(42–44) “And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of all peoples. O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate yourself, and bow with those who bow. That is from the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast their pens to decide which of them should take Mary into his care, nor were you with them when they disputed.’”

Allah Most High extols Mary’s virtue and lofty standing, and relates that the angels addressed her concerning this, saying, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you”—that is, He selected you—“and purified you” from all deficiencies that diminish a person, “and chosen you above the women of all peoples.” The first choosing pertains to her praiseworthy qualities and upright deeds, while the second pertains to her being favored above all other women. This may refer to the women of her own time or to women in an absolute sense. Even if certain women shared this distinction with her—such as Khadīja, Āʾisha, and Fātima—that does not conflict with the choosing mentioned here.

When the angels informed her that Allah had chosen and purified her, this immense blessing and magnificent gift required her to express gratitude for it. The angels therefore said to her, “O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord.”

“Be devoutly obedient to your Lord”: devout obedience means persevering in obedience with humility and reverence. “Prostrate yourself, and bow with those who bow.” Prostration and bowing are singled out because of their excellence and because they express the utmost humility before Allah. Mary therefore did as she was commanded, out of gratitude and obedience to Allah Most High.

After Allah had informed His Prophet about Mary and the various circumstances through which Allah had caused her to pass—and since these were matters of the unseen that could be known only through revelation—He said, “That is from the tidings of the unseen which We reveal to you. You were not with them”—that is, present among them—“when they cast their pens to decide which of them should take Mary into his care.” When her mother brought her to those entrusted with authority over the Temple in Jerusalem, they vied and disputed over which of them should take Mary into his care. They cast lots for her by throwing their pens into the river: whoever’s pen did not drift with the current would be granted her care. The lot fell to Zechariah, their prophet and the best among them.

Thus, Muhammad, when you informed them of these accounts—of which neither you nor your people had any knowledge—it demonstrated that you were truthful and truly the Messenger of Allah. They were therefore obligated to submit to you and obey your commands, as Allah Most High says: “You were not on the western side when We revealed the command to Moses,” and the verses that follow.