Ali 'Imran 37: (Within her fate), Allah graciously has shown acceptance to her and raised her in goodness like a plant. And Allah assigned Zachary for her care. Whenever Zachary entered the place of worship and saw a provision there with her, he asked “oh Mary! Where do these come from?” She said “this is from Allah. Allah gives countless provisions to whoever desires (within their fate).”

Verse 37: Her Lord accepted Mary with goodly acceptance. He raised her like a beautiful plant. And He put Zechariah in charge of her care. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found provision there and said: O Mary, where does this come to you from? And she: this is from Allah. Allah gives countless provision to whom He wills, she would say. Yes.

Let us read this verse too, and after that, if you have questions, ask. We will chat a little. We will talk. And verse 38, if Allah grants it, on Tuesday evening. Inshallah. Allah Almighty accepted Mary. And after that she grew up under Allah Almighty's protection and upbringing. The growth a child normally makes in a month, Mary made in a day. A child who would grow in a month grows in a day.

And Mary had good character. That is, it doesn't mean that if she grows in a day what grows in a month, she became huge in size. That is, if others reach puberty at seven or nine years old, she, at three or four years old, I mean, becomes mature and of age. Or at two, by comparison, and also her speech, understanding, hearing, her senses accordingly, I mean. This is not hard for Allah.

We watch documentaries. Gazelles give birth. Those roe deer give birth. An hour later that animal knows what to do. Right as soon as it is born. If there are cheetahs or so nearby, they hide around like that. How do you know this? Just as it is born. An hour later it hops, jumps, runs away. An hour later it knows what to do. Well, this too, one month in a day, is this development of the mind. The development of the mind.

It is narrated that when Mary was born, her mother wraps her in a cloak. She brings her to Masjid al-Aqsa. She hands her over to the 29 rabbis, the religious men who were there. Zechariah is the head of these religious men. The one I told you about earlier.

Mary's mother Hannah tells those there: this is a vow. Accept it, she says.

Upon this, all the religious men claim Mary because she is from the family of Imran.

The family of Imran, a prophet's grandchildren. A prophet's grandchild, the daughter of Imran. Mary. Yes.

But since Zechariah is the husband of Mary's maternal aunt, he says that he should take Mary. I am the husband of her mother's sister, he says. I am her relative. Give her to me, he says. The religious men: her mother, while closest, dedicated her to Allah. She did not keep her with her. You cannot take her either, they say. They are right. The religious men are people of knowledge.

In the end they decide to draw lots.

They will go to the Jordan River and drop their pens into its water. Whoever's pen rises above the water and stays in place, he will take the child.

They go to the Jordan River. They drop their pens into the water. Zechariah's pen rises above the water; he takes Mary and hands her over to her aunt.

When the child reached puberty and became a young girl, Zechariah, in the mosque, has a pavilion built, reached by stairs from below.

Like a raised gallery, I mean. From the floor, it is higher up. Let us call it a room of her own. It is reached by stairs.

What is meant by the verse in the Holy Quran mentioning the mihrab is this pavilion. You know how one goes up to the mihrab now; this pavilion.

It has nothing to do with the mihrab in mosques. You know the mihrab the imams go up into; it has nothing to do with that. In fact, the mihrab is that pavilion. They call it the mihrab. Zechariah; the ones in mosques, since one goes up high, take the mihrab from there; it takes it from within that anyway. Every time Zechariah came to Mary, he would see beside her fruit not growing at that time: summer- season fruit, and in summer, fruits that grow in winter, various fruits. He asks Mary: I lock the door on you and open it; who gives you these fruits, he asks. And Mary, to Zechariah, her aunt's husband: Allah gives me these, Allah gives to whom He wills countless provision; saying this, she answers her uncle.

So by: Allah raised Mary like a beautiful plant, what is meant is that He protected, raised and nourished her in the most beautiful way. And He put Zechariah, her uncle, the husband of her aunt, in charge of her care.