The Majestic Quran

19. Maryam The Mother of Prophet Jesus This early Makkan chapter was revealed before the first wave of migration to Abyssinia, in the fifth year of the Prophet’s r mission. The chapter is lyrical, most verses ending with a long vowel “aa”– a generous peppering of Yaa and Daa beautifies a familiar subject. This is complemented with the repetition of the divine name al- Rahman (“the Most Kind”) sixteen times. It opens with the solemn prayer of Prophet Zachariah, for a successor. He was old, childless, and worried about who would be his heir. This prayer reflects his deep faith and reliance on God: “My prayer has never gone unanswered by My Lord” (4). God blessed him with John , “The soft-hearted, pure and pious” (13). The story of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus emphasises the Power, Majesty and Independent nature of the Divine, who is beyond the law of cause and effect. The first words Jesus said: “I am a servant of God; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I go” (31). The Quran rejects the Christian belief of Trinity, and states how objectionable and unacceptable this is to God: “What a monstrous thing you have said! Even the skies would crack, the Earth would rip apart and the mountains crumble” (89–91). This outrageous claim shows the extent of God’s anger, a powerful condemnation of idolatry. A highly-charged conversation then follows between a nephew and an uncle: Abraham very gently tries to persuade and win over Azar, his uncle, from idolatry. The courtesy and logic he employs are persuasive enough to prompt even a stone heart to move. However, idolatry makes one deaf, locks the mind and seals the