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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Then the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was completely forgotten, lost from sight." [24]
[24] That is, overwhelmed by the pain of childbirth, she stood up and leaned against the trunk of a date-palm. The situation was such that, firstly, there was the intense pain of labor; secondly, loneliness and helplessness; thirdly, the lack of food and other necessities. There was not even water available, and the most distressing thought was the anticipation of future disgrace and humiliation. Now, being so troubled by all these matters, these words involuntarily came from her lips: "Would that I had died before this and had been forgotten, lost to memory." Those who deny miracles declare the birth of Sayyiduna ‘Isa ؑ to be a natural birth, contrary to the explicit statements of the Quran, and in this regard, they have no hesitation in accepting the traditions of the Gospels. Then, interestingly, the Gospel only mentions the betrothal of Lady Maryam to Joseph the Carpenter, yet these people try to establish a formal marriage, and they interpret Lady Maryam's statement, "Would that I had died before this and had been forgotten, lost to memory," as something she uttered due to the intensity of labor pains. This interpretation is incorrect in that every woman experiences labor pains, and it happens at every childbirth. But no woman has ever wished for death merely because of this pain. Rather, women always endure this pain with happiness at such times, especially when it is the first child, and then if the child is a boy. Therefore, this explanation by the deniers of miracles or the naturalists is not only a mockery of Allah's signs but is also proven wrong by the test of experience.
[24] That is, overwhelmed by the pain of childbirth, she stood up and leaned against the trunk of a date-palm. The situation was such that, firstly, there was the intense pain of labor; secondly, loneliness and helplessness; thirdly, the lack of food and other necessities. There was not even water available, and the most distressing thought was the anticipation of future disgrace and humiliation. Now, being so troubled by all these matters, these words involuntarily came from her lips: "Would that I had died before this and had been forgotten, lost to memory." Those who deny miracles declare the birth of Sayyiduna ‘Isa ؑ to be a natural birth, contrary to the explicit statements of the Quran, and in this regard, they have no hesitation in accepting the traditions of the Gospels. Then, interestingly, the Gospel only mentions the betrothal of Lady Maryam to Joseph the Carpenter, yet these people try to establish a formal marriage, and they interpret Lady Maryam's statement, "Would that I had died before this and had been forgotten, lost to memory," as something she uttered due to the intensity of labor pains. This interpretation is incorrect in that every woman experiences labor pains, and it happens at every childbirth. But no woman has ever wished for death merely because of this pain. Rather, women always endure this pain with happiness at such times, especially when it is the first child, and then if the child is a boy. Therefore, this explanation by the deniers of miracles or the naturalists is not only a mockery of Allah's signs but is also proven wrong by the test of experience.
