Tafsir of Maryam 19:9

Surah Maryam (19): Verse 9

(The text continues from the previous verse, addressing Zechariah's request.)

[The verse being interpreted is: {قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ} - "He said: 'So shall it be; your Lord says, "It is easy for Me."']

The First Issue: Interpretation of {قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ}

There are several interpretations regarding the structure and meaning of this phrase:

1. The Kāf (ك) is in the accusative case (mansūb): It means "Thus it is," confirming the preceding statement (the promise of a son). Then, a new sentence begins: "Your Lord said..."
2. The Kāf is in the accusative case (mansūb) referring to an implied statement: This implies, "It is said: 'Your Lord said, "It is easy for Me."'" This is similar to the verse: {And We decreed to you that decree, that the end of those people is cut off in the morning} (Al-Hijr: 66).
3. The Kāf implies negation of wonder: It means, "Do not be amazed, for thus your Lord has said." There is no contradiction in His saying this. Then, He adds, "It is easy for Me," evidenced by the fact that "I created you before, when you were nothing."
4. The Kāf addresses Zechariah's implied question: Zechariah's question, "How shall I have a son?" meant, "Will You grant me a son by making my wife and me young again, or by leaving us old yet granting us a child?" The response, {Thus said your Lord}, means: "I will grant you the child while you and your wife remain in your current state."

The Second Issue: The Reading of Al-Hasan

Al-Hasan (al-Basri) recited it as: {هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ} (It is easy for Me), omitting the initial {قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ}. This reading aligns only with the first interpretation mentioned above: "The matter is as you said, but your Lord said, 'It is easy for Me' despite that."

The Third Issue: The Use of the Term Hayyin (Easy) for God

The use of the word Hayyin (easy) concerning God Almighty is metaphorical (majāz). This term is usually reserved for beings for whom something could be difficult. Here, it means that when God wills something, it simply is.

The Fourth Issue: The Proof from {وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا} (And I created you before, when you were nothing)

The argument derived from this statement is as follows: Since God created Zechariah from absolute non-existence (pure nothingness), He is capable of creating beings, attributes, and effects. Now, creating a child from an old man and woman only requires changing attributes. The One capable of creating beings, attributes, and effects simultaneously is certainly more capable of merely changing attributes. If He could bring him into existence from nothing, He can certainly grant him a child by restoring the power to him and his wife from which the two fluids that create the child originate. This is why He said: {So We answered him and granted him Yahya, and set right his wife for him} (Al-Anbiyā’: 90). This is the basis of the deduction.

The Fifth Issue: The Speaker of {قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ}

The majority opinion holds that the phrase {قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ} implies that the speaker of this statement was an Angel, even though it is acknowledged that the preceding words, {رُضِيًّا يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ} (Rejoice, O Zechariah! We give you good tidings...), and the following words, {هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ} (It is easy for Me), are the words of God Almighty. This view is problematic because if the words before and after this phrase are God's speech, how can these specific words be inserted between two statements by God?

The preferred view is that the speaker of this phrase is also God Almighty. It is like when a great Sultan promises his servant something immense, and the servant asks, "How will this happen to me?" The Sultan replies, "Your sovereignty has guaranteed this for you." This serves to remind the servant that the very fact of his being the Sultan necessitates fulfilling the promise. Similarly, here, God confirms His own promise.

{قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا}

"He said, 'My Lord, grant me a sign.' He said, 'Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, except by indication.'"