Tarikh (al-Tabari) 310
The story of ʿĪsā b. Maryam (peace be upon him)
ذِكْرُ وِلَادَةِ الْمَسِيحِ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ كَانَتْ وِلَادَةُ الْمَسِيحِ أَيَّامَ مُلُوكِ الطَّوَائِفِ. قَالَتِ الْمَجُوسُ: كَانَ ذَلِكَ بَعْدَ خَمْسٍ وَسِتِّينَ سَنَةً مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِ عَلَى أَرْضِ بَابِلَ، وَبَعْدَ إِحْدَى وَخَمْسِينَ سَنَةً مَضَتْ مِنْ مُلْكِ الْأَشْكَانِيِّينَ. وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى: إِنَّ وِلَادَتَهُ كَانَتْ لِمُضِيِّ ثَلَاثِمِائَةٍ وَثَلَاثٍ وَسِتِّينَ سَنَةً مِنْ وَقْتِ غَلَبَةِ الْإِسْكَنْدَرِ عَلَى أَرْضِ بَابِلَ، وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ مَوْلِدَ يَحْيَى كَانَ قَبْلَ مَوْلِدِ الْمَسِيحِ بِسِتَّةِ أَشْهُرٍ، وَأَنَّ مَرْيَمَ، عَلَيْهَا السَّلَامُ، حَمَلَتْ بِعِيسَى وَلَهَا ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً، وَقِيلَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ، وَقِيلَ: عِشْرُونَ، وَأَنَّ عِيسَى عَاشَ إِلَى أَنْ رُفِعَ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً وَأَيَّامًا، وَأَنَّ مَرْيَمَ عَاشَتْ بَعْدَهُ سِتَّ سِنِينَ، فَكَانَ جَمِيعُ عُمُرِهَا إِحْدَى وَخَمْسِينَ سَنَةً، وَأَنَّ يَحْيَى قُتِلَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ الْمَسِيحُ، وَأَتَتِ الْمَسِيحَ النُّبُوَّةُ وَالرِّسَالَةُ وَعُمُرُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ سَنَةً. فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانْتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا عَقَبَةُ بِالْفَاءَ. فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّتْ مَرْيَمُ خَرَجَتْ إِلَى جَانِبِ الْمِحْرَابِ الشَّرْقِيِّ فَأَتَتْ أَقْصَاهُ فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ - وَهِيَ تُطْلِقُ مِنَ الْحَبَلِ اسْتِحْيَاءً مِنَ النَّاسِ - يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنْتُ نَسْيًا مَنْسِيًّا، يَعْنِي نُسِيَ ذِكْرِي وَأَثَرِي فَلَا يُرَى لِي أَثَرٌ وَلَا عَيْنٌ. قَالَتْ مَرْيَمُ: كُنْتُ إِذَا خَلَوْتُ حَدَّثَنِي عِيسَى وَحَدَّثْتُهُ، فَإِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَنَا إِنْسَانٌ سَمِعْتُ تَسْبِيحَهُ فِي بَطْنِي. فَنَادَاهَا جَبْرَائِيلُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا - أَيْ مِنْ أَسْفَلِ الْجَبَلِ - أَنْ لَا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا وَهُوَ النَّهْرُ الصَّغِيرُ، أَجْرَاهُ تَحْتَهَا، فَمَنْ قَرَأَ: مِنْ تَحْتِهَا، بِكَسْرِ الْمِيمِ، جَعَلَ الْمُنَادِي جَبْرَائِيلَ، وَمَنْ فَتَحَهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ عِيسَى، أَنْطَقَهُ اللَّهُ، وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ، كَانَ جِذْعًا مَقْطُوعًا فَهَزَّتْهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ نَخْلَةٌ، وَقِيلَ: كَانَ مَقْطُوعًا فَلَمَّا أَجْهَدْهَا الطَّلْقُ احْتَضَنَتْهُ فَاسْتَقَامَ وَاخْضَرَّ وَأَرْطَبَ، فَقِيلَ لَهَا: وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ فَهَزَّتْهُ فَتَسَاقَطَ الرُّطَبُ فَقَالَ لَهَا: فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنْسِيًّا، وَكَانَ مَنْ صَامَ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ. ذهاب مريم بعيسى عليه السلام إلى أرض مصر وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ لَمَّا دَنَا نِفَاسُهَا أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهَا: أَنِ اخْرُجِي مِنْ أَرْضِ قَوْمِكِ فَإِنَّهُمْ إِذَا ظَفِرُوا بِكِ عَيَّرُوكِ وَقَتَلُوكِ وَوَلَدَكِ. فَاحْتَمَلَهَا يُوسُفُ النَّجَّارُ وَسَارَ بِهَا إِلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَا إِلَى تُخُومِ مِصْرَ أَدْرَكَهَا الْمَخَاضُ، فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْ وَهِيَ مَحْزُونَةٌ قِيلَ لَهَا: لَا تَحْزَنِي الْآيَةَ إِلَى ( إِنْسِيًّا )، فَكَانَ الرُّطَبُ يَتَسَاقَطُ عَلَيْهَا وَذَلِكَ فِي الشِّتَاءِ. وَأَصْبَحَتِ الْأَصْنَامُ مَنْكُوسَةً عَلَى رُءُوسِهَا، وَفَزِعَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَجَاءُوا