And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. 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 Mary exclaimed: "I surely take refuge from you with the Most Compassionate Lord, if you are at all God-fearing." 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 "How can I have a son," she said, "when no man has touched me, nor am I sinful?" 20 [The angel] replied, "So shall it be; your Lord says, 'This is easy for Me; and We shall make him a sign to people and a blessing, from Us. This has been decreed.'" 21 ۞ And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place. 22 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!" 23 Then (the child) called out to her from beneath her: Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you; 24 and if you shake the trunk of this palm-tree, it will drop fresh ripe dates on you. 25 So eat and drink thou, and cool thine eyes; and if thou beholdest the human beings anyone, say: verily I have vowed to the Compassionate a fast, so I shall not speak today to any human being. 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 Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. 28 So she pointed to him (Prophet Jesus). But they replied: 'How can we speak with a baby in the cradle' 29 He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet, 30 and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live, 31 and [has endowed me with] piety towards my mother; and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace. 32 Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! 33 That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are doubting. 34 It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. 35 Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight. 36 Yet the sectarians differed among themselves. Alas for the unbelievers when they see the Terrible Day! 37 How [clearly] they will hear and see the Day they come to Us, but the wrongdoers today are in clear 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 Verily! We will inherit the earth and whatsoever is thereon. And to Us they all shall be returned, 40