وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَتَ عِمْرَانَ الَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا
And Maryam, the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity (private part).
meaning, who protected and purified her honor, by being chaste and free of immorality,
فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا
And We breathed into it (private part) through Our Ruh,
meaning, through the angel Jibril.
Allah sent the angel Jibril to Maryam, and he came to her in the shape of a man in every respect. Allah commanded him to blow into a gap of her garment and that breath went into her womb through her private part; this is how `Isa was conceived.
This is why Allah said here,
فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا
وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِ
And We breathed into it through Our Ruh, and she testified to the truth of her Lords Kalimat, and His Kutub,
meaning His decree and His legislation.
وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْقَانِتِينَ
and she was of the Qanitin.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said,
"The Messenger of Allah drew four lines on the ground and said,
أَتَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا
Do you know what these lines represent?
They said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.'
He said,
أَفْضَلُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ وَفَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمَرْيَمُ ابْنَةُ عِمْرَانَ وَاسِيَةُ بِنْتُ مُزَاحِمٍ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْن
The best among the women of Paradise are
- Khadijah bint Khuwaylid,
- Fatimah bint Muhammad,
- Maryam bint `Imran and
- Asiyah bint Muzahim, wife of Fir`awn.
It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,
كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ اسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَرْيَمُ ابْنَةُ عِمْرَانَ وَخَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ عَايِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضْلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلَى سَايِرِ الطَّعَام
Many men have reached the level of perfection, but none among women have reached this level except
- Asiyah -- Fir`awn's wife,
- Maryam--the daughter of `Imran, and
- Khadijah--the daughter of Khuwaylid.
And no doubt, the superiority of `A'ishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other meals.
In my book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, I have mentioned these Hadiths using their various chains of narration in relating the story of Prophet `sa and his mother Maryam, peace be upon them, all praise be to Allah.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah At-Tahrim, all thanks and praise are due to Allah