{يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلاَمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ} يُقَالُ يَكْفُلُ يَضُمُّ، كَفَلَهَا ضَمَّهَا، مُخَفَّفَةً لَيْسَ مِنْ كَفَالَةِ الدُّيُونِ وَشِبْهِهَا.
O Maryam! Continue worshipping your Lord, prostrate yourself, and bow down with those who bow down. These (events) are from the unseen news which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they were casting their pens as to which of them should take charge of Maryam, nor were you with them when they were disputing with one another. «يكفل» is spoken in the meaning of «يضم», that is, to combine. «كفلها» means «ضمها» combined (in some recitations) with lightness. This is the guardianship that is done in debts and the like, that is, guarantee is the other meaning.
Narrated `Ali: I heard the Prophet saying, "Mary, the daughter of `Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadija is the best amongst the women. (of this nation).
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
In this hadith, the virtue of Maryam (alayhas-salam), daughter of Imran, is mentioned. However, despite this virtue, she is not a prophetess (nabiya), because the statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
“We did not send before you any messengers except men...” (: an-Naml: 44)
Maryam (alayhas-salam), being a woman, is not a prophetess, because all the prophets (anbiya, alayhimus-salam) have been sent from among men.
In an-Nasa’i, it is narrated from Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The best of the women of Paradise are: Sayyidah Khadijah (radi Allahu anha), Fatimah (radi Allahu anha), Maryam (alayhas-salam), and Asiyah.”
(as-Sunan al-Kubra li’n-Nasa’i: 5/93, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut)
Also, in al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, it is narrated from Hudhayfah (radi Allahu anhu) that an angel came to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and gave the glad tidings that Fatimah (radi Allahu anha) will be the leader of the women of Paradise.
(al-Mustadrak ‘ala as-Sahihayn: 3/164)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3432
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
➊
In one hadith, it is stated that among men, many have attained perfection, but among women, the perfection of intellect and religion was granted only to Maryam (alayhas-salam) and Asiyah (alayhas-salam).
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Ahadith al-Anbiya, Hadith: 3411)
From this, it apparently seems that the status of Lady Maryam (alayhas-salam) and Lady Asiyah (alayhas-salam) is equal.
From this, it is understood that Lady Maryam (alayhas-salam) is superior to Lady Asiyah (alayhas-salam).
➋
As for the mutual virtue between Lady Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) and Lady Maryam (alayhas-salam), the preferred position in this matter is that Lady Khadijah (radi Allahu anha) is the most virtuous among the women of this Ummah, and Lady Maryam (alayhas-salam) is the most virtuous among the women of her era.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/169)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3815
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid radi Allahu anha was extremely noble-natured, intelligent, refined in manners, and your (the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) compassionate and beloved wife. You married her at the age of twenty-five, while she was forty years old and had previously been married. During her lifetime, you did not marry any other woman, and except for Ibrahim, all your children were from her womb. In her sympathy, goodwill, and self-sacrifice for you, her rank surpasses all others. Just as Maryam was superior and distinguished above all women of her era, likewise Khadijah was better than all the women of her time. However, Aisha and Fatimah radi Allahu anhun were still young at that time, meaning that during the era of Khadijah radi Allahu anha, they were not yet notable. The distinction and honor that they attained is related to the period after the era of Khadijah.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 6271