Translation of the meanings Surah Maryam - English Translation - Abdullah Hasan Yaqoub - Page Number 306 - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 12

يَٰيَحۡيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِقُوَّةٖۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيّٗا

12. (Allāh said,) "O Yahya (John), hold firmly to the Scripture (Torah) and We gave him (sound) judgement while yet a boy.

Ayah: 13

وَحَنَانٗا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَوٰةٗۖ وَكَانَ تَقِيّٗا

13. And affection from Us and purity, and he was pious,

Ayah: 14

وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيّٗا

14. And dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant.

Ayah: 15

وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيّٗا

15. And peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the Day he will be resurrected to life again.

Ayah: 16

وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مَرۡيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتۡ مِنۡ أَهۡلِهَا مَكَانٗا شَرۡقِيّٗا

16. And Mention, (O Muhammad), in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the east;

Ayah: 17

فَٱتَّخَذَتۡ مِن دُونِهِمۡ حِجَابٗا فَأَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرٗا سَوِيّٗا

17. So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our (holy) spirit (i.e., the angel Gabriel) who appeared to her in the shape of perfect man.

Ayah: 18

قَالَتۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيّٗا

18. (Mary) said: "I seek refuge in (Allāh) the Most Compassionate from you, should you be righteous.

Ayah: 19

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَٰمٗا زَكِيّٗا

19. (Gabriel) said: "I am only a messenger of (Allāh) your Lord, 'sent' to bestow upon you with a pure son."

Ayah: 20

قَالَتۡ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَلَمۡ يَمۡسَسۡنِي بَشَرٞ وَلَمۡ أَكُ بَغِيّٗا

20. (Mary) said: "How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste woman?"

Ayah: 21

قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٞۖ وَلِنَجۡعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّاۚ وَكَانَ أَمۡرٗا مَّقۡضِيّٗا

21. (Gabriel) said: "Thus it will be; your Lord (Allāh) says: "It is easy for Me. And that We may make him a sign to the people and a Mercy from Us. And it is a matter already destined".

Ayah: 22

۞ فَحَمَلَتۡهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتۡ بِهِۦ مَكَانٗا قَصِيّٗا

22. So she conceived him and withdrew thereby (with him to) a remote place³.

3. I.e., Bethlehem, around 10km to the south of Jerusalem.

Ayah: 23

فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلۡمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ قَالَتۡ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي مِتُّ قَبۡلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسۡيٗا مَّنسِيّٗا

23. And the labour made her come to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: "Oh, would that I had died before this, and was a thing forgotten, completely forgotten!”

Ayah: 24

فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحۡتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحۡزَنِي قَدۡ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحۡتَكِ سَرِيّٗا

24. So he⁴ called her from below her, saying: "Grieve not, your Lord (Allāh) has made a stream to flow beneath you;

4. The baby Jesus or the angel Gabriel.

Ayah: 25

وَهُزِّيٓ إِلَيۡكِ بِجِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ تُسَٰقِطۡ عَلَيۡكِ رُطَبٗا جَنِيّٗا

25. And shake towards you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates⁵:

5. It is clear from this Verse that Jesus actually born in summer not winter, as fresh dates are only produced in the summer. According to this Verse, during labour Mary was told to shake a palm tree so that ripe dates would fall off. This description, combined with the ripening period of dates places the birth of Jesus somewhere between June and August – something to do in warmer weather, not in the chilly December air of Bethlehem.