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Surah Ali 'Imran, Ayah 37 (3:37)

آلِ عِمْرَان

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا …

Quran 3:37 is ayah 37 of Surah Ali 'Imran (“Family of Imran”), a Medinan surah of 200 ayahs. It is in Juz 3, on page 54 of the Madani Mushaf.

3:37
فَتَقَبَّلَهَارَبُّهَابِقَبُولٍحَسَنٍوَأَنۢبَتَهَانَبَاتًاحَسَنًاوَكَفَّلَهَازَكَرِيَّا ۖكُلَّمَادَخَلَعَلَيْهَازَكَرِيَّاٱلْمِحْرَابَوَجَدَعِندَهَارِزْقًا ۖقَالَيَٰمَرْيَمُأَنَّىٰلَكِهَٰذَا ۖقَالَتْهُوَمِنْعِندِٱللَّهِ ۖإِنَّٱللَّهَيَرْزُقُمَنيَشَآءُبِغَيْرِحِسَابٍ٣٧
fataqabbalahā rabbuhā biqabūlin ḥasanin wa-anbatahā nabātan ḥasanan wakaffalahā zakariyyā kullamā dakhala ʿalayhā zakariyyā l-miḥ'rāba wajada ʿindahā riz'qan qāla yāmaryamu annā laki hādhā qālat huwa min ʿindi l-lahi inna l-laha yarzuqu man yashāu bighayri ḥisābin

So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allāh. Indeed, Allāh provides for whom He wills without account."(37)

Word by word

  1. فَتَقَبَّلَهَاfataqabbalahāSo accepted her
  2. رَبُّهَاrabbuhāher Lord
  3. بِقَبُولٍbiqabūlinwith acceptance
  4. حَسَنٍḥasaningood
  5. وَأَنۢبَتَهَاwa-anbatahāand reared her
  6. نَبَاتًاnabātana rearing
  7. حَسَنًاḥasanangood
  8. وَكَفَّلَهَاwakaffalahāand put her in (the) care
  9. زَكَرِيَّا ۖzakariyyā(of) Zakariya
  10. كُلَّمَاkullamāWhenever
  11. دَخَلَdakhalaentered
  12. عَلَيْهَاʿalayhāupon her
  13. زَكَرِيَّاzakariyyāZakariya
  14. ٱلْمِحْرَابَl-miḥ'rāba[the] prayer chamber
  15. وَجَدَwajadahe found
  16. عِندَهَاʿindahāwith her
  17. رِزْقًا ۖriz'qanprovision
  18. قَالَqālaHe said
  19. يَٰمَرْيَمُyāmaryamuO Maryam
  20. أَنَّىٰannāFrom where
  21. لَكِlakifor you
  22. هَٰذَا ۖhādhā(is) this
  23. قَالَتْqālatShe said
  24. هُوَhuwaThis
  25. مِنْmin(is)
  26. عِندِʿindifrom
  27. ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahiAllah
  28. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  29. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  30. يَرْزُقُyarzuqugives provision
  31. مَنman(to) whom
  32. يَشَآءُyashāuHe wills
  33. بِغَيْرِbighayriwithout
  34. حِسَابٍḥisābinmeasure

Tafsir (commentary) of 3:37

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with Allah

Allah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother's vow and that He,

وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا

(made her grow in a good manner) meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.

وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا

(And put her under the care of Zakariyya) meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor. Allah made Zakariyya Maryam's guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,

«فَإِذَا بِيَحْيَى وَعِيسى، وَهُمَا ابْنَا الْخَالَة»

(I saw John and `Isa, who are maternal cousins.)

We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ decided that `Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Ja`far bin Abi Talib, saying,

«الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُم»

(The maternal aunt is just like the mother.)

Allah then emphasizes Maryam's honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا

(Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.)

Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi and As-Suddi said, "He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer." When Zakariyya would see this; d

قَالَ يمَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا

(He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this") meaning, where did you get these fruits from

قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

(She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.)

Read the full Surah Ali 'Imran