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Ali 'Imran 44

Ayah 44 of 200 · Medinan

ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيۡكَۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يُلۡقُونَ أَقۡلَٰمَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ يَكۡفُلُ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ ٤٤

That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muḥammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens1 as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 i.e., threw lots.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ذَٰلِكَThatdhālika
  2. مِنۡ(is) frommin
  3. أَنۢبَآءِ(the) newsanbāi
  4. ٱلۡغَيۡبِ(of) the unseen l-ghaybi
  5. نُوحِيهِWe reveal itnūḥīhi
  6. إِلَيۡكَۚto youilayka
  7. وَمَاAnd notwamā
  8. كُنتَyou werekunta
  9. لَدَيۡهِمۡwith themladayhim
  10. إِذۡwhenidh
  11. يُلۡقُونَthey castyul'qūna
  12. أَقۡلَٰمَهُمۡtheir pensaqlāmahum
  13. أَيُّهُمۡ(as to) which of themayyuhum
  14. يَكۡفُلُtakes charge (of)yakfulu
  15. مَرۡيَمَMaryammaryama
  16. وَمَاand notwamā
  17. كُنتَyou werekunta
  18. لَدَيۡهِمۡwith themladayhim
  19. إِذۡwhenidh
  20. يَخۡتَصِمُونَthey (were) disputingyakhtaṣimūna

Tafsir

The story of Zachariah and Mary is one of the reports of [the Ghaib] which I reveal to you, O Messenger. You were not there with those scholars and worshippers when they argued about who was most entitled to raise Mary. They eventually decided to draw lots by throwing their pens, and the pen of Zachariah (peace be upon him) won.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran