Tafseer of Mary · Maryam · 19:2
[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
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.
The Arabic linguists differed concerning what raised the first nominal element (dhikr) into the nominative and what put the word ʿabd into the accusative. Some of the Baṣran linguists said concerning its meaning: it is as though it says: "Among that which We narrate to you is the dhikr (mention) of the mercy of your Lord toward His servant"; the word ʿabd is then in the accusative on account of the mercy, just as one says: "the mention of the striking of Zayd toward ʿAmr." Some of the Kufan linguists said: the word dhikr is in the nominative on account of (كهيعص), or else on account of an implied pronoun: this is the dhikr of the mercy of your Lord — and the meaning is: your Lord mentioned His servant with His mercy; it is a case of fronting and postponement.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The view that in my eyes is the correct one is to say that the word dhikr is in the nominative on account of an omitted implied pronoun, namely "hādhā" (this) — as has been done in other sūras. This is comparable to the word of Allah: بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ and His word: سُورَةٌ أَنـزَلْنَاهَا and the like. The word ʿabd is in the accusative on account of the mercy, and Zakariyyāʾ is likewise in the accusative as a closer specification of ʿabd. The explanation of the text is thus: "This is the mention of the mercy of your Lord toward His servant Zakariyyāʾ."
