Tafseer of The Prohibition · At-Tahrim · 66:12
And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.
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 Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ("And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe"), وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَتَ عِمْرَانَ الَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا ("and Maryam, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her private part"). He says: she who closed off the neck-opening of her garment against Jibrīl — peace be upon him. Everything in a garment that is a tear or an opening is called a farj; likewise every crack and fissure in a wall, or an opening in a roof, is called a farj.
And His saying: فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِنَا ("then We breathed into it of Our spirit"). He says: then We breathed into it, into the neck-opening of her garment — and that is her private part — of Our spirit, namely by way of Jibrīl, and he is the spirit (al-rūḥ).
And in agreement with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِنَا ("then We breathed into it of Our spirit") — then We breathed into her neck-opening of Our spirit. وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّهَا ("and she believed the words of her Lord") — he says: she believed in ʿĪsā, and he is the word of Allah. وَكُتُبِهِ ("and His books") — by which are meant the Tawrāt and the Indjīl. وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ ("and she was among the obedient") — he says: and she was among the people who were obedient.
As Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ ("among the obedient") — among the obedient.
