سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 30
قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّا ﴿30﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"He [‘Îsâ (Jesus)] said: "Verily I am a slave of Allâh, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I am
عَبْدُ
ʿabdu
a slave
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
ءَاتَىٰنِىَ
ātāniya
He gave me
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Scripture
وَجَعَلَنِى
wajaʿalanī
and made me
نَبِيًّۭا
nabiyyan
a Prophet
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 30) ➊ { قَالَ اِنِّيْ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ :} Thus, the very first word that Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon him) uttered from his tongue was the acknowledgment of servitude to Allah Almighty, which is a clear negation of his being Allah Himself, or the son of Allah, or one of three deities.
➋ { اٰتٰىنِيَ الْكِتٰبَ......:} It is evident that receiving the Book and Prophethood must have happened after some time, because how can a suckling child fulfill the duties of Prophethood such as calling and preaching, reforming the community, etc.? Therefore, there can be two meanings, and both are correct. One is that from eternity, Allah Almighty has written that I will be a Prophet and will receive the Book, as our Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ كُنْتُ نَبِيًّا وَآدَمُ بَيْنَ الرُّوْحِ وَالْجَسَدِ ] [ صحیح الجامع للألباني : ۴۵۸۱، عن میسرۃ الفجر رضی اللہ عنہ ] "I was a Prophet when Adam (peace be upon him) was between soul and body." Although it is agreed upon that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was granted Prophethood at the age of forty, the meaning is that he was written as a Prophet in destiny. The second meaning is that the past tense is used to indicate the future, because Allah Almighty's decisions are so certain that it is as if they have already occurred. This style of expression is common in the Noble Qur'an, as regarding the Day of Judgment it is said: «{اَتٰۤى اَمْرُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْهُ}» [ النحل : ۱ ] "The command of Allah has come, so do not seek to hasten it." Similarly, in Surah Az-Zumar, verse (68), all four past tense verbs are used in the meaning of the future.
➋ { اٰتٰىنِيَ الْكِتٰبَ......:} It is evident that receiving the Book and Prophethood must have happened after some time, because how can a suckling child fulfill the duties of Prophethood such as calling and preaching, reforming the community, etc.? Therefore, there can be two meanings, and both are correct. One is that from eternity, Allah Almighty has written that I will be a Prophet and will receive the Book, as our Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ كُنْتُ نَبِيًّا وَآدَمُ بَيْنَ الرُّوْحِ وَالْجَسَدِ ] [ صحیح الجامع للألباني : ۴۵۸۱، عن میسرۃ الفجر رضی اللہ عنہ ] "I was a Prophet when Adam (peace be upon him) was between soul and body." Although it is agreed upon that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was granted Prophethood at the age of forty, the meaning is that he was written as a Prophet in destiny. The second meaning is that the past tense is used to indicate the future, because Allah Almighty's decisions are so certain that it is as if they have already occurred. This style of expression is common in the Noble Qur'an, as regarding the Day of Judgment it is said: «{اَتٰۤى اَمْرُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْهُ}» [ النحل : ۱ ] "The command of Allah has come, so do not seek to hasten it." Similarly, in Surah Az-Zumar, verse (68), all four past tense verbs are used in the meaning of the future.
