Recount in the Book how Mary withdrew from her people to an eastern place 16 And took cover from them, We sent a spirit of Ours to her who appeared before her in the concrete form of a man. 17 She exclaimed: "Verily, 'I seek refuge from thee with the Most Gracious! [Approach me not] if thou art conscious of Him!" 18 "I am only the messenger of your Lord," he replied. "I shall bestow upon you the gift of a son endowed with purity." 19 She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" 20 He said: Even so; your Lord says: It is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed. 21 ۞ So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley about 4-6 miles from Jerusalem). 22 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten." 23 But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; 24 Shake also to thee the palm-trunk, and there shall come tumbling upon thee dates fresh and ripe. 25 Eat therefore, and drink, and be comforted; and if thou shouldst see any mortal, say, "I have vowed to the All-merciful a fast, and today I will not speak to any man. 26 Then she brought him to her nation carrying him. They said: Maryam! assuredly thou hast brought a thing unheard Of. 27 O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother a loose woman!" 28 Mary pointed to the child then; but they said, 'How shall we speak to one who is still in the cradle, a little child?' 29 [But] he said, "I am God's servant. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; 30 Blessed He has made me, wherever I may be; and He has enjoined me to pray, and to give the alms, so long as I live, 31 and likewise to cherish my mother; He has not made me arrogant, unprosperous. 32 Peace be upon me the day I was born and the day I will die, and the day I will be raised up alive." 33 This is Jesus, the son of Mary; and this is the truth about him concerning which they are in doubt. 34 God is too Exalted to have a son. When He decides to bring some thing into existence He needs only command it to exist and it comes into existence. 35 (Jesus only said:) "Surely God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is the straight path." 36 Then the factions differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to those who disbelieved - from the scene of a tremendous Day. 37 How clearly will they (polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! But the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) today are in plain error. 38 And warn thou them of the Day of Sighing when the affair shall have been decreed while yet they are in negligence and are not believing. 39 Indeed We shall inherit the earth and all that is on it, and only towards Us will they return. 40