Al-Qur'an Surah Maryam Verse 29

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, she pointed towards him (the baby). They said, “How shall we speak to someone who is still a child in the cradle?”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So she pointed to the baby. They exclaimed, “How can we talk to someone who is an infant in the cradle?”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, “How can we talk to someone who is still a baby in the cradle?”

A. J. Arberry

Mary pointed to the child then; but they said, 'How shall we speak to one who is still in the cradle, a little child?'

Abdul Haleem

She pointed at him. They said, ‘How can we converse with an infant?’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then she Pointed to him. They said: how shall we speak to one who is in the cradle, a child?

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But she pointed to the babe. They said; "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"

Abul Ala Maududi

Thereupon Mary pointed to the child. They exclaimed: "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle, a mere child?"

Ahmed Ali

But she pointed towards him. "How can we talk to one," they said, "who is only an infant in the cradle?"

Ahmed Raza Khan

Thereupon she pointed towards the child; they said, “How can we speak to an infant who is in the cradle?”

Ali Quli Qarai

Thereat she pointed to him. They said, ‘How can we speak to one who is yet a baby in the cradle?’

Ali Ünal

Mary pointed to him (the infant, signifying that they should ask him). They cried: "How can we talk to one in the cradle, an infant boy?"

Amatul Rahman Omar

Thereupon she pointed to him (- her son Jesus meaning thereby that he will answer them). They said, `How should we speak to one who was (till recently) a child in the cradle?´

English Literal

So she pointed/indicated to him, they said: "How (do) we converse/speak (to) whom was in the crib/cradle a boy/child/infant?"

Faridul Haque

Thereupon she pointed towards the child; they said, "How can we speak to an infant who is in the cradle?"

Hamid S. Aziz

"O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother a harlot!"

Hilali & Khan

Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother an unchaste woman!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

But she pointed to him. They said: How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle?

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy?

Muhammad Sarwar

She pointed to the baby (and referred them to him for their answer). They said, "How can we talk to a baby in the cradle?"

Qaribullah & Darwish

So she pointed to him (Prophet Jesus). But they replied: 'How can we speak with a baby in the cradle'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle"

Wahiduddin Khan

She pointed to the child. They said, "How shall we talk to someone who is a child in the cradle?"

Talal Itani

So she pointed to him. They said, “How can we speak to an infant in the crib?”

Tafsir jalalayn

Thereat she pointed, them, to him, intimating [to them that they], `talk to him'. They said, `How can we talk to one who is, who happens to be, in the cradle, [still] a little child?'

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Then she pointed to him. They said;"How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle!"

This is what took place while they were in doubt about her situation, condemning her circumstances, saying what they wanted to say. At that time they were slandering her and falsely accusing her of a horrendous act.

On that day she was fasting and keeping silent. Therefore, she referred all speech to him (the child) and she directed them to his address and speech to them.

They scoffed at her because they thought that she was mocking at them and playing with them. They said,
كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا
(How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle).

Maymun bin Mahran said,
فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ
(Then she pointed to him),

"She indicated, `Speak to him.'

They then said, `After she has come to us with this calamity, she now commands us to speak to one who is a child in the cradle!"'

As-Suddi said,

"When she pointed to him they became angry and said, `Her mocking us, to the extent of commanding us to speak to this child, is worse to us than her fornication."'

قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا


They said;"How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle!"

This means, "How can someone speak who is in his cradle, in the state of infancy and a child!