Content and Structure
The Sura opens with the Basmala and five Arabic letters: Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad. The remaining 97 ayat can then be divided into three primary sections. The first section consists of the narrative of the prophet Zachariah and the birth of his son John, the story of Mary and the birth of her son Jesus, and a commentary on Jesus's true identity which rejects the Christian claim that he is God's son. The second section tells of Abraham's departure from his family's idolatrous ways and then references many other prophets. The text discusses the various responses of those who heard their prophecy and the fates those hearers met; throughout these descriptions, the oneness of God is emphasized. The third section confirms the reality of resurrection and offers depictions of the Day of Judgment alongside depictions of this life.
In its original Arabic, the text of Sura 19 progresses through a series of varying rhyme structures that correspond to the content being discussed. Throughout the initial narration of the stories of Zachariah and John, Mary and Jesus, and other prophets, verses rhyme based on the syllable ‘ya’. When the text moves on to a commentary on the true identity of Jesus, words rhyme due to a long ‘ee’ or ‘oo’ preceding a nasal ‘m’ or ‘n’, which is considered to give an air of settledness or finality to the subjects being discussed. The first rhyme scheme is then resumed during further accounts of earlier prophets and changes to a rhyme based on a medium ‘a’ following a voiced ‘d’ when the Sura discusses punishments for those who reject truth and the prophets. The strength of this vocalization is exchanged for the stronger still double 'd' sound when denouncing unbelievers for their criticism.
Read more about this topic: Maryam (sura)
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