[556] The true sign of one’s love for Allah is to follow Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and adhere to his teachings and Sunnah.
[557] Here, God mentions those whom He honours as they show people the way to His love (Riḍā): Adam whom He created with His own Hands, blew his soul into him, made the angels prostrate themselves to him, taught him the names of everything, and made him father of humanity; Prophet Noah (عليه السلام) whom He honoured by making him the first bearer of His Message to humanity and made his posterity remain where all other bloodlines vanished; Prophet Abraham (عليه السلام), the beloved of God, and his descendants among whom is a great number of Prophets, including Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ); the Family of ʿImrān: ʿImrān and his wife, their daughter Mary and her son Jesus (عليه السلام), who is one of the greatest Prophets of humanity. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[558] His wife.
[559] Womb.
[560] The carried child is to be dedicated to the worship of Allah and is to spend an entire life tending places of worship. (al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr)
[561] Of the truthfulness of my intentions.
[562] The baby girl.
[563] She said this apologetically because she had wished for a male child rather than a female one because males in her culture were better suited for the purpose she intended, namely, to look after a temple. But God had His own plans for the baby girl.
[564] Ar-Rajīm, lit. one who is ejected. Satan is so named because he was thrown out of Paradise.
[565] God answered her prayers. Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Every newborn child is touched by the devil and they start off by wailing because of this touch, except Maryam and her son”. (al-Bukhārī: 3231, Muslim: 2366)
[566] Cf. 44. That Zachariah, the great servant of God, was made Mary’s guardian and mentor is one of the signs that God accepted her mother’s pledge to Him. (Ibn ʿĀshūr)