Commentary

In order to fulfill her vow, Sayyidah Maryam's mother took her to the Mosque of بیت المقدس Baitul-Maqdis and talked to the care-takers and worshippers at the Mosque, Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) being one of them, and. told them that she had vowed to dedicate the child in the service of God and therefore, she could not keep the child with her. She asked them to take her and keep her.

Sayyidna ` Imran (علیہ السلام) was the Imam of this Mosque. He had died during the pregnancy of Maryam's mother, otherwise he would have been the most deserving person to have taken charge of the child, being the father and the Imam of the Mosque. Therefore, every keeper and worshipper of the Mosque wished to take her in his custody. Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) pleaded his bid for custody by saying that his wife was Maryam's aunt and she being next to her mother certainly deserved to keep her. But, people did not agree to prefer him over the others. Finally, everybody agreed to draw lots, which turned out to be fairly strange as it would appear later. Here too, it was Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) who turned out to be the winner.

So, he got custody of Maryam. According to some reports, he employed a wet-nurse to have her suckled. Other reports say that she just did not need to be suckled. She grew up able to sit and walk and Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) put her in a good house adjacent to the Mosque. When he went out, he locked the house and opened it on re-turn. This has been stated briefly in the present verse.