Aal-i-Imraan 3:47 — Quran | Pray for the Truth

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation

She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?’ [The angel] said, ‘This is how God creates what He will: when He has ordained something, He only says, “Be”, and it is.

قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

qālat rabbi annā yakūnu lī waladun walam yamsasnī basharun qāla kadhāliki l-lahu yakhluqu mā yashāu idhā qaḍā amran fa-innamā yaqūlu lahu kun fayakūnu

A. J. Arberry: 'Lord,' said Mary, 'how shall I have a son seeing no mortal has touched me?' 'Even so,' God said, God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing He does but say to it "Be," and it is.
Muhammad Asad: Said she: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" [The angel] answered: "Thus it is: God creates what He wills when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be' - and it is.
Sahih International: She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allāh; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.

Word-by-word analysis of Aal-i-Imraan verse 47
#	Word	Meaning	Root
1	قَالَتْqālat	She said	قول
2	رَبِّrabbi	My Lord	ربب
3	أَنَّىٰannā	how	أني
4	يَكُونُyakūnu	is [it]	كون
5	لِىlī	for me	—
6	وَلَدٌۭwaladun	a boy	ولد
7	وَلَمْwalam	and (has) not	—
8	يَمْسَسْنِىyamsasnī	touch(ed) me	مسس
9	بَشَرٌۭ ۖbasharun	any man	بشر
10	قَالَqāla	He said	قول
11	كَذَٰلِكِkadhāliki	Thus	—
12	ٱللَّهُl-lahu	Allah	أله
13	يَخْلُقُyakhluqu	creates	خلق
14	مَاmā	what	—
15	يَشَآءُ ۚyashāu	He wills	شيأ
16	إِذَاidhā	When	—
17	قَضَىٰٓqaḍā	He decrees	قضي
18	أَمْرًۭاamran	a matter	أمر
19	فَإِنَّمَاfa-innamā	then only	—
20	يَقُولُyaqūlu	He says	قول
21	لَهُۥlahu	to it	—
22	كُنkun	Be	كون
23	فَيَكُونُfayakūnu	and it becomes	كون

Quran 3:47 — Aal-i-Imraan, verse 47

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