Guardianship, Lots, and Contention

Some have considered the drawing of lots to have occurred after Zechariah’s (a.s.) guardianship; meaning that first Zechariah (a.s.) took on Mary’s (a.s.) guardianship based on his position as a prophet and also his familial ties; but later, due to his old age and weakness, the contention and drawing of lots arose.(207)

The basis for this view is the gap between Zechariah’s (a.s.) guardianship and the matter of contention and lots; that is, after relating the story of Zechariah’s (a.s.) guardianship and his prayer, the angels giving him glad tidings, describing the qualities of Joseph (a.s.), Zechariah (a.s.) asking for a sign, and the announcement of Mary’s (a.s.) selection and the command for devotion, prostration and bowing, the Qur’an states: “and you were not with them” and this gap indicates that the matter of contention and lots is not related to Zechariah’s (a.s.) guardianship.

It should be noted that proving that the verse speaks of two separate events is not easy, as the apparent meaning of the verse indicates a single event, and this gap cannot serve as evidence for that claim. Moreover, after relating the story of Mary’s (a.s.) birth, Zechariah’s guardianship and subsequent events, it states: “These are from the accounts of the unseen” and this refers to the contents of the previous verses, not another story.

Based on the previous verses, Mary’s (a.s.) mother requested her Lord to accept her vow: “Accept it from me. Indeed, You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing”.(208) After Mary’s birth, she also entrusted her child to God: “I commend her and her offspring to Your care against the outcast Satan”.(209) God accepted Mary (a.s.) with a gracious acceptance and created circumstances where the community leaders and temple trustees competed to serve her, to the extent that the matter was decided by drawing lots,(210) which is a rational means of resolving disputes that has also been approved by the sacred lawgiver.(211) Thus, it can be said that “and He charged Zechariah with her care”(212) means “God made Zechariah the guardian of Mary.”

Accordingly, the eagerness to take guardianship of Mary (a.s.) and the competition that arose among the community leaders, which led to contention, drawing lots, and finally the guardianship of Zechariah (a.s.), were all results of Mary’s mother’s prayer. The conclusion is that Zechariah’s (a.s.) guardianship came after the drawing of lots and did not occur in two separate phases.

Note: For the repetition of “you were not with them” in the verse under discussion: “you were not with them when they were casting their pens… and you were not with them when they were contending,” there are two possibilities:

1. There are two matters in the verse: the contention for Mary’s (a.s.) guardianship and the drawing of lots to resolve this contention. These two matters, despite their connection and relationship with each other, are two separate events, not one.
2. The repetition is for emphasis and importance, like the word “listen” in the verse “We know best what they listen for when they listen to you, and when they hold secret talks, when the wrongdoers say, ‘You will be following just a bewitched man’”.(213)