Surah maryam - 19 Lesson 4

Starter: Which fruits and vegetables are mentioned in the Qur’an? And which one did Bibi Mariam eat after giving birth? Olive, fig, cucumber, dates, pomegranate, grape, banana, garlic, lentil and onion.

Verse 22 and 23 فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا﴿٢٢﴾ فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا  Bibi Mariam feared the people of her town and thought how she could deliver a child alone in the desert with no midwife or friend as a helper. There was no place to rest, no water, no food, nor any means to take care of the child. Yet she did not lose hope in Allah.

Imam Ali (as) “Verily modesty and chastity are among the specialties of Faith, and both of them are the epithets of the noble and the method of the righteous.” “Modesty is from Allah, the Pure, it protects (one ) from the punishment of Hell Fire.”

Verse 24 and 25 فَنَادَاهَا مِن تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا ﴿٢٤﴾ وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا After a few moments she had labour pains and her baby was born. P. Isa (as) talked to his mother and told her to shake the trunk of the palm-tree, which had been dead for years. It became green, alive again and gave her fresh dates. She shook it when some fresh dates fell down for her.

After Birth… Bibi Mariam was also told to drink the wholesome water from a spring of a dry land, and to refresh her eyes by looking at that new born child. What a refreshment of the eye can be better than this that Allah grants her a child with the rank of Prophethood.

Fasting of Silence – verse 26 فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا Allah swt commanded her to keep silence fasting. This was to protect her from speaking to the people, as well as she could have peace of mind and should not be sad.

Reflection What can you remember about the miracles of Bibi Mariam’s child birth? How would a silence fasting be good for us today?