سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 91
وَٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا وَٱبْنَهَآ ءَايَةً لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ﴿91﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And she who guarded her chastity [Virgin Maryam (Mary)]: We breathed into (the sleeves of) her (shirt or garment) [through Our Rûh - Jibrîl (Gabriel)], and We made her and her son [‘Îsâ (Jesus)] a sign for Al-‘Âlamîn (the mankind and jinn).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلَّتِىٓ
wa-allatī
And she who
أَحْصَنَتْ
aḥṣanat
guarded
فَرْجَهَا
farjahā
her chastity
فَنَفَخْنَا
fanafakhnā
so We breathed
فِيهَا
fīhā
into her
مِن
min
of
رُّوحِنَا
rūḥinā
Our Spirit
وَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا
wajaʿalnāhā
and We made her
وَٱبْنَهَآ
wa-ib'nahā
and her son
ءَايَةًۭ
āyatan
a sign
لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
lil'ʿālamīna
for the worlds
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 91) ➊ {وَ الَّتِيْۤ اَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا :} That is, also mention that woman upon whom impure people (the Jews) cast accusations, even though she protected her private part from the unlawful, rather, she was so engrossed in worship that she even protected it from the lawful, as He said: «{ لَمْ يَمْسَسْنِيْ بَشَرٌ }» [ آل عمران : ۴۷ ] “even though no man has touched me.” Allah did not mention her name to express her good reputation, because everyone knows that what is meant is Maryam bint Imran (peace be upon her).
➋ {فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهَا مِنْ رُّوْحِنَا :} refers to the soul of Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him), which is a creation of Allah, and by His command, Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) blew it. But Allah, to honor and dignify Isa (peace be upon him), called it His own soul, and the blowing of Jibril (peace be upon him) He called His own blowing, just as in {’’بيت الله‘‘} and {’’ناقة الله‘‘} He called the Ka‘bah His own house and the she-camel of Salih (peace be upon him) His own she-camel. Shaykh Thanaullah Amritsari (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his tafsir: “Christians usually use this verse and similar verses as evidence that Masih (Jesus, God forbid) was God, because he was called ‘the Spirit of Allah,’ but they do not carefully consider the idiom of the Noble Qur’an and what is meant by such attributions. In Surah Sajdah, the same attribution of the soul to Allah is used for common human beings as well, as it is said: «{ وَ بَدَاَ خَلْقَ الْاِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِيْنٍ (7) ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهٗ مِنْ سُلٰلَةٍ مِّنْ مَّآءٍ مَّهِيْنٍ (8) ثُمَّ سَوّٰىهُ وَ نَفَخَ فِيْهِ مِنْ رُّوْحِهٖ }» [ السجدۃ : ۷ تا ۹ ] ‘(That is, Allah) began the creation of man from a little clay, then made his progeny from an extract of a despised fluid, then He fashioned him and blew into him of His spirit.’ Here, the beginning and process of common human creation is mentioned. So, if the divinity (being God) of Isa (peace be upon him) is proven from the verse under discussion, then the divinity of all human beings will be proven from such verses. Then, if Masih was God and deity in the same way as all humans are, then there is no objection to accepting this. So, the meaning of the mentioned verse is as we have written (that the soul was created) ({فَافْهَمْ}).”
➌ {وَ جَعَلْنٰهَا وَ ابْنَهَاۤ اٰيَةً لِّلْعٰلَمِيْنَ :} The being of Maryam and Masih (peace be upon them) as a great sign of Allah for the worlds has been explained in detail in Surah Al-Imran (36 to 63), Nisa (156 to 159, 171), and Ma’idah (46, 110 to 120).
➋ {فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهَا مِنْ رُّوْحِنَا :} refers to the soul of Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him), which is a creation of Allah, and by His command, Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) blew it. But Allah, to honor and dignify Isa (peace be upon him), called it His own soul, and the blowing of Jibril (peace be upon him) He called His own blowing, just as in {’’بيت الله‘‘} and {’’ناقة الله‘‘} He called the Ka‘bah His own house and the she-camel of Salih (peace be upon him) His own she-camel. Shaykh Thanaullah Amritsari (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his tafsir: “Christians usually use this verse and similar verses as evidence that Masih (Jesus, God forbid) was God, because he was called ‘the Spirit of Allah,’ but they do not carefully consider the idiom of the Noble Qur’an and what is meant by such attributions. In Surah Sajdah, the same attribution of the soul to Allah is used for common human beings as well, as it is said: «{ وَ بَدَاَ خَلْقَ الْاِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِيْنٍ (7) ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهٗ مِنْ سُلٰلَةٍ مِّنْ مَّآءٍ مَّهِيْنٍ (8) ثُمَّ سَوّٰىهُ وَ نَفَخَ فِيْهِ مِنْ رُّوْحِهٖ }» [ السجدۃ : ۷ تا ۹ ] ‘(That is, Allah) began the creation of man from a little clay, then made his progeny from an extract of a despised fluid, then He fashioned him and blew into him of His spirit.’ Here, the beginning and process of common human creation is mentioned. So, if the divinity (being God) of Isa (peace be upon him) is proven from the verse under discussion, then the divinity of all human beings will be proven from such verses. Then, if Masih was God and deity in the same way as all humans are, then there is no objection to accepting this. So, the meaning of the mentioned verse is as we have written (that the soul was created) ({فَافْهَمْ}).”
➌ {وَ جَعَلْنٰهَا وَ ابْنَهَاۤ اٰيَةً لِّلْعٰلَمِيْنَ :} The being of Maryam and Masih (peace be upon them) as a great sign of Allah for the worlds has been explained in detail in Surah Al-Imran (36 to 63), Nisa (156 to 159, 171), and Ma’idah (46, 110 to 120).
