Tafseer of Mary · Maryam · 19:12
[Allah] said, "O John, take the Scripture with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah the Exalted says: Zakariyyāʾ was then blessed with Yaḥyā; when he was born, Allah said to him: "O Yaḥyā, take this Book with strength" — He means the Book of Allah which He had revealed to Mūsā, namely the Torah — with strength, that is to say: with earnestness and diligence.
As al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq reported to us, saying: Maʿmar reported to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word (خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ): he said: "with earnestness."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us; both on the authority of Ibn Abī Nadjīḥ, on the authority of Mudjāhid: (خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ) — he said: "with earnestness."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjādj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Djurayj, on the authority of Mudjāhid — identically.
Ibn Zayd said concerning this what Yūnus related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb reported to us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word (يَا يَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ): "The strength is that he does what Allah has commanded him and avoids that which Allah has forbidden him."
Abū Djaʿfar said: I have already clarified the meaning of this with its proofs earlier in this work, in the sura of Āl ʿImrān, so that it is superfluous to repeat it here.
His word (وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا) — Allah the Exalted says: We gave him the understanding of the Book of Allah in the state of his childhood, before he had reached the age of men.
Aḥmad ibn Munīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak related to us, saying: Maʿmar reported to me — and he did not mention it on the authority of anyone else — concerning this verse (وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا): he said: "It has reached me that the children said to Yaḥyā: 'Come and play.' He answered: 'I was not created for play.' Thereupon Allah revealed (وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا)."
His word (وَحَنَانًا مِنْ لَدُنَّا) — Allah the Exalted says: And out of a mercy (ḥanān) from Us and love for him We gave him the understanding as a child.
The exegetes differed concerning the meaning of al-ḥanān; some said: it means "mercy," and they directed the text toward the meaning which we have adopted.
Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word (وَحَنَانًا مِنْ لَدُنَّا): he said: "mercy from Us."
Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Djaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Simāk, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning this verse (وَحَنَانًا مِنْ لَدُنَّا): he said: "mercy."
