Recount in the Book how Mary withdrew from her people to an eastern place 16 So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. 17 She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah." 18 He said: "I am just a message-bearer of your Lord, I have come to grant you a most pure boy." 19 Mary said: "How can a boy be born to me when no man has even touched me, nor have I ever been unchaste?" 20 He said, 'Even so thy Lord has said: "Easy is that for Me; and that We may appoint him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us; it is a thing decreed."' 21 ۞ Then she conceived him and withdrew with him to a far-off place. 22 The pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said, "Oh, if only I had died before this and passed into oblivion!" 23 Then one cried unto her from underneath her, that grieve not, thy Lord hath placed underneath thou a rivulet. 24 "And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you." 25 Eat, then, and drink, and let thine eye be gladdened! And if thou shouldst see any human being, convey this unto him: 'Behold, abstinence from speech have I vowed unto the Most Gracious; hence, I may not speak today to any mortal. 26 And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Marium! surely you have done a strange thing. 27 O sister of Harun: thy father was not a man of evil, nor was thy mother a harlot. 28 Thereupon she pointed to him. They exclaimed: "How can we talk to one who [as yet] is a little boy in the cradle?" 29 He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; 30 He has blessed me no matter where I dwell, commanded me to worship Him and pay the religious tax for as long as I live. 31 And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed; 32 "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! 33 Such is Isa, son of Marium; (this is) the saying of truth about which they dispute. 34 It beseems not Allah that He should take to Himself a son, glory to be Him; when He has decreed a matter He only says to it "Be," and it is. 35 And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path. 36 But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day! 37 How [clearly] they will hear and see the Day they come to Us, but the wrongdoers today are in clear error. 38 And warn them of the Day of anguish when the case hath been decided. Now they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not. 39 Behold, We alone shall remain after the earth and all who live on it have passed away, and [when] unto Us all will have been brought back. 40