ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ
That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.
Tafsir
Verse range: 3:44
There are several issues concerning this verse:
{That} refers to what preceded it. The meaning is that the account mentioned—concerning Hannah, Zechariah, John, and Jesus son of Mary—is from the news of the unseen (al-ghayb), which you could not have known except through revelation.
Objection: Why is the seeing (physical presence) negated, when its absence is certainly known, while the negation of hearing these accounts from their memorizers (who might have been present) is omitted, even though that is merely presumed to be absent?
Answer: It was certainly known to them that the Prophet (PBUH) did not have access to hearing these accounts directly or reading them. Furthermore, they denied revelation. Therefore, only physical witnessing remained as a possibility, and although this was highly improbable, it was negated as a form of mockery toward those who denied revelation, given their knowledge that he neither heard nor read.
This is similar to:
"News" (Al-Anbā') means informing about what is hidden from you.
As for "Revelation" (Al-Iḥyā'), the Book mentions it with various meanings, all summarized as informing the recipient of a hidden matter through a sign, writing, or something else. By this definition, inspiration (Ilhām) is counted as revelation, such as:
When God Almighty cast these matters into the Messenger (PBUH) via Gabriel (peace be upon him) in a way hidden from others, it was termed revelation (Waḥy).
They mentioned several interpretations for "the pens":
Al-Qadi's Comment: While the term "pen" (Qalam) can apply to these objects based on the root etymology, common usage has restricted the term to the writing instrument. Therefore, the word must be interpreted as the writing instrument.
The apparent meaning of the verse indicates they cast their pens into something to distinguish who deserved the desired outcome. The verse does not specify the exact method of casting. However, it is narrated in the tradition that they cast them into water, under the condition that whoever's pen flowed contrary to the water's current would win. This outcome occurred for Zechariah (peace be upon him), making him rightfully the most deserving guardian. And God knows best.
They differed on why they were so eager to take custody of her, leading to dispute:
They differed on who the disputants were:
Undoubtedly, they were among the elite, people of virtue in religion, and eager for the righteous path.
There is an omission here. The meaning is: They cast their pens so that it might be seen which of them would be responsible for Mary. This omission is permissible because the purpose is understood.
This means you were not present when they drew lots for custody, nor when they disputed over her. This dispute could refer to the argument before the casting of lots, or another dispute that occurred after the casting. In summary, the verse emphasizes the intensity of their desire to take responsibility for her affairs and manage her needs. This intensity stems from the prayer of her mother, who said: {So accept [this vow] from me; indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing} (Al 'Imran: 35), and {And indeed, I seek refuge in You and [through You] protect her and her offspring from the accursed Satan} (Al 'Imran: 36).
