Quran Universe
3:37

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٖ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنٗا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقٗاۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ

Fataqabbalaha rabbuha biqaboolin hasanin waanbataha nabatan hasanan wakaffalaha zakariyya kullama dakhala AAalayha zakariyya almihraba wajada AAindaha rizqan qala ya maryamu anna laki hatha qalat huwa min AAindi Allahi inna Allaha yarzuqu man yashao bighayri hisabin

So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account."

Word by word
  1. فَتَقَبَّلَهَاSo accepted her
  2. رَبُّهَاher Lord
  3. بِقَبُولٍwith acceptance
  4. حَسَنٖgood
  5. وَأَنۢبَتَهَاand reared her
  6. نَبَاتًاa rearing
  7. حَسَنٗاgood
  8. وَكَفَّلَهَاand put her in (the) care
  9. زَكَرِيَّاۖ(of) Zakariya
  10. كُلَّمَاWhenever
  11. دَخَلَentered
  12. عَلَيۡهَاupon her
  13. زَكَرِيَّاZakariya
  14. ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ[the] prayer chamber
  15. وَجَدَhe found
  16. عِندَهَاwith her
  17. رِزۡقٗاۖprovision
  18. قَالَHe said
  19. يَٰمَرۡيَمُO Maryam
  20. أَنَّىٰFrom where
  21. لَكِfor you
  22. هَٰذَاۖ(is) this
  23. قَالَتۡShe said
  24. هُوَThis
  25. مِنۡ(is)
  26. عِندِfrom
  27. ٱللَّهِۖAllah
  28. إِنَّIndeed
  29. ٱللَّهَAllah
  30. يَرۡزُقُgives provision
  31. مَن(to) whom
  32. يَشَآءُHe wills
  33. بِغَيۡرِwithout
  34. حِسَابٍmeasure
Ali 'Imran · 3:37Madinah

Where is this from? From Allah.

Maryam's provision and Zakariyya's question

In the prayer chamber
Zakariyyaher guardian
finds
provisionfruit out of season
from Allahwithout account
Where provision comes from
my effort alonemy salary, my plan
Allah providesfor whom He wills

Allah accepted Maryam and made her grow well, placing her with Zakariyya so she could learn from him. Many early scholars said he found summer fruit with her in winter and winter fruit in summer. Her answer was simple: it is from Allah.

A refund arrives the week rent is due. A neighbor drops off food when the fridge is empty. You ask: where did that come from? Maryam already gave the answer.

Everything I have comes from my own hard work.

My effort matters, but every provision is from Allah.

Try this

When something good arrives today, say out loud: this is from Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit (37)

Maryam Grows Up; Her Honor is with Allah

Allah states that He has accepted Maryam as a result of her mother's vow and that He,

وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا

(made her grow in a good manner) meaning, made her conduct becoming, her mannerism delightful and He made her well liked among people. He also made her accompany the righteous people, so that she learned righteousness, knowledge and religion.

وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا

(And put her under the care of Zakariyya) meaning, Allah made Zakariyya her sponsor. Allah made Zakariyya Maryam's guardian for her benefit, so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. He was the husband of her maternal aunt, as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir stated, or her brother-in-law, as mentioned in the Sahih,

فَإِذَا بِيَحْيَى وَعِيسىٰ، وَهُمَا ابْنَا الْخَالَةِ

(I saw John and 'Isa, who are maternal cousins.)

We should state that in general terms, what Ibn Ishaq said is plausible, and in this case, Maryam was under the care of her maternal aunt. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ decided that 'Amarah, the daughter of Hamzah, be raised by her maternal aunt, the wife of Ja'far bin Abi Talib, saying,

الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُمِّ

(The maternal aunt is just like the mother.)

Allah then emphasizes Maryam's honor and virtue at the place of worship she attended,

كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا

(Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance.)

Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Abu Ash-Sha'tha, Ibrahim An-Nakha'i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi and As-Suddi said, "He would find with her the fruits of the summer during winter, and the fruits of the winter during summer." When Zakariyya would see this;

قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا

(He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this?") meaning, where did you get these fruits from?

قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

(She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.)