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Maryam, or Mary, is the only woman mentioned by name in the Holy Qur’an.
She is mentioned in twelve chapters of the Qur’an, a total of thirty-four times.
But even more important than the number of times her name is used is the
fact that she was mentioned in verses of the Qur’an from different periods of
the revelation. Interestingly, she is mentioned by name only nineteen times
in the New Testament.
Mary was given her name by her mother. Her name has been said to mean
“the one who does not want, one who departs” or “the servant,” but the
opinion that the name Mary means “one who worships” in the Aramaic
language1 seems more suitable.
When her father Imran died,2 Mary was still only a young girl and many
asked for the honorable duty of her guardianship, but this duty was bestowed
upon Prophet Zachariah3 in an event that was revealed in the Holy Qur’an:
“(O Messenger:) that is of the tidings of the things of the unseen (the things
that took place in the past and have remained hidden from people with all
their truth), which We reveal to you, for you were not present with them
when they drew lots with their pens about who should have charge of Mary;
nor were you present with them when they were disputing (about the
matter)” (Al Imran 3:44). The Qur’anic verse which describes how Mary’s
sustenance comes to her is immediately followed by a supplication from
Zachariah that clearly indicates that he was growing old and was slowly
becoming incapable of looking after Mary adequately. This is the most likely
reason for the weak reports claiming that the person who was blessed with
her guardianship was a priest called Juraich4 or a member of her family
called Joseph,5 but these reports have no authority, for God revealed in the
Qur’an that Mary was living under the education and care of Zachariah.6
Mary was blessed with sustenance from God
Zachariah made Mary a sanctuary7 in the temple so she could be more
occupied with daily worship.8 During the period that Mary lived at the temple
under the guidance of Zachariah, she was exceptionally blessed with
sustenance from God. The Qur’an informs us that every time Zachariah went
to see Mary, there would be lovely fruits in her room: “Whenever Zachariah
went in to her in the Sanctuary, he found her provided with food. ‘Mary,’ he
asked, ‘how does this come to you?’ ‘From God,’ she answered. Truly God
provides to whomever He wills without reckoning” (Al Imran 3:37).9 It is also
known that after giving birth to baby Jesus, she was miraculously provided
with the blessing of fresh dates and water. A similar event is reported for
Fatima, the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.10
There is no information about Mary’s life before the angel came giving Mary
the glad tidings of Jesus’s birth. But the books of Apocrypha (accounts
rejected by the Church) convey the blessing of sustenance bestowed upon
Mary. However, the Apocrypha give some information about the earlier
period of Mary’s life, including predictions as to where she was born and even
estimations regarding the date of her birth. The Protoevangelium, one of the
books of Apocrypha, contains some additional information which is not found
in the canonical scriptures (those accepted by the Church).
The Qur’an also bears witness to Mary being a woman of “truth”13 in many
verses.
1. “The best of the women in the world is Mary (in her lifetime),14 and the
best of the women in the world is Khadijah (in her lifetime).” (Bukhari,
Muslim)
2. “Many among men attained perfection, but among women none attained
perfection except Mary the daughter of Imran, and Asiya the wife of Pharaoh;
and the superiority of Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid
(an Arabic dish) to other meals.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
3. “There is no new-born except that (at the moment of birth) Satan disturbs
him, so he begins to cry from Satan’s disturbance with the exception of the
son of Mary and his mother.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
4. “Of all the women in the universe, four would suffice (as an example for
others): Mary, Asiya, Khadija, and Fatima.” (Tirmidhi, Ahmad b. Hanbal)
5. “The best of the women of Paradise are Khadijah, Fatima, Asiya and Mary.”
(Ahmad b. Hanbal)
7. “The best women among the camel riders, are the women of Quraish.”
(Another narrator said) The Prophet said, “The righteous among the women
of Quraish are those who are kind to their young ones and who look after
their husband’s property,” (Bukhari, Muslim) and this hadith is followed up in
many cases by a report from Abu Hurairah who said, “Mary the daughter of
Imran never rode a camel,” stressing the virtues of Mary. According to Imam
Nawawi and Ibn Hajar, Abu Hurairah’s aim was not actually to stress the fact
that Mary never rode a camel but was just an expression of his praise of
Mary’s virtues,15 or another explanation of these words could be, “It does not
mean that a woman who rides a camel is righteous because Mary was a
righteous woman even though she never rode a camel.”
