"But when she delivered her, she said: 'My Lord, I have delivered her a female,' and Allah is most knowing of what she delivered." It is also recited in another manner: "And Allah is most knowing of what she delivered." "And the male is not like the female. And I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge for her in You and her descendants from Satan, the outcast," meaning the cursed one, so that he does not lead her or them astray. "So her Lord accepted her with a good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah," meaning He entrusted her to him, according to the interpretation of those who recite it with a light 'fa' (kafalaha). And as for those who recite it with a heavy 'fa' (kaffalaha), they say it means: "And Allah caused Zechariah to provide for her," with Zechariah in the accusative case.
Al-Kalbi said: "But when she delivered her," she wrapped her in her swaddling clothes, then sent her to the Masjid of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) and placed her therein. The rabbis, the sons of Aaron, competed for her. Zechariah said to them: "I am more entitled to her than you; her sister is with me, so leave her to me." The rabbis said: "If she were to be left to the closest of people to her, she would have been left to her mother, but we shall cast lots for her; she belongs to whoever the lot falls to." So they cast lots for her with their pens with which they used to write the revelation, and Zechariah won the lot against them, so he took her into his care and sought a wet nurse for her. When she grew up, he built a mihrab (chamber) for her in the Masjid, and placed its door in its middle, so that she could not be reached except by a ladder, and no one would have access to her except him.
﴿فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنْثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وضعت﴾ وَهِي تقْرَأ على وَجه آخر: ﴿وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ﴾ ﴿وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنْثَى وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَان الرَّجِيم﴾ أَي: الملعون أَن يضلها وإياهم ﴿فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنْبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا﴾ أَي: ضمهَا إِلَيْهِ؛ فِي تَفْسِير من خفف قرَاءَتهَا، وَمن ثقلهَا يَقُولُ: ﴿وَكَفَّلَهَا﴾ أَي: فكفلها اللَّه زَكَرِيَّا، بِنصب زَكَرِيَّا.
قَالَ الْكَلْبِيّ: ﴿فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا﴾ لفتها فِي خرقها، (ل ٤٥) ثمَّ أرْسلت بِهَا إِلَى مَسْجِد بَيت الْمُقَدّس، فَوَضَعتهَا فِيهِ فتنافسها الْأَحْبَار بَنو هَارُون، فَقَالَ لَهُم زَكَرِيَّا: أَنا أحقكم بِهَا عِنْدِي أُخْتهَا فذروها لِي، فَقَالَت الْأَحْبَار: لَو تركت لأَقْرَب النَّاس إِلَيْهَا لتركت لأمها، وَلَكنَّا نقترع عَلَيْهَا؛ فَهِيَ لمن خرج سَهْمه، فاقترعوا عَلَيْهَا بأقلامهم الَّتِي كَانُوا يَكْتُبُونَ بِهَا الْوَحْي، فقرعهم زَكَرِيَّا، فَضمهَا إِلَيْهِ، واسترضع لَهَا؛ حَتَّى إِذا شبت بنى لَهَا محرابا فِي الْمَسْجِد، وَجعل بَابه فِي وَسطه لَا يرتقى إِلَيْهَا إِلَّا بسلم، وَلا يَأْمَن عَلَيْهَا غَيره.
