Islam Guidance

Verse35-36

(35)إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(36) فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَى وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنثَى

وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

35. " (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: ' My Lord! Verily I vowed to You what is within my womb to be (dedicated) for You (for Your service) freed; therefore accept from me; verily you are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing'."
36. So, when she delivered her, she said: ' My Lord! I have delivered a female (child) ِ and Allah knew best what she delivered ِ and the male is not like the female; and I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring into Your protection from the accursed Satan'."
Commentary:
The spouse of 'Imran, son of Mathan, was Mary's mother and grand mother of Jesus (a.s.). Her name was Hannah. She had a sister by the name of 'Isha' who was Zachariah's wife. Her father's name was Faghuth. Thus, both Mary and Yahya (John) were cousins for each other.

The term /muharrir/, mentioned in the verse, means 'freed' for serving in Jerusalem so that another person does not appoint her upon doing one's own affairs.
" (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: ... "
It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) who has said: " Allah revealed 'Imran that He would give him a son who could heal the blind and the leprous and raise the dead to life by Allah's leave, and He would make of him a prophet unto the Children of Israel. 'Imran infromed his wife of that matter." (1)
So, when Hannah became pregnant with Mary, she said:
"...' My Lord! Verily I vowed to You what is within my womb to be (dedicated) for You (for Your service) freed, therefore accept from me; ..."
Here, the phrase ' accept from me ' means that, I ask You to accept my vow with Your consent.
" ...Verily You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing'."
* * * *
" So, when she delivered her, she said: ..."
The spouse of 'Imran wished to deliver a son, but when she delivered Mary she became ashamed and, with her head hung, bashfully said:
"... ' My Lord! I have delivered a female (child) ِ, ..."
'Imran's wife expressed this statement with sigh and regret, because she hoped to deliver a son and hence she vowed to devote him for the service of the Lord in the place of worship.
"... and Allah knew best what she delivered ِ and the male is not like the female; ..."
And You know that, for the aim I have vowed, son and daughter are not alike. A female can not afford the duties concerned to a male as he is able to perform them. Therefore, to magnify her she-child, Allah, in reply to her, said:
"... and Allah knew best what she delivered- ..."
This response means that the Lord is more cognizant than her to Mary and what is concerned to her due to the important affairs that her mother dose not know.
"... and I have named her Mary, ..."
It is recognized from this sentence that naming Mary with this appellation was done by her mother at the time of delivery. By the way, it should be noted that the term Mary, in their lexicon, meant 'a saint worshipping lady '. So, this kind of naming had been a sign of ultimate love and affection of that pure mother for dedicating her dear child alongside the path of the servitude of Allah (s.w.t.). That is why, after performing this auspicious naming, she asked the Lord to protect this child and the progeny that would come into being from her thereafter from the temptations of Satan and to keep them in His merciful shelter.
"... and I commend her and her offspring into Your protection from the accursed Satan'. "

(1) Bihar-ul-'Anwar, vol. 14, p. 203

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