As we see from these hadith the interpreters and scholars have varying
opinions on the order of arrangement of the superiority of these women, but
the most interesting aspect of these hadith is that although the other names
may change, Mary is the only person who is mentioned in all the given
examples of these hadith, and this should be sufficient to show her
unmatched excellence.
There are some Christian theologians who claim that Mary was a prophet.
The Christian opinion in general is that she was superior to other women and
saints but not superior to Jesus. Mary has been widely praised in Christian
literature for her obedience, patience, modesty, piety, faith, hope,
compassion, dignity and many other virtues.
The chapter Mary (19:16–33) of the Qur’an gives an extensive version of the
conception, the birth and the events that followed the birth of baby Jesus.
Furthermore, God the Almighty reveals how He located Mary and her son
Jesus, whom He sent as an example to humans, in a prosperous place on high
land with flowing streams and bestowed upon Jesus the divine benevolence
He had bestowed upon his mother: “O Jesus son of Mary! O Jesus, son of
Mary! Remember My favor upon you and upon your mother” (Al-Maeda
5:110).
So in brief, Mary was a true monument of chastity and, even though she was
a virgin, conceived in a miraculous way. The fact that Mary guarded both her
dignity and chastity is emphasized in the following verses of the Qur’an:
“And (mention) that blessed woman who set the best example in guarding
her chastity. We breathed into her out of Our Spirit, and We made her and
her son a miraculous sign (of Our Power and matchless way of doing things)
for all the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya 21–91), “And also Mary, the daughter of Imran,
who kept herself chaste (body and soul), so We breathed into it out of Our
Spirit, and who affirmed the truth of the words of her Lord, and His Books;
and she was of those devoutly obedient to God.” (At-Tahrim 66:12).
As a matter of fact, the Qur’an tells us that great disaster and punishment
await those who speak unfavorably about Mary, for whatever they say
against her chastity and dignity is slander, and their hearts are sealed to
faith.
Notes
1. Zamahshari, I, 142; Bagawî, I, 295; Baydâwî, II, 31.
2. Hâkim, Mustadrak II, 646; Tabarî, III, 235; Zamahshari, I, 142.
3. See Al Imran 3:37, 44. Also Ibn Hisham, III, 121; Tabari, III, 242-244.
4. Ibn Hisham, III, 121.
5. Ibn Kathir, Bidayah II, 68; Alusi, III, 165, XVI, 80.
6. See Al Imran 3:37. Also see: Tabari, III, 242-244; Qurtubi, IV, 71-86.
7. Mihrab is the original Qur’anic word. A bit different than its meaning today,
mihrab in this context refers to a place “where one lives and prays, a most
honorable place, where one strives against the carnal self.”
8. Tabari, III, 245; Wahidi, I, 208; Baydawi, II, 34.
9. See also Tabari, III, 244-246; Baqawi, I, 297; Fahruddin ar-Razi, VI, 283.
10. Zamahshari, I, 143; Ibn Kathir, I, 361.
11. See also New Testament, Luke 1:26–28; 41–42.
12. Tabari, III, 262-264; Vahidi, I, 210.
13. Al- Maidah 5:75. The word “Truth” means trustworthy, of truthful speech
pious in faith and religion. Ibn Manzur, “s-d-k” (X, 193)
14. Scholars like Qadi Iyaz and Qurtubi understood the meaning of these
words as “superior to all women on the earth.”
15. Navawi, XVI, 80; Ibn Hajar, VI, 473-474, IX, 125.
16. Navawi, XV, 198; Ayni, XV, 308.
17. Navawi, XV, 198; Baydawi, II, 38; Ibn Kathir, II, 82; Ayni, XV, 308. Those
who support this view usually refer to this verse: “We did not send before you
as Messengers any but men to whom We revealed, from amongst the people
of the townships (where We raised them)” (Yusuf 12:109).
18. Ibn Asakir, Tarih al-Dimashk II, 337, 411.