peak unto no man for three
days, otherwise than by gesture: remember thy Lord often, and praise him
evening and morning. And when the angels said, O Mary, verily God hath
chosen thee, and hath purified thee, and hath chosen thee above all the
women of the world: O Mary, be devout towards thy Lord, and worship, and
bow down with those who bow down. This is a secret history: we reveal it
unto thee, although thou wast not present with them when they threw in
their rods to cast lots which of them should have the education of Mary:
neither wast thou with them, when they strove among themselves. When the
angels said, O Mary, verily God sendeth thee good tidings, that thou
shalt bear the Word, proceeding from himself; his name shall be Christ
Jesus the son of Mary, honorable in this world and in the world to come,
and one of those who approach near to the presence of God; and he shall
speak unto men in the cradle, and when he is grown up;[51] and he shall
be one of the righteous: she answered, Lord, how shall I have a son,
since a man hath not touched me? the angel said, So God createth that
which he pleaseth: when he decreeth a thing, he only saith unto it, Be,
and it is: God shall teach him the scripture, and wisdom, and the law,
and the gospel; and shall appoint him his apostle to the children of
Israel; and he shall say, Verily I come unto you with a sign from your
Lord; for I will make before you, of clay, as it were the figure of a
bird; then I will breathe thereon, and it shall become a bird, by the
permission of God: and I will heal him that hath been blind from his
birth, and the leper: and I will raise the dead by the permission of
God: and I will prophesy unto you what ye eat, and what ye lay up for
store in your houses. Verily herein will be a sign unto you, if ye
believe. And I come to confirm the Law which was revealed before me, and
to allow unto you as lawful, part of that which hath been forbidden
you:[52] and I come unto you with a sign from your Lord; therefore fear
God, and obey me. Verily God is my Lord, and your Lord: therefore serve
him. This is the right way. But when Jesus perceived their unbelief, he
said, Who will be my helpers towards God? The apostles[53] answered, We
will be the helpers of God; we believe in God, and do thou bear witness
that we are true believers. O Lord, we believe in that which thou has
sent down, and we have followed thy apostle; write us down therefore
with those who bear witne