Surah Maryam Tafseer

يَا أُخْتَ هَارُونَ

O sister of Harun!

This means, "O one resembling Harun (Aaron) in worship."

مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا

Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste woman.

They meant, "You are from a good, pure family, well-known for its righteousness, worship and abstinence from worldly indulgence. How could you do such a thing"

Ali bin Abi Talhah and As-Suddi both said,

"It was said to her,

(O sister of Harun!), referring to the brother of Musa, because she was of his descendants.

This is similar to the saying, `O brother of Tamim,' to one who is from the Tamimi tribe, and `O brother of Mudar,' to one who is from the Mudari tribe.

It has also been said that she was related to a righteous man among them whose name was Harun and she was comparable to him in her abstinence and worship.

Concerning Allah's statement,

فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ

قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا