(O Muhammad), recite in the Book the account of Mary, when she withdrew from her people to a place towards the east; 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 When she saw him, she said, "I seek refuge in the compassionate God from you; [do not come near] if you fear the Lord." 18 He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. 19 She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" 20 He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': It is a matter (so) decreed." 21 ۞ She conceived the child and retreated with him to a distant and solitary 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 babe 'Iesa (Jesus) or Jibrael (Gabriel)] cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under you; 24 And shake towards you the trunk of the palmtree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates: 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 the child to her people. They exclaimed: "O Mary, you have done a most astonishing thing! 27 O sister of Haroun! your father was not a bad man, nor, was your mother an unchaste woman. 28 Thereupon she pointed towards the child; they said, “How can we speak to an infant who is in the cradle?” 29 [But] he said, "I am God's servant. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; 30 He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving throughout my life. 31 "And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. 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 Such is 'lsa, son of Maryam: this is the word of truth wherein 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 And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That 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 See and hear them on the Day they come unto Us! yet the evil-doers are today in error manifest. 38 (O Muhammad), warn those who are steeped in heedlessness and are obstinately rejecting the truth that the Day shall come when things will be finally decided and they shall be left with utter remorse. 39 Ultimately, We shall inherit the earth and whatever is on it; to Us shall they be returned. 40