Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:91

{And she who guarded her chastity...}

She guarded her chastity completely, from both the lawful and the unlawful, as she said: "And no man has touched me, and I have not been unchaste" (Maryam: 20).

If you ask: The blowing of the spirit into a body is an expression for bringing it to life. Allah the Exalted says: "So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My spirit" (Al-Hijr: 29), meaning: I brought him to life. If this is established, then His saying: "So We breathed into her of Our spirit" (Al-Anbiya: 91) appears problematic, as it implies bringing Maryam to life.

I reply: Its meaning is: We breathed the spirit into ‘Isa while he was within her; that is, We brought him to life inside her womb. This is similar to a flute player saying, "I blew into so-and-so’s house," meaning: I blew into the flute while inside his house.

It is also permissible that the meaning is: We performed the act of blowing into Maryam by means of Our spirit, who is Jibril (peace be upon him), for he blew into the opening of her garment, and the breath reached her womb.

If you ask: Why was it not said "two signs" (ayatayn), just as He said: "And We have made the night and the day two signs" (Al-Isra: 12)?

I reply: Because their state, in their totality, constitutes a single sign: her giving birth to him without a male.

{Indeed, this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.}