but the water carried it away; nevertheless, Zechariah won the lot against them. Zechariah was the chief of the rabbis and their prophet. This is the meaning of Allah’s words: “And He placed her in the care of Zechariah.” Hamzah, al-Kisa’i, and Asim recited it with the fa doubled, in which case Zechariah is in the accusative: that is, Allah entrusted her to Zechariah and joined her to him through the drawing of lots. The others recited it without doubling, in which case Zechariah is in the nominative: that is, Zechariah took her into his own care and attended to her affairs. He was Zechariah ibn Adhan ibn Muslim ibn Saduq, one of the descendants of Solomon ibn David, peace be upon him.

Hamzah, al-Kisa’i, and Hafs from Asim recited “Zechariah” in its shortened form, while the others lengthened it.

When Zechariah took Mary into his care, he built a house for her and engaged a wet nurse for her. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: He placed her in the care of her maternal aunt, the mother of John, until ⦗57a⦘ she had grown up and reached womanhood. Then he built for her a prayer chamber in the mosque. Its door was set high in its middle and could be reached only by a ladder, like the door of the Kaaba; no one but he would ascend to her. Each day he brought her food, drink, and oil.

“Whenever Zechariah entered the prayer chamber where she was”: by prayer chamber, he meant the room. A mihrab is the most distinguished and foremost part of an assembly, and likewise the foremost part of a mosque; the mosque itself may also be called a mihrab. Al-Mubarrad said: A mihrab is only that which must be reached by ascending a step. Al-Rabi ibn Anas said: Whenever Zechariah went out, he locked seven doors upon her; then, when he entered her chamber, “he found provision with her”—that is, fruit out of season: summer fruit in winter, and winter fruit in summer.

He said, “O Mary, where has this come to you from?” Abu Ubaydah said that its meaning is: “Where did this come to you from?” Some objected to this and said: Rather, it means, “From which direction has this come to you?” For anna is used to ask about direction, whereas ayna is used to ask about place.

She said, “It is from Allah”—that is, from the fruits of Paradise. Al-Hasan said: When Mary was born, she never suckled at a breast. Her provision came to her from Paradise, and Zechariah would ask her, “Where has this come to you from?” She would reply, “It is from Allah.” She spoke while still a young child. “Indeed, Allah provides without measure for whomever He wills.”

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Then a famine struck the Children of Israel while she remained in this condition, until Zechariah became too weak to support her. He went out to the Children of Israel and said, “O Children of Israel, by Allah, you know that I have grown old and have become too weak to bear the responsibility of Mary, daughter of Imran. Which of you will take charge of her after me?” They said, “By Allah, we too have been worn down, and this year of hardship has afflicted us as you see.” They passed her responsibility among themselves, but then found no alternative to assuming her care. So they cast lots for her with pens, and the lot fell to a carpenter among the Children of Israel called Joseph ibn Jacob, who was Mary’s cousin. He took charge of her.

Mary perceived in his face how burdensome this was for him, so she said to him, “O Joseph, think well of Allah, for Allah will provide for us.” Joseph then began to receive provision on her account. Each day, he brought her from his earnings what would suffice for her; and when he brought it into the church to her, Allah increased it. Zechariah would enter and see with her a surplus of provision beyond what Joseph had brought her. He would say, “O Mary, where has this come to you from?” She replied, “It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides without measure for whomever He wills.” (1)

The people who relate historical reports said: When Zechariah saw this, he said, “Indeed, the One who had power to bring Mary fruit out of its season…”