The Quran

سورة مَریَم

Surah Maryam 19:17

Mary · Verse 17 of 98

فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

Abdul Mannan Omar

Then she screened herself off from them. Then We sent to her Our (angel of) revelation and he presented himself to her in the form of a perfect and well-proportioned man.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.

Ahmed Ali

And took cover from them, We sent a spirit of Ours to her who appeared before her in the concrete form of a man.

12 more translations

Ali Unal

Thus she kept herself in seclusion from people. Then We sent to her Our spirit, and it appeared before her in the form of a perfect man.

Daryabadi

Then she took beside them a curtain; then We sent unto her Our Spirit, and he took unto her the form of a human being sound.

Faridul Haque

So there she screened herself from them; We therefore sent Our Spirit towards her - he appeared before her in the form of a healthy man. (Angel Jibreel – peace be upon him.)

Maulana Muhammad Ali

So she screened herself from them. Then We sent to her Our spirit and it appeared to her as a well-made man.

Maulvi Sher Ali

And screened herself off from them. Then WE sent OUR angel to her and he appeared to her in the form of a well proportioned man.

Muhammad Asad

and kept herself in seclusion from them, whereupon We sent unto her Our angel of revelation, who appeared to her in the shape of a well-made human being.

Muhammad Musin Khan

She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.

Muhammad Pickthall

And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.

Muhammad Sarwar

out of her people's sight. We sent Our Spirit to her, who stood before her in the shape of a well formed human being.

Muhammed ali Shakir

So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man.

Rashad Khalifa

While a barrier separated her from them, we sent to her our Spirit. He went to her in the form of a human being.

Shabbir Ahmed

(Since she was not used to mixing with people), she had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent to her Our angel that appeared to her in the shape of a well-made human being.

Commentary 19:17 Rûhرُوح - the Divine Revelation (cf.17:85; 16:2; 32:9; 38:72; 42:52; 16:102; 2:253; 2:87; 5:110; 58:22; 26:193; 4:171). Here the word rûh (without the…

فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

19:17 Rûhرُوح - the Divine Revelation (cf.17:85; 16:2; 32:9; 38:72; 42:52; 16:102; 2:253; 2:87; 5:110; 58:22; 26:193; 4:171). Here the word rûh (without the suffix al ال) stands for the capacity of a human being to receive Divine Revelation. Also in 2:87, the word means the Divine Revelation and is not a reference to the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit (cf. 42:52; 2:87). The Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit are Christianized meanings and not the Qur’ânic meaning of this word. No spirit of any sort had entered Marys womb, rather an angel had appeared to her in a vision. The angel who brought the good news of the birth of a son (Jesus) is here called Basharan Sawiyyâ بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا - a perfect and well-proportioned man, to indicate that the son (Jesus) will be possessed of the best moral excellences that a man is capable of possessing. It was a Divine vision that was extremely clear and overwhelming, particular for someone who had never had this kind of spiritual experience before. As a virtuous young woman living screened from the rest of the world in a Jewish Temple (cf. 19:20), Mary was understandably frightened and perplexed at first, and it was quite natural that she sought “Divine Protection”. Basharan بشَراً is derived from bashara بَشَرَ, meaning “a bearer of good news”. Bashara means, “He gave or imparted important, urgent, pressing, significant news which changed the features of the listener and perplexed him or her” (Lisân, Râghib, Tâj, Lane).