Quran Garden

Session 381

Chapter 3

Verses 47 & 48

She said, "My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" The angel said, "So it is.  This is how God creates what He will: when He ordains something, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Chapter 3: Verse 47)

Let's take a few moments to ponder over the words, "She said, 'My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?'" We ask, how did the Virgin Mary, who just received the news that she would bear a child, know that the child would have no father? Had she said, "My Lord, how can I have a son?" and then stopped, it would have made sense.  Maybe she would get married soon and have a family, or perhaps the pregnancy would be a few years down the line.  But by adding, "how can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" Mary raised a very different issue.  Did someone tell her that she would give birth to a child while a virgin? The angels did not tell her that. 

We answer that Mary's intelligence and wisdom in receiving God's revelation gave her the answer.  She heard the words "whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary," and then said to herself, "God has attributed this child to me, so he must not have a father."  In the olden days, and even in many countries today, the child is assigned his or her father's name.  We say, "Hussain, son of Ali" and "Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad."  It is entirely out of custom to attribute a child to the mother.  Thus, we see the insight of the Virgin Mary in receiving God's words.  She immediately recognized the fact that her pregnancy with Jesus would not be through a father.

Naturally, she asked, "How can that be?" The Almighty answered, "So it is," which means, "Yes Mary, you understood correctly: the pregnancy will happen just as you are, a virgin that no man has ever touched."

Our Lord has the absolute ability in all matters, including creation, reproduction, and childbearing.  This power is not dependant on the presence of a male and a female because, if that were the case, then how was Adam created from none?  And how was Eve created only from a male?  God says:

Verily, the case of Jesus in the sight of Allah is as the case of Adam. He fashioned him out of dust, then He said to him, "Be," and he came to be. (3:59)

And in another chapter:

God controls the heavens and the earth; He creates whatever He will –He grants female offspring to whomever He will, and grants to whom He wills sons.  On some He bestows both sons and daughters, and some He leaves barren. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. (42:49-50)

So do not fall under the illusion that the elements of masculinity and femininity create a child.  Creation only occurs by the will of God.  He says," So it is.  This is how God creates what He will: when He ordains something, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is."

In your daily life, you deal with means and causes to get results, but the One Who created you and created the means and causes has the power to overrule them and create from nothing.  Allah created the entire universe from nothing. 

Now, let's move to the next verse in Al Imran.  God says:

And He will teach him the scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel.

(Chapter 3: Verse 48)

The word "the scripture" is translated from the Arabic origin الْكِتَاب (Al-Kitab).  This can be interpreted in one of two ways.  First, the word الْكِتَاب (Al-Kitab) usually refers to the books revealed by God.  But, as you continue reading the verse, you find that "the Torah and the Gospel" are already mentioned.  Hence, Al-Kitab must be referring to something different.  It could be previous holy books such as the Zabur of David and the Scriptures of Abraham. 

The second possible interpretation of "And He will teach him Al-Kitab" is as follows.  Some scholars have said that Jesus, peace be upon him, had the most beautiful handwriting of any human being.  His calligraphy was a heavenly gift.  This means that he, peace be upon him, received from God the ability to write beautifully along with the full understanding of the Torah and the Gospel. 

Lastly, the word "wisdom" is usually mentioned in the Quran after the holy book. For example, God says addressing Prophet Muhammad's wives:

Remember what is recited in your houses of God's revelations and wisdom, for God is all-subtle, all-aware. (33:34)

             We understand that the Noble Quran is the book, and the narrations of our beloved Prophet -also known as Hadith- are the wisdom.  God reveals the scriptures to His messengers and, in addition, He blesses them with the ability to speak with wisdom.