Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mu'minun Verse 50

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother a sign, and gave them shelter on a height, having a place of rest and running springs.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and gave them refuge on high ground—a ˹suitable˺ place for rest with flowing water.

Ruwwad Translation Center

We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and sheltered them on a hillside – a place of rest and a flowing stream.

A. J. Arberry

and We made Mary's son, and his mother, to be a sign, and gave them refuge upon a height, where was a hollow and a spring:

Abdul Haleem

We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign; We gave them shelter on a peaceful hillside with flowing water.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And We made the son of Maryam and his mother a sign; and We sheltered the twain on a height: a quiet abode and running water.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign; We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs.

Abul Ala Maududi

And We made Mary's son, and his mother, a Sign, and We gave them refuge on a lofty ground, a peaceful site with springs flowing in it.

Ahmed Ali

And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and gave them shelter on an elevated ground, sequestered, watered by a spring.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And We made the son of Maryam (Prophet Eisa) and his mother a sign, and We gave them shelter on a height, a place to stay and visible springs.

Ali Quli Qarai

and We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and sheltered them in a level highland with flowing water.

Ali Ünal

We made the Son of Mary and his mother a miraculous sign (of Our Lordship and Power), and We provided for them refuge on a lofty ground of comfort and security with a (water) spring.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, (and a model of virtue), and We gave them both refuge upon a worth-living lofty plateau abounding in (green and fruitful) valleys and springs of running water.

English Literal

And We made Mary`s son and his mother, an evidence/sign , and We sheltered them (B) to an elevated ground/hill of (with a) bottom and flowing easily and plentifully.

Faridul Haque

And We made the son of Maryam (Prophet Eisa) and his mother a sign, and We gave them shelter on a height, a place to stay and visible springs.

Hamid S. Aziz

And We verily gave Moses the Book, that per chance (or possibly) they might be guided.

Hilali & Khan

And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a sign, And We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And certainly We gave Moses the Book that they might go aright.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And We made the son of Marium and his mother a sign, and We gave them a shelter on a lofty ground having meadows and springs.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And We made the son of Mary and his mother a portent, and We gave them refuge on a height, a place of flocks and watersprings.

Muhammad Sarwar

We made the son of Mary and his mother a miracle and settled them on a high land, quite secure and watered by a spring.

Qaribullah & Darwish

We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, and gave them a refuge on a hillside where there was a hollow and a spring.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And We made the son of Maryam and his mother as a sign, and We gave them refuge on a Rabwah, Dhat Qarar, and Ma`in.

Wahiduddin Khan

We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and gave them shelter on a peaceful hillside watered by a fresh spring.

Talal Itani

And We made Mary’s son and his mother a sign, and We sheltered them on high ground with security and flowing springs.

Tafsir jalalayn

And We made the son of Mary, Jesus, and his mother a sign -- He did not say `two signs' because the same sign is in both of them; his being born without [his mother's having] a male spouse. And We gave them refuge on a height (rabwa), a highland -- in this case [either] the Holy House [of Jerusalem], Damascus or Palestine, all of which are [alternative] opinions -- level (dht qarr), an flat [high-] land on which its inhabitants are able to settle (yastaqirru), and watered by springs, running water, over ground, which the eyes can see.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

`Isa and Maryam

Allah tells;

وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ ايَةً

And We made the son of Maryam and his mother as a sign,

Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger `Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon them both, and that He made them as a sign for mankind, i.e., definitive proof of His ability to do what He wills. For He created Adam without a father or a mother, He created Hawwa' from a male without a female, and He created `Isa from a female without a male, but He created the rest of mankind from both male and female.

وَاوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ



and We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams.

Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said;

"Ar-Rabwah is a raised portion of land, which is the best place for vegetation to grow."

This was also the view of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah.

Ibn Abbas said,

ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ
(Dhat Qarar) "A fertile place.

وَمَعِينٍ
(and Ma`in) means water running on the surface."

This was also the view of Mujahid, Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah.

Mujahid said;

"A level hill."

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that
ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
(Dhat Qarar and Ma`in) means,

that water was flowing gently through it.

Mujahid and Qatadah said;

وَمَعِينٍ
(and Ma`in), "Running water."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib;
وَاوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
(and We gave them refuge on a Rabwah, Dhat Qarar and Ma`in).

"It is Damascus."

He said;

"Something similar was also narrated from Abdullah bin Salam, Al-Hasan, Zayd bin Aslam and Khalid bin Ma`dan."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas that;

this Ayah referred to the rivers of Damascus.
Layth bin Abi Sulaym narrated from Mujahid that the words;
وَاوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ
(and We gave them refuge on a Rabwah),
referred to `Isa bin Maryam and his mother when they sought refuge in Damascus and the flatlands around it.
Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said;
إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
(on a Rabwah, Dhat Qarar and Ma`in),

"It is Ramlah in Palestine."

The most correct opinion on this matter is that which was reported by Al-Awfi from Ibn Abbas, who said;
وَاوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
(and We gave them refuge on a Rabwah, Dhat Qarar and Ma`in),

"Ma`in refers to running water, and is the river of which Allah mentioned;

قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيّاً

your Lord has provided a water stream under you." (19;24)

Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah said;
إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
(on a high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams),

refers to Jerusalem.

This -- and Allah knows best -- is the most apparent meaning, because it is mentioned in the other Ayah, and parts of the Qur'an explain other parts, so it is more appropriate to interpret it by another Ayah, then the Sahih Hadiths, then other reports