Three Virtues and Three Acknowledgments

ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī has proposed a possibility which, if accepted, is a subtle one, although he himself was aware and stated: “Though it is not without some obscurity”.(182)

He says: In the previous verse, three virtues and glad tidings were given to Mary (a.s.): “God has chosen you” (personal selection); “and purified you” (purification); “and He has chosen you above the world’s women” (relative selection).

And in response to these three virtues, three acknowledgments were presented: “O Mary, be obedient to your Lord”; “and prostrate”; “and bow down with those who bow [in worship]”. In response to the first selection: “God has chosen you”, the command of obedience came: “O Mary, be obedient to your Lord”, because being chosen necessitates obedience and submission; but here “of the devoutly obedient”(183) is not mentioned, because this selection is personal selection and obedience is also a personal worship. In response to her purification: “and purified you”, which is a personal matter, came the command for personal prostration: “and prostrate”, hence He did not say “and prostrate with those who prostrate”; but in response to the third part, which is relative selection and involves comparison with others, came the command to bow: “and bow down with those who bow [in worship]”.(184)