Transliteration:( Fataqabba lahaa Rabbuhaa biqaboolin hasaninw wa ambatahaa nabaatan hasananw wa kaffalahaa Zakariyyaa kullamaa dakhala 'alaihaa Zakariyyal Mihraaba wajada 'indahaa rizqan qaala yaa Maryamu annaa laki haazaa qaalat huwa min 'indil laahi innal laaha yarzuqu mai yashaaa'u bighairi hisaab )
"So her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in purity and excellent growth [79], and made Zakariya [80] her guardian. Whenever Zakariya entered her prayer chamber, to see her, he found fresh food supplied to her. He asked: 'O Mariam, from where is this coming to you?' She said: 'It is from Allah.' Surely, Allah provides to whom He wills, without measure [81]."
Sayyidah Mariam (AS) was accepted for service in Bayt al-Muqaddas, though traditionally only boys served there. This was a special honour from Allah.
Her spiritual and physical growth was extraordinary—one day’s growth for her was equal to a year in other children. This showed divine favour and preparation for her future role.
The Ahbaar, caretakers of Al-Aqsa, were 27 in number, descendants of Hazrat Harun (AS).
Their leader, Hazrat Zakariya (AS)—Mariam’s maternal uncle—was chosen as her guardian, though all wished for the honour.
He fulfilled this duty with immense love and devotion.
From this incident, several key lessons emerge:
Miracles of saints are real—Sayyidah Mariam (AS) received out-of-season fruits directly from Allah.
Sainthood can exist from birth, not just through deeds—she was a saintly figure from childhood.
Allah blesses His saints with ‘Ilm-e-Ladunni’ (divinely inspired knowledge), as seen in her calm, inspired reply.
Some friends of Allah receive heavenly provisions, beyond worldly means.
Sayyidah Mariam (AS) was nourished not through ordinary food or nursing, but by divine sustenance, as her mother had placed her under the Ahbaar immediately after birth.
37. So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: “O Maryam! From where have you gotten this” She said, “This is from Allah.” Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.
Allah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother’s vow and that He,
(made her grow in a good manner) meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.
(And put her under the care of Zakariyya) meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor. Allah made Zakariyya Maryam’s guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,
(I saw John and `Isa, who are maternal cousins.)
We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah decided that `Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Ja`far bin Abi Talib, saying,
(The maternal aunt is just like the mother.)
Allah then emphasizes Maryam’s honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,
(Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.)
Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi and As-Suddi said, “He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer.” When Zakariyya would see this; d
(He said: “O Maryam! From where have you gotten this”) meaning, where did you get these fruits from
(She said, “This is from Allah.” Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.)
(3:37) Thereupon her Lord graciously accepted Mary and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth and placed her in the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah[35] visited her in the sanctuary,[36] he found her provided with food. He asked her: ‘O Mary, how did this come to you?’ She said: ‘It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills beyond all reckoning.’
35. This section refers to that period of Mary’s life when she attained her majority and was admitted to the Temple of Jerusalem, and devoted all her time to remembering God. Zechariah, into whose care she was given, was perhaps the husband of her maternal aunt, and was one of the guardians of the Temple. This Zechariah is not to be confused with the Prophet Zechariah whose assassination is mentioned in the Old Testament.
36. The word mihrab usually refers to that niche in mosques where the leader of the prayer stands. In this instance, however, the term signifies the apartments usually built in synagogues and sanctuaries on a raised platform adjacent to the place of congregational worship, which served as the residence of caretakers, servants and beggars. Mary lived in an apartment of this kind and devoted all her time to worship and prayer.
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