سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 23
فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَأَجَآءَهَا
fa-ajāahā
Then drove her
ٱلْمَخَاضُ
l-makhāḍu
the pains of childbirth
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
جِذْعِ
jidh'ʿi
(the) trunk
ٱلنَّخْلَةِ
l-nakhlati
(of) the date-palm
قَالَتْ
qālat
She said
يَـٰلَيْتَنِى
yālaytanī
O! I wish
مِتُّ
mittu
I (had) died
قَبْلَ
qabla
before
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
this
وَكُنتُ
wakuntu
and I was
نَسْيًۭا
nasyan
(in) oblivion
مَّنسِيًّۭا
mansiyyan
forgotten
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.
(Ayah 23) ➊ The meaning of {فَاَجَآءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ …: ’’ جَاءَ يَجِيْئُ مَجِيْئًا ‘‘} is "to come," and the meaning of {’’ أَجَاءَ يُجِيْئُ ‘‘} (af‘āl) is "to bring," but in its sense, there is an element of bringing by compulsion. (Zamakhshari) { ’’ الْمَخَاضُ ‘‘} refers to the pain a woman experiences at the time of childbirth, that is, labor pain. {’’ مَخِضَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ ‘‘} (‘a) means when the time of birth approaches for a woman. This is derived from {’’مَخْضٌ‘‘ }, which means intense movement, and the reason for this name is the intense movement of the child in the mother's womb near the time of birth. That is, compelled by the intensity of labor pain, she sat down leaning against the trunk of a date-palm, and imagining the coming time, when accusations would be hurled from all sides, taunts would be made, and all her past life’s goodness, chastity, and nobility would be ridiculed, she said, "Oh, would that I had died before this and had been forgotten so that no one would remember that there ever was a Maryam."
➋ This verse is evidence that in times of trial in religion, wishing for death is permissible. In hadith, wishing for death due to some hardship, such as illness or poverty, has been prohibited. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of you should wish for death because of any hardship that befalls him, but if he must do so, then let him say: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ أَحْيِنِيْ مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ وَتَوَفَّنِيْ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ ] 'O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me.'" [ بخاری، المرضٰی، باب تمنی المریض الموت : ۵۶۷۱ ]
➋ This verse is evidence that in times of trial in religion, wishing for death is permissible. In hadith, wishing for death due to some hardship, such as illness or poverty, has been prohibited. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of you should wish for death because of any hardship that befalls him, but if he must do so, then let him say: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ أَحْيِنِيْ مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ وَتَوَفَّنِيْ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ ] 'O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and cause me to die when death is better for me.'" [ بخاری، المرضٰی، باب تمنی المریض الموت : ۵۶۷۱ ]