إِلَى إِبْلِيسَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى جَمَاعَتَهُمْ سَأَلَهُمْ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ، فَقَالَ: قَدْ حَدَثَ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَادِثٌ، فَطَارَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَغَابَ عَنْهُمْ فَمَرَّ بِالْمَكَانِ الَّذِي وُلِدَ فِيهِ عِيسَى فَرَأَى الْمَلَائِكَةَ مُحْدِقِينَ فِيهِ، فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ الْحَدَثَ فِيهِ، وَلَمْ تُمَكِّنْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنَ الدُّنُوِّ مِنْ عِيسَى، فَعَادَ إِلَى أَصْحَابِهِ وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: مَا وَلَدَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَّا وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَضِلَّ بِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّنْ يَهْتَدِي. وَاحْتَمَلَتْهُ مَرْيَمُ إِلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ فَمَكَثَتِ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً تَكْتُمُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَكَانَتْ تَلْتَقِطُ السُّنْبُلَ وَالْمَهْدُ فِي مَنْكِبَيْهَا. قُلْتُ: وَالْقَوْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي وِلَادَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ قَوْمِهَا لِلْقُرْآنِ أَصَحُّ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: فَأَتَتْ بِهِ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ، وَقَوْلِهِ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ مَرْيَمَ حَمَلَتِ الْمَسِيحَ إِلَى مِصْرَ بَعْدَ وِلَادَتِهِ وَمَعَهَا يُوسُفُ النَّجَّارُ، وَهِيَ الرَّبْوَةُ الَّتِي ذَكَرَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَقِيلَ: الرَّبْوَةُ دِمَشْقُ، وَقِيلَ: بَيْتُ الْمَقْدِسِ، وَقِيلَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، فَكَانَ سَبَبُ ذَلِكَ الْخَوْفَ مِنْ مَلِكِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَكَانَ مِنَ الرُّومِ، وَاسْمُهُ هِيرُودَسُ، فَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ أَغْرَوْهُ بِقَتْلِهِ، فَسَارُوا إِلَى مِصْرَ وَأَقَامُوا بِهَا اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ ذَلِكَ الْمَلِكُ، وَعَادُوا إِلَى الشَّامِ، وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ هِيرُودَسُ لَمْ يُرِدْ قَتْلَهُ وَلَمْ يَسْمَعْ بِهِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ رَفْعِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا خَافُوا الْيَهُودَ عَلَيْهِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the birth of the Messiah ﷺ The birth of the Messiah took place in the days of the party kings. The Magians said: That was sixty-five years after Alexander's victory over the land of Babylon, and fifty-one years after the reign of the Arsacids. The Christians said: His birth was three hundred and sixty-three years after the time of Alexander's victory over the land of Babylon, and they claimed that the birth of Yahyā was six months before the birth of the Messiah, and that Maryam (peace be upon her) conceived ʿĪsā when she was thirteen years old; it is said fifteen; it is said twenty; and that ʿĪsā lived until he was raised up thirty-two years and some days, and that Maryam lived after him six years, so the total of her age was fifty-one years, and that Yahyā was killed before the Messiah was raised up, and prophethood and messengership came to the Messiah when he was thirty years old. So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a remote place – ʿAqabah with an fāʾ. When Maryam felt labor pains she went out to the side of the eastern prayer niche and came to its farthest end, and the pangs of childbirth drove her to the trunk of the palm tree. She said – while she was being delivered of the child, out of shame before the people – “Would that