فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا 17
Translations
And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel [i.e., Gabriel], and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.
Transliteration
Fattakhadzat min doonihim hijaban fa-arsalna ilayha roohana fatamaththala laha basharan sawiyya
Tafsir (Explanation)
Maryam (Mary) withdrew from her family behind a screen/veil, and Allah sent to her His Spirit (Jibreel/Gabriel) in the form of a perfect human being. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah describes how Maryam isolated herself for worship and devotion, whereupon Allah sent the angel Gabriel, who appeared to her as a man of perfect form to deliver the glad tidings of a son. This miraculous event demonstrates Allah's power to manifest His will and the honor bestowed upon Maryam as the chosen vessel for Prophet 'Isa (Jesus).
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Maryam (Chapter 19), a Meccan surah that chronicles the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus. The context follows Maryam's retreat to the eastern part of the sanctuary for prayer and solitude, establishing the backdrop for the divine announcement of her miraculous pregnancy, which serves as a sign of Allah's absolute power and mercy.
Related Hadiths
The annunciation of Isa's birth is referenced in various hadiths about the virtues of Maryam. Jami' at-Tirmidhi records that the Prophet Muhammad said Mary was the best of women, and Sahih Muslim contains accounts of Gabriel's role as the conveyor of divine messages, particularly regarding the conception of 'Isa.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere devotion and righteous withdrawal for the sake of worship invite divine mercy and blessings, while also reminding us of the absolute nature of Allah's creative power—nothing is impossible for Him. The account also emphasizes the honor of chastity and modesty as prerequisites for receiving divine favor.
Related Ayahs
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا
And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet.
وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا ۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا
And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا
And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allāh and will invoke my Lord. I expect that I will not be in invocation to my Lord unhappy [i.e., disappointed]."
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِدْرِيسَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا
And mention in the Book, Idrees. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet.