Tazkirul Quran, Qur’an 19:54–57
Mary (Maryam)
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
English text; the translator is not named in the archive’s data.
Translation
(54) Tell also of Ishmael in the Book. He was true to his promise and was a messenger and a prophet. (55) He exhorted his people to prayer and almsgiving, and his Lord was pleased with him. (56) Tell also of Idris in the Book. He was a man of truth and a prophet. (57) We raised him to a high position.
Commentary
(a) Ishmael was Abraham’s son. Idris was a prophet who was probably born before Noah. Here, two special virtues of these prophets are described: first, their truthfulness and second, their diligence in exhorting people to pray to God and offer alms, or zakat, in order to give God’s other subjects their rightful dues. God says here that these qualities have put the above prophets among His favoured servants, whom He shall raise on high.
The persons God selected for prophethood possessed these qualities to the fullest extent. However, the faithful in general are also expected to evince these qualities, and they too, in varying degrees, will forever partake of the divinely ordained fruits born of these qualities.