And her Lord received her with a good reception,
and made her grow up with a good growth, and
Zachariah took care of her. Whenever Zachariah
entered the chamber to her he found beside her
a provision, and said, ‘ O Mary, how hast thou this ?’ She said, ‘ It is from God, for God provides for whom He pleases without count.’ Therefore prayed Zachariah to his Lord, and said, ‘ Lord, grant me from Thee a good seed. Verily, Thou hearest prayer.’ And an angel cried out to him as he was standing praying in the chamber (and said) that ‘ God gives thee the glad tidings of John, to confirm the Word from God, — of a chief and a chaste one, and a prophet from amongst the righteous.’
35 He said, ‘ My Lord, how can there be to me a boy when old age has reached me, and my wife is barren ? ’ Said he, ‘ Thus God does what He pleaseth.’ He said, ‘ My Lord, make for me a sign.’ He said, ‘ Thy sign is that thou shalt not speak to men for three days, save by gesture ; but remember thy Lord much, and celebrate His praises in the evening and the morning.’
And when the angels said, ‘ O Mary ! verily, God has chosen thee, and has purified thee, and has chosen thee above the women of the world. O Mary ! be devout unto thy Lord, and adore and bow down with those who bow. That is (one) of the declarations of the unseen world which we reveal to
gate of heaven for scraps of the knowledge of futurity, and when detected by the angels are pelted with shooting stars. The expression may also refer to the ceremony of ‘ pelting the devil,’ as performed by ʿHagg pilgrims at Minâ, in memory, it is said, of Abraham’s having driven Iblîs away with stones when tempted by him to disobey God and refuse to sacrifice Isaac.
E 2
