AND CALL to mind, through this divine writ, Mary. Lo! She withdrew from her family to an eastern place 16 She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. 17 "I seek refuge in the Merciful from you, if you fear Him," she said. 18 He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. 19 She said: in what wise shall there be a boy unto me, whereas not a human being hath touched me, nor have I been a harlot? 20 The angel said: "Thus shall it be. Your Lord says: 'It is easy for Me; and We shall do so in order to make him a Sign for mankind and a mercy from Us. This has been decreed.' " 21 ۞ So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. 22 Then the birth pangs drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree and she said: "Oh, would that I had died before this and had been all forgotten." 23 Thereupon [a voice] called out to her from beneath that [palm-tree]: "Grieve not! Thy Sustainer has provided a rivulet [running] beneath thee; 24 And shake toward thee the trunk of the palm-tree it shall drop on thee dates fresh and ripe. 25 So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal. 26 She came to her nation, carrying him; and they said: 'O Mary, you have committed a monstrous thing. 27 O sister of Harun: thy father was not a man of evil, nor was thy mother a harlot. 28 But she pointed towards him. "How can we talk to one," they said, "who is only an infant in the cradle?" 29 He said, 'Lo, I am God's servant; God has given me the Book, and made me a Prophet. 30 And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live; 31 and has made me dutiful to my mother. He has not made me oppressive, nor bereft of God's blessings. 32 I was born with peace and I shall die and be brought to life again with peace." 33 Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. 34 It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son [this refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying that 'Iesa (Jesus) is the son of Allah]. Glorified (and Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be!" and it is. 35 And said Eisa, “Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord – therefore worship Him; this is the Straight Path.” 36 And yet, the sects [that follow the Bible] are at variance among themselves [about the nature of Jesus Woe, then, unto all who deny the truth when that awesome Day will appear! 37 (Muhammad), how clearly they will hear and see on the day when they will be brought into Our presence. Today the wrong doers are in manifest error. 38 But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe! 39 Surely We inherit the earth and all those who are on it, and to Us they shall be returned. 40