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Prayer Chamber

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Prayer Chamber

مِحْرَاب

The *mihrab*, or prayer chamber, holds a profound spiritual significance in Islamic tradition, serving as a dedicated space for deep devotion and intimate communion with Allah. Often understood as a private sanctuary, it is associated in the Quran with several revered prophets and righteous individuals. We find it mentioned in relation to Maryam (Mary), where [every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision], signifying a place blessed by divine sustenance and miracles. Similarly, Prophet Zakariyya (Zechariah) was [standing in prayer in the chamber] when he received the joyous tidings of his son, Yahya (John), highlighting it as a place of answered prayers and divine grace. Prophet Dawud (David) also had his [prayer chamber], implying a secluded space for his intense worship and reflection. These accounts emphasize the mihrab as a sacred setting for profound spiritual experiences, encouraging believers to seek their own private moments of devotion and connection with the Divine.

Quran 4 verses

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Fataqabbalahaa Rabbuhaa biqaboolin hasaninw wa ambatahaa nabaatan hasananw wa kaffalahaa Zakariyyaa kullamaa dakhala 'alaihaa Zakariyyal Mihraaba wajada 'indahaa rizqan qaala yaa Maryamu annaa laki haazaa qaalat huwa min 'indil laahi innal laaha yarzuqu mai yashaaa'u bighairi hisaab

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."

تو پروردگار نے اس کو پسندیدگی کے ساتھ قبول فرمایا اور اسے اچھی طرح پرورش کیا اور زکریا کو اس کا متکفل بنایا زکریا جب کبھی عبادت گاہ میں اس کے پاس جاتے تو اس کے پاس کھانا پاتے (یہ کیفیت دیکھ کر ایک دن مریم سے) پوچھنے لگے کہ مریم یہ کھانا تمہارے پاس کہاں سے آتا ہے وہ بولیں خدا کے ہاں سے (آتا ہے) بیشک خدا جسے چاہتا ہے بے شمار رزق دیتا ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary In order to fulfill her vow, Sayyidah Maryam's mother took her to the Mosque of بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis and talked to the care-takers and worshippers at the Mosque, Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) being one of them, and. told them that she had vowed to dedicate the child in the service ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Her Lord accepted the child that is He received Mary from her mother with gracious acceptance and made her grow excellently He made her grow up with excellent character. She would grow in a day by as much as a new-born grew during a year. Her mother took her to the priests the keepers of the Holy Ho...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): 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 ...

فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

Fanaadat hul malaaa'ikatu wa huwa qaaa'imuny yusallee fil Mihraabi annal laaha yubashshiruka bi Yahyaa musaddiqam bi Kalimatim minal laahi wa saiyidanw wa hasooranw wa Nabiyyam minas saaliheen

So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous."

وہ ابھی عبادت گاہ میں کھڑے نماز ہی پڑھ رہے تھے کہ فرشتوں نے آواز دی کہ (زکریا) خدا تمہیں یحییٰ کی بشارت دیتا ہے جو خدا کے فیض یعنی (عیسیٰ) کی تصدیق کریں گے اور سردار ہوں گے اور عورتوں سے رغبت نہ رکھنے والے اور (خدا کے) پیغمبر (یعنی) نیکو کاروں میں ہوں گے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary 1. The expression, کَلِمَۃ اللہ 'a word of Allah' refers to Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) . This term is used for him because he was created, in an unusual manner, simply by the will and command of Allah - without a paternal linkage. 2. The second quality of Sayyidna Yahya (علیہ السلام) has...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And the angels namely Gabriel called to him standing in the sanctuary in the temple at worship that anna means bi-anna; a variant reading has inna implying a direct speech statement ‘God gives you good tidings read yubashshiruka or yubshiruka of John who shall confirm a Word being from God namely Je...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's Birth When Zakariyya saw that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own. By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones...

فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا

Fakharaja 'alaa qawmihee minal mihraabi fa-awhaaa ilaihim an sabbihoo bukratanw wa 'ashiyyaa

So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allah] in the morning and afternoon.

پھر وہ (عبادت کے) حجرے سے نکل کر اپنی قوم کے پاس آئے تو ان سے اشارے سے کہا کہ صبح وشام (خدا کو) یاد کرتے رہو

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: سَوِيًّا means healthy. This word has been added here to denote that Sayyidna Zakariyya's (علیہ السلام) loss of speech for three days was not due to any illness, for during this entire period of three days he could utter words of prayer and supplication. This special condition was a miracle and a si...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: So he emerged before his people from the sanctuary that is from the temple — they had been waiting for him to open it in order to perform their prayers therein after his command as was the custom — and signalled indicated to them ‘Make glorifications perform prayers at morning and evening’ at the be...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Sign of the Pregnancy Allah, the Exalted, informed about Zakariyya that he said, قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً (He (Zakariyya) said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign.") "Give me a sign and a proof of the existence of that which You have promised me, so that my soul will be at rest and my heart ...

وَهَلْ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا۟ ٱلْمِحْرَابَ

Wa hal ataaka naba'ul khasm; iz tasawwarul mihraab

And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of [his] prayer chamber -

بھلا تمہارے پاس ان جھگڑنے والوں کی بھی خبر آئی ہے جب وہ دیوار پھاند کر عبادت خانے میں داخل ہوئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary In these verses, Allah Ta'ala has mentioned an event relating to Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) . The way in which this event has been described in the noble Qur'an, it tells only this much that Allah Ta’ ala had put him to some test by sending two disputing parties into his place of worshi...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And has there come to you O Muhammad (s) the purpose of the interrogative indicated by hal here is to provoke curiosity and a desire to listen to what will follow the tale of the disputants when they scaled the sanctuary? David’s sanctuary that is his place of prayer for they had been prohibited fro...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Story of the Two Litigants In discussing this passage, the scholars of Tafsir mention a story which is mostly based upon Isra'iliyat narrations. Nothing has been reported about this from the Infallible Prophet that we could accept as true. But Ibn Abi Hatim narrated a Hadith whose chain of narra...

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