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 to her Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. 17 (And when she saw him) she said: 'I take refuge in the Merciful from you! If you are fearful' 18 He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy." 19 She said, 'How shall I have a son whom no mortal has touched, neither have I been unchaste?' 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 ۞ Then she conceived him and withdrew with him to a far-off place. 22 Then the pangs of childbirth brought her to the base of the palm-tree; she said, “Oh, if only had I died before this and had become forgotten, unremembered.” 23 He called from below to her: 'Do not sorrow, look, your Lord has provided a rivulet below you, 24 and shake the trunk of this palmtree it will drop fresh ripe dates upon you. 25 Eat, drink, and rejoice. Should you see a person going by, tell him that on this day you have promised the Beneficent God to fast and never talk to any human being." 26 Then she brought the child to her folk carrying him; and they said, 'Mary, thou hast surely committed a monstrous thing! 27 O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man 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 "I am a servant of God," he answered. "He has given me a Book and made me a prophet, 30 "And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salat (prayer), and Zakat, as long as I live." 31 "And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. 32 And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life. 33 Such was Jesus, the son of Mary. That is the whole truth, about which they still dispute: 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 God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him alone. That is the right path. 36 Yet different groups differed among themselves. How awful it will be for those who have rejected the truth when a dreadful Day arrives! 37 How sharp of hearing, how sharp of sight they will be when they come to Us. But today, these evil-doers are obviously lost in error. 38 And warn them, [O Muhammad], of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded; and [yet], they are in [a state of] heedlessness, and they do not believe. 39 We are the heirs of the earth and those living in it will all return to Us. 40