سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 20
قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَـٰمٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا ﴿20﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَتْ
qālat
She said
أَنَّىٰ
annā
How
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
can be
لِى
lī
for me
غُلَـٰمٌۭ
ghulāmun
a son
وَلَمْ
walam
when not
يَمْسَسْنِى
yamsasnī
has touched me
بَشَرٌۭ
basharun
a man
وَلَمْ
walam
and not
أَكُ
aku
I am
بَغِيًّۭا
baghiyyan
unchaste
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
The meaning of (Ayah 20){قَالَتْ اَنّٰى يَكُوْنُ لِيْ غُلٰمٌ … : ’’ بَغِيًّا ‘‘} is "fornicatress," its plural is {’’ بَغَايَا ‘‘} and its verbal noun is { ’’ بِغَاءٌ ‘‘}. Allah Almighty said: «{ وَ لَا تُكْرِهُوْا فَتَيٰتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَآءِ }» [ النور : ۳۳ ] "And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution." Maryam (peace be upon her) said that for offspring, the union of a man and a woman is necessary, whereas neither has any man touched me in marriage nor am I an unchaste woman. In {’’ لَمْ يَمْسَسْنِيْ بَشَرٌ‘‘}, although the negation is of being touched by any man either through marriage or adultery, and this is the meaning intended in Surah Aal-e-Imran (47), but here, because it comes in contrast to adultery, the meaning of being touched is being touched through marriage.