I had died before this and become a thing forgotten, utterly forgotten,” meaning my mention and trace were forgotten, so that no trace or eye of me would be seen. Maryam said: When I was alone, ʿĪsā would speak to me and I would speak to him, but when there was a person with us I would hear his glorification in my womb. Then Jibrāʾīl called to her from beneath her – that is, from the lower part of the mountain – “Do not grieve; your Lord has placed beneath you a small stream,” and that is the small river which he caused to flow beneath her. Whoever reads “min taḥtihā” with kasrah of the mīm makes the caller Jibrāʾīl, and whoever reads it with fatḥah says it was ʿĪsā, whom God caused to speak: “And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree.” It was a cut-off trunk, and she shook it, and behold, it was a palm tree. It is said: It was cut off, but when the labor pangs exhausted her she embraced it, and it straightened up, became green, and bore fresh dates. So it was said to her: “And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree,” and she shook it, and the fresh dates fell down. Then he said to her: “So eat and drink and be comforted. And if you see any human being, say: I have vowed a fast to the Most Merciful, so I will not speak today to any human.” And whoever fasted in that time would not speak until evening. Maryam's going with ʿĪsā ﷺ to the land of Egypt It is said: When her delivery drew near, God revealed to her: “Go out from the land of your people, for if they get hold of you they will reproach you and kill you and your child.” So Yūsuf the carpenter carried her and traveled with her to the land of Egypt. When they reached the borders of Egypt, labor pangs overtook her. When she gave birth, while she was grieving, it was said to her: “Do not grieve,” the verse up to “any human.” And the fresh dates kept falling on her, and that was in winter. The idols were found overturned on their heads in the morning, and the devils were terrified. They came to Iblīs, and when he saw their company he asked them, and they told him. He said: “An event has occurred on earth.” Then he flew away and vanished from them, and passed by the place where ʿĪsā was born. He saw the angels surrounding it, and he knew that the event was there. The angels did not allow him to draw near to ʿĪsā, so he returned to his companions and informed them of that, and said to them: “No woman has given birth but I was present, and I hope to lead astray through him more than those who are guided.” Maryam carried him to the land of Egypt, and she stayed twelve years hiding him from the people. She would glean ears of grain and the cradle was on her shoulders. I say: The first statement, that his birth was in the land of her people, is more correct according to the Qurʾān, because of His saying, exalted be He: “Then she brought him to her people, carrying him,” and His saying: “How shall we speak to one who was in the cradle, a child?” It is said: Maryam carried the Messiah to Egypt after his birth, and with her was Yūsuf the carpenter, and that is the elevated ground which God, exalted be He, mentioned. It is said: The elevated ground is Damascus; it is said: Jerusalem; it is said: other than that. The reason for that was fear of the king of the Children of Israel, who was of the Byzantines and whose name was Herod, for the Jews incited him to kill him. So they traveled to Egypt and stayed there twelve years until that king died, and they returned to Syria. It is said: Herod did not intend to kill him and did not hear of him except after his being raised up, and they only feared the Jews for him, and God knows best.
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