What are the verses from the Qur'an that Ja'far recited to the king of Abyssinia?

 The verses from the Qur’an that Ja’far recited to the king are from the chapter Mary (Surah Maryam), which tells the story of Jesus and his mother Mary. According to some sources, Ja’far recited from verse 16 to verse 36:

وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا

Recount in the Book how Mary withdrew from her people to an eastern place

فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

and kept herself in seclusion from them. We sent her Our angel, who presented himself to her as a full-grown human being.

قَالَتْ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا

When she saw him, she said, "I seek refuge in the compassionate God from you; [do not come near] if you fear the Lord."

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَٰمًا زَكِيًّا

"I am only the messenger of your Lord," he replied. "I shall bestow upon you the gift of a son endowed with purity."

قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا

She said, "How can I have a son when no man has touched me; and neither have I been unchaste?"

قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ ۖ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا

[The angel] replied, "So shall it be; your Lord says, 'This is easy for Me; and We shall make him a sign to people and a blessing, from Us. This has been decreed.'"

فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتْ بِهِۦ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا

So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a distant place.

فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا

The pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said, "Oh, if only I had died before this and passed into oblivion!"

 Mary was in a state of extreme anxiety and fear when she felt the contractions of childbirth. She was not worried about the physical pain, but about the social stigma and criticism that she would face from her people for having a child without a husband. She wished that she had died before this situation and avoided this disgrace. The angel’s words—“Grieve not at all”—were meant to comfort her and assure her that Allah had a plan for her and her child. The text contrasts Mary’s situation with that of a married girl who is delivering her first baby. Such a girl might suffer from severe pain, but she would not be sorrowful and grieved like Mary, because she would have the support and acceptance of her husband and family.

فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحْتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا

But a voice called out to her from below, "Do not despair. Your Lord has provided a brook that runs at your feet,

وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا

and if you shake the trunk of this palm-tree, it will drop fresh ripe dates on you.

فَكُلِى وَٱشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْنًا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِىٓ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا

Eat and drink and rejoice. And if you see any human being say, 'I have vowed a fast [of silence] to the Gracious God, and will not speak with any human being today.'"

According to some tafsir (explanations) of the Qur’an, this verse shows that Allah provided Mary with food and water in the form of ripe dates and a stream under her feet. He also commanded her to rejoice and be happy with the birth of her son, who was a miracle and a blessing from Him. He also instructed her to say to anyone who would question her about her child that she had vowed a fast of silence to Allah, meaning that she would not speak to anyone that day. This was a way of avoiding any accusations or arguments from her people, and also a way of showing her devotion and gratitude to Allah. This verse also shows that fasting in the previous scriptures was not only abstaining from food and drink, but also from speech. 

فَأَتَتْ بِهِۦ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُۥ ۖ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْـًٔا فَرِيًّا

Carrying her child, she brought him to her people. They said, "O Mary, you have indeed done something terrible!

يَٰٓأُخْتَ هَٰرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ ٱمْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا

Sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman!"

فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا

She pointed to the child. They said, "How shall we talk to someone who is a child in the cradle?"

قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّا

[But] he said, "I am God's servant. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet;

وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا

He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving throughout my life.

وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا

He has made me dutiful toward my mother, and He has not made me arrogant or wicked.

This verse also shows that being dutiful to one’s parents is a sign of piety and righteousness, and that being arrogant or wicked is a sign of misery and deviation. 

وَٱلسَّلَٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا

Blessed was I on the day I was born, and blessed I shall be on the day I die and on the day I am raised to life again."

ذَٰلِكَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قَوْلَ ٱلْحَقِّ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ

Such was Jesus, the son of Mary. That is the whole truth, about which they still dispute:

مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ ۖ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ

it does not befit the majesty of God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! He is far above that: when He decrees something, He says only, "Be!" and it is.

وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ

[Jesus said], "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."