the others with bitter feelings.  Drawing lots is an acceptable option in matters when good decision making is not possible.      

We find another example of this when Prophet Jonah and his companions faced an impossible situation.  They were on a ship that was taking on water and about to sink.  It was necessary to lighten the ship's load, not only of cargo but also of people: a few passengers had to go overboard to save the rest.  The only way such a tough decision could be acceptable was by drawing lots.  Otherwise, there would have been a brawl, and the weak and the old would have been thrown overboard.  Lots protected people from the injustice of each other.  It was destined for Jonah, peace be upon him, to jump into the sea and be swallowed by a whale.   He accepted God's choice.  In fact, his praise of God was his salvation. God says:

Jonah, too, was one of the messengers.  He ?ed to the overloaded ship.  Then he drew lots with them, and he was one of those who lost, and a whale swallowed him for he had committed blameworthy acts.  Had it not been that he was one who always glorified God, he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up.  (37:139-144)

Thus, we understand that Zachariah's guardianship was God's choice.   He says, "Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness, and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah." 

The verb "entrusted" is translated from the Arabic origin كَفَّلَهَا (kaffalaha).  The word كفيل (kafeel) in general terms means "the guarantor," that is, the person who promises to pay the debt in case the borrower defaults on the loan obligation.  Similarly, Prophet Zachariah was ultimately responsible for Mary's care and the fulfillment of her needs.

The verse continues, "Whenever Zachariah went in to see her in her sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions." Prophet Zachariah used to bring Mary her daily food and drink as she secluded herself for worship.  On multiple occasions, he was surprised to find food he did not bring or seen before in the market.  Naturally, he questioned Mary, the sainted worshiper, who had never departed her chamber, "Mary, how is it you have these provisions?" Zachariah teaches us two important lessons.  First, as you will see later from Virgin Mary's answer, God can overrule the laws of cause and effect and provide from nothing.  Second, we learn to be watchful over our loved ones, and be proactive when we see signs of possible corruption.  You should always be curious when you see suspicious matters of unexplained wealth.  Simply stop and kindly ask, "Where did you get this from?"

For example, a wife can usually tell when her husband spends more than his salary or when her daughter wears something that exceeds her income.  If she questions her family about how they obtained these goods, there will be little room for corruption.  The question "Where did you get this from?" is a shield that protects the family's morals.  Corruption spreads when we turn a blind eye to illegal acts and unlawful wealth.  While having no doubt about Mary's piety, Prophet Zachariah still exercised vigilance and asked, "Mary, how is it you have these provisions?" She replied, "They are from God: God provides limitlessly for whoever He will."

As a last note, the word "sanctuary" is translated from the Arabic origin الْمِحْرَابَ (al-mihrab), which refers to places of worship or the area where the imam stands in the mosque.  It also describes a room that is accessed through a staircase. You can see an example of its use in the following verse:

They made for him whatever he wished; sanctuaries, and figures of inanimate objects, and carvings, as well as basins like ponds and boilers built into the ground. "Work, O family of David, in thankfulness to Me." Few are genuinely thankful among My servants. (34:13)