A037
Surah: 003 - Ayah: 037
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3:37
Mihrab/Personal World: A mumin's own personal world is the school of marifat. Thus if he succeeds in recognising it, he recognises not only himself and his Lord, but the hudud-i din also. It is because of this that the personal world and the hudud-i din are discussed together here. In this connection is discovered another tawili secret, which is that the subtle body just as it is the spiritual fortress (mihrab), it is the personal world also. Let us show you this extremely useful secret in the Wise Qur'an in verse (3:37): "Whenever Zakariyya came to see her (Maryam) in the mihrab, he found her provided with sustenance." Whenever Hazrat Zakariyya entered the mihrab or the personal world of Hazrat Maryam and shed the light of knowledge of Imamat in the form of questions and answers, the same used to reflect from her heart in an extraordinary manner. In such a state it was necessary for the teacher to ask the student: From where did you hear these marvelous things? It is necessary here to mention that Hazrat Maryam is the example of every hujjat, and therefore, the precious secret we came to know is how the exalted Imam, in his luminous attire, enters the maharib or the personal worlds of his hujjats of the jazirahs.
Divine Gift: the supreme gift and greatest favour of God is the intellect through which all other secondary bounties can be attained. All religious and worldly felicities and blessings are the rays of the Light of Intellect. A key point to be noted is what is in God’s hand is for His righteous servants, such as bounty (3:37), good (3:26), malakut (spiritual kingdom 23:88), mulk (kingdom, 67:1) etc. Each of these meanings contains everything.
Bi-ghayri hisab (Without the accounts of resurrection)
It is said in verse (3:37): “Hazrat Maryam said: Verily, Allah provides whomsoever He likes without measure." That is, Allah can also give the knowledge of paradise to whomsoever He likes, without the account of resurrection.
Zakariyya 2 (Imam Zakariyya)
In verse (3:37) it is said: “And He made Zakariyya take care of her.” That is, God made Zakariyya guardian and responsible for the spiritual upbringing of Hazrat Maryam. Thus Hazrat Imam Zakariyya gave her the sacred knowledge of ism-i aczam according to the religion of nature. This way of imparting knowledge is called “cilmu’l-asma’”, which continues from the time of Hazrat Adam till the Resurrection of resurrections.
Zakariyya 3 (Imam Zakariyya)
“Whenever Zakariyya came to see her in the mihrab, he found that she had (spiritual) food. He said: O Maryam, whence comes to you this (food)? She said: It is from Allah. Verily, Allah provides for whomsoever He likes without hisab (measure).” (3:37). By mihrab is meant the personal world and by hisab is meant the day of reckoning which is one of the names of resurrection. To give sustenance without hisab means that God gives her that knowledge which for some is only possible to receive in paradise after physical death and resurrection.
It is mentioned in verse (3:37) that Hazrat Maryam used to receive food by the command of God. I believe that it was spiritual food, which is in the form of fragrances, which the friends of God experience. In view of the possibility of receiving this kind of food, it can be said that in the future this food will be granted to all, because God has promised to show His miracles (41:53).
This verse has been referred 3 times.