Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 37

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, her Lord accepted her, a good acceptance, and made her grow, a good growth, and made Zakariyyā her guardian. Whenever Zakariyyā visited her at the place of worship, he found food with her. He said: “Maryam, from where did you have this?” She said: “It is from Allah. Surely, Allah gives whom He wills without measure.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So her Lord accepted her graciously and blessed her with a pleasant upbringing—entrusting her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He exclaimed, “O Mary! Where did this come from?” She replied, “It is from Allah. Surely Allah provides for whoever He wills without limit.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Her Lord graciously accepted her and caused her to grow in a good manner, and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah entered her prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, “O Mary, where did this come from?” She said, “It is from Allah, for Allah provides for whom He wills without measure.”

A. J. Arberry

Her Lord received the child with gracious favour, and by His goodness she grew up comely, Zachariah taking charge of her. Whenever Zachariah went in to her in the Sanctuary, he found her provisioned. 'Mary,' he said, 'how comes this to thee?' 'From God,' she said. Truly God provisions whomsoever He will without reckoning.

Abdul Haleem

Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness, and entrusted her to the charge 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 whoever He will.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance and made her grow up with a goodly growth, and He made Zakariyya take care of her. So oft as Zakariyya entered the apartment to see her, he found provision by her. He said: O Maryam! whence hast thou this! She said this is from before Allah. Verily Allah provideth for whomsoever He will without reckoning.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Right graciously did her Lord accept her; He made her grow in purity and beauty; To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said; "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said; "From Allah; for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure."

Abul Ala Maududi

Thereupon her Lord graciously accepted Mary and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth and placed her in the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her provided with food. He asked her: 'O Mary, how did this come to you?' She said: 'It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills beyond all reckoning.'

Ahmed Ali

Her Lord accepted her graciously, and she grew up with excellence, and was given into the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah came to see her in the chamber, he found her provided with food, and he asked: "Where has this come from, O Mary?" And she said: "From God who gives food in abundance to whomsoever He will."

Ahmed Raza Khan

So her Lord fully accepted her (Maryam), and gave her an excellent development; and gave her in Zakaria’s guardianship; whenever Zakaria visited her at her place of prayer, he found new food with her; he said, “O Maryam! From where did this come to you?” She answered, “It is from Allah; indeed Allah gives to whomever He wills, without limit account.” (Miracles occur through the friends of Allah.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Thereupon her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, and made her grow up in a worthy fashion, and He charged Zechariah with her care. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he would find provisions with her. He said, ‘O Mary, from where does this come for you?’ She said, ‘It comes from Allah. Allah provides whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’

Ali Ünal

(In response to her mother’s sincerity and purity of intention in dedicating the child,) her Lord accepted her with gracious favor and enabled to her a good growth (upbringing), and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah went in to her in the Sanctuary, he found her provided with food. "Mary," he asked, "how does this come to you?" "From God," she answered. Truly God provides to whomever He wills without reckoning.

Amatul Rahman Omar

So her Lord accepted her (- Mary) with a gracious acceptance and made her grow into an excellent form and assigned her to the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah visited her in the chamber he found with her provisions. He said, `From where do you get all this, O Mary?´ She replied (with all conscientiousness), `It is from Allâh.´ Verily, Allâh provides whomsoever He will without measure.

English Literal

So her Lord accepted her, with a good acceptance , and He grew her good growth, and Zachary sponsored/maintained her, whenever Zachary entered on her (in) the center of the home/prayer direction/the35prayer`s niche , he found at her a provision, he said: "You Mary, from where (is) that to you?" She said: "It is from at God, that God provides for whom He wills/wants without counting/calculating."

Faridul Haque

So her Lord fully accepted her (Maryam), and gave her an excellent development; and gave her in Zakaria’s guardianship; whenever Zakaria visited her at her place of prayer, he found new food with her; he said, “O Maryam! From where did this come to you?” She answered, “It is from Allah; indeed Allah gives to whomever He wills, without account.” (Miracles occur through the friends of Allah.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And her Lord accepted fully, and gave her a goodly growth, and assigned her to Zachariah´s care. Whenever Zachariah entered her chamber he found beside her a provision, and he said, "O Mary, whence comes this to you?" She answered, "It is from Allah, for Allah provides without stint for whom He pleases."

Hilali & Khan

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya (Zachariya). Every time he entered Al-Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam (Mary)! From where have you got this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So when she brought it forth, she said: My Lord, I have brought it forth a female -- and Allah knew best what she brought forth -- and the male is not like the female, and I have named it Mary, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from the accursed devil.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

So her Lord accepted her with a good acceptance and made her grow up a good growing, and gave her into the charge of Zakariya; whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Marium! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.

Muhammad Sarwar

Her Lord graciously accepted the offer and made Mary grow up, pure, and beautiful. Zachariah took custody of her. Whenever he went to visit her in her place of worship, he would find with her some food. He would ask her, "Where did this food come from?" She would reply, "God has sent it." God gives sustenance to whomever He wants without keeping an account.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Her Lord graciously accepted her. He made her grow with a fine upbringing and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah went to her in the sanctuary, he found that she had provision with her. 'Mary' he said, 'how does this come to you' 'It is from Allah' she answered. Truly, Allah provides whomsoever He will without reckoning.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.

Wahiduddin Khan

Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah visited her in her chamber he found some provision with her. He asked, "Mary, where did this provision come from?" She replied, "This is from God. God provides for whoever He wills without measure."

Talal Itani

Her Lord accepted her with a gracious reception, and brought her a beautiful upbringing, and entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found her with provision. He said, “O Mary, where did you get this from?” She said, “It is from God; God provides to whom He wills without reckoning.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Her Lord accepted the child, that is, He received Mary from her mother, with gracious acceptance, and made her grow excellently, He made her grow up with excellent character. She would grow in a day by as much as a new-born grew during a year. Her mother took her to the priests, the keepers of the Holy House [of Jerusalem] and said; `This here before you is the dedication [I offered]'. They competed for [guardianship of] her, because she was the daughter of their religious leader, at which point Zachariah said, `I am most worthy of her, for, her maternal aunt lives with me'. The others said, `No, [not until] we have cast lots'. Thus, all twenty nine of them departed to the River Jordan, where they cast their quills, agreeing that the one whose quill remained fast and floated to the surface of the water would be most worthy of [being guardian over] her. Zachariah's quill remained fast [and surfaced]. He took [charge of] her and built for her a gallery-room with a ladder in the temple, and none apart from him went up to her. He used to bring her food, drink and oil, and would find her with summer fruits in winter, and winter fruits in summer, just as God says, and Zachariah took charge of her, he took her to him (a variant reading [of kafalah, `he took charge of her'] is kaffalah, `He [God] gave Zachariah charge of her', with Zakariyy', or Zakariyy, in the accusative and `God' as the subject of the verb). Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary, that is, the room, the most noble seat [in the temple], where she was, he found her with provisions. `O Mary,' he said, `Whence comes this to you?' She, still very young, said, `From God, He sends it to me from Paradise,' `Truly God provides, abundant provision, for whomever He will without reckoning', without consequence.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with Allah

Allah tells;

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance.

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

وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا

He 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 decided that Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Jafar bin Abi Talib, saying,

الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الاُْم

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 رِزْقاً

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-Nakhai, 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;

قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ 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 اللّهِ

She said, "This is from Allah."

إنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ



Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit