The angels said, "Mary, God has selected you and purified you. He has selected you over [all] the women of your time. 42 Mary, pray devotedly to your Lord, prostrate yourself before Him and bow down with those who bow down before Him." 43 (O Muhammad!) We reveal to you this account from a realm which lies beyond the reach of your perception for you were not with them when they drew lots with their pens about who should be Mary's guardian, and you were not with them when they disputed about it. 44 (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word ["Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah." 45 "He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous." 46 "Lord," she said, "how can I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] replied, "Thus it is: God creates what He wills: when He wills a thing He need only say, "Be," and it is. 47 God will give (Jesus) wisdom and teach him the Book, the Torah, and the Gospel. 48 "And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; 49 Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me, and to make lawful to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me. 50 ‘Undoubtedly Allah is the Lord of all – mine and yours – so worship Him only; this is the Straight Path.’” 51 ۞ Then when 'Iesa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?" Al-Hawariun (the disciples) said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah)." 52 Lord, we have believed in what You sent down and followed the Messenger. Write us among Your witnesses' 53 Then they schemed (against the Messiah), and Allah countered their schemes by schemes of His own. Allah is the best of schemers. 54