And mention in the Book...

Then He commenced another story, which is in His saying: "And mention in the Book..." This is a new discourse addressed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he was commanded to mention the story of Maryam following the story of Zakariyya, peace be upon him, due to the perfect connection and suitability between them.

The intended meaning of "the Book" according to some researchers is this noble Surah, not the Quran as held by many, for it is this [Surah] that began with the story of Zakariyya, which entails her story and the stories of the prophets mentioned within it. That is: mention to the people in it "Maryam," meaning her news, for the act of mentioning does not relate to the entities themselves.

His saying: "When she withdrew" is an adverbial modifier for that genitive [Maryam], but not in the sense that what is commanded to be mentioned is only her news at the time of her withdrawal; rather, everything that is conjoined to it and narrated after it by way of continuation is included in the scope of the adverbial phrase, completing the narrative. Abu Hayyan made it an adverbial modifier for a deleted verb, meaning: "Mention Maryam and what happened to her when she withdrew," but what we have mentioned is more appropriate.

It is said: It is an adverbial modifier for a deleted term that acts as a circumstantial state (hal) for that genitive. It is also said: It is an appositive of inclusion (badal al-ishtimal) for Maryam, because periods of time contain what transpires within them, and this contains an exaltation of her wondrous story. Abu al-Baqa’ refuted this, arguing that if a time element does not act as a circumstantial state for a concrete object, nor a predicate for it, nor an adjective for it, it cannot be an appositive for it. This was rebutted by the fact that the invalidity of what he mentioned does not necessitate the invalidity of the appositive; do you not see [the construction] "I stripped Zayd of his garment," how it is valid as an appositive despite the invalidity of the aforementioned conditions for the substituted term? Furthermore, the claim that this applies only to the time element is neither clear nor elucidated.

It is said: It is a total appositive (badal kull min kull), on the premise that what is intended by "Maryam" is her story, and by the adverbial phrase, the time in which it occurred, though this is far-fetched. It is said: "idha" (when) is in the sense of the source-marking (masdariyyah), as in the saying: "I did not honor you id (since/when) you did not honor me," meaning: "due to your lack of honoring me," though this is a weak opinion among grammarians. The apparent meaning is that it is adverbial, or causal if we accept that. Upon this, the appositive of inclusion becomes established.

Intibadh (withdrawal) means to seclude oneself or isolate. Al-Raghib said: It is said of someone "he withdrew" (intabadha) meaning he isolated himself in the manner of one who cares little for his own standing among people. Nabd is the casting away or discarding of something due to the lack of importance given to it.

His saying: "from her family" is linked to "withdrew." His saying: "a place toward the east" is said to be in the accusative case as an adverb, and it is said to be the direct object of "withdrew," considering the meaning of "coming" implied within it, which is linked in existence and consideration to the essence of its meaning that governs the prepositional phrase—and this is the secret behind delaying it after it. Some researchers chose this: she isolated herself and separated from her family and came to a place eastward of Jerusalem or her house, to seclude herself there for worship. It is said: She sat in an elevated place to perform ghusl (ritual bathing) from menstruation, screened by a wall or a mountain, as narrated from Ibn Abbas, or by a garment, as it is said. That is His saying: ...