a female¹⁰—“and I have named her Mary, and I take refuge with thee for her and for her offspring, from Satan the stoned.”¹¹

So with goodly acceptance did her Lord accept her, and with goodly growth did he make her grow.¹² Zacharias reared her. So oft as Zacharias went in to Mary at the sanctuary, he found her supplied with food.¹³ “Oh, Mary!” said he, “whence hast thou this?” She said, “It is from God; for God supplieth whom He will, without reckoning!”

There did Zacharias call upon his Lord: “O my Lord!” said he, “vouchsafe me from thyself good descendants,¹⁴ for thou art the hearer of prayer.” Then did the angels call to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary:¹⁵

“God announceth John (Yahia) to thee, who shall be a verifier of the word from God, and a great one, chaste, and a prophet of the number of the just.”

He said, “O my Lord! how shall I have a son, now that old age hath come upon me, and my wife is barren?” He said, “Thus will God do His pleasure.”

He said, “Lord! give me a token.” He said, “Thy token shall be, that for three days thou shalt speak to no man but by signs: But remember thy Lord often, and praise him at even and at morn:”

And remember when the angels said, “O Mary! verily hath God chosen thee,¹⁶ and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of the worlds!

O Mary! be devout towards thy Lord,¹⁷ and prostrate thyself, and bow down with those who bow.”

This is one of the announcements of things unseen by thee: To thee, O Muhammad! do we reveal it; for thou wast not with them when they cast lots with reeds¹⁸ which of them should rear Mary; nor wast thou with them when they disputed about it.

Remember when the angel said, “O Mary! Verily God announceth to thee the Word from Him: His name shall be, Messiah Jesus the son of Mary,¹⁹ illustrious in this world, and in the next, and one of those who have near access to God;

And He shall speak to men alike when in the cradle and when grown up; And he shall be one of the just.”

She said, “How, O my Lord! shall I have a son, when man hath not touched me?” He said, “Thus: God will create what He will; When He decreeth a thing, He only saith, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

And he will teach him the Book, and the Wisdom, and the Law, and the Evangel; and he shall be an apostle to the children of Israel. “Now have I come,” he will say, “to you with a sign from your Lord: Out of clay will I make for you, as it were, the figure of a bird: and I will breathe into it, and it shall become, by God’s leave, a bird.²⁰ And I will heal the blind, and the leper; and by God’s leave will I quicken the dead; and I will tell you what ye eat, and what ye store up in your houses! Truly in this will be a sign for you, if ye are believers.

And I have come to attest the law which was before me; and to allow you part of that which had been forbidden you; and I come to you with a sign from your Lord: Fear God, then, and obey me; of a truth God is my Lord, and your Lord: Therefore worship Him. This is a right way.”

And when Jesus perceived unbelief on their part, He said, “Who my helpers with God?” The apostles²¹ said, “We will be God’s helpers! We believe in God, and bear thou witness that we are Muslims.

O our Lord! we believe in what thou hast sent down, and we follow the apostle; write us up, then, with those who bear witness to him.”