MARY IN ISLAM

Mary is such an important figure in Islam that an entire chapter in the Holy Qur’an is named after her. She is the only woman whose name is mentioned in the Qur’an in 34 verses, while even the name of the Prophet Muhammad is mentioned only 4 times in the Qur’an. Allah proclaims in the holy book that she was chosen above all women because of her devotion and piety.  

Mary’s father was Imran, who was a descendant of the prophet Solomon. Her mother Hanah consecrated her child to God’s service while she was pregnant. As we’re told in The Qur’an; “The wife of ʿImrān said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing. But when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord, I have delivered a female." And Allah was most knowing of what she delivered, and the male is not like the female. "And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You and [for] her descendants from Satan, the expelled [from the mercy of Allah]" [Qur’an 3:35-36]. The reason that the male is not like the female is that the Jewish custom included the dedication of the male children to the temple, not the female children. But she was accepted and put in the care of Zachariah by Allah. He would take care of Mary by bringing her food to the secluded chamber where she was staying. However, sometimes he would find her with foods that he had not brought her, and summer fruits in winter as well as winter fruits in summer. When he asked about these foods, she said, “It is from God; God provides to whom He wills without reckoning” [Qur’an 3:37] 

As she was blessed with provision, she was given glad tidings of a child by the angel Gabriel, which was greeted by astonishment by Mary. She said, “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?” [Qur’an 19:20], but Gabriel set her at ease by saying, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me. And so will We make him a sign for humanity and a mercy from Us.’ It is a matter ˹already˺ decreed” [Qur’an 19:21]. With this, God showed His miracle once again: as He creates out of nothing, He created Jesus without a father. After Mary gave birth to Jesus in a remote place, she came back with her child in her arms. Her people said “O Mary! You have certainly done a horrible thing! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an indecent man, nor was your mother unchaste” [Qur’an 19:27-28]. Mary pointed her finger to her baby, Jesus. He said; “I am truly a servant of Allah. He has destined me to be given the Scripture and to be a prophet. He has made me a blessing wherever I go, and bid me to establish prayer and give alms-tax as long as I live, and to be kind to my mother. He has not made me arrogant or defiant. Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I will be raised back to life!” [Qur’an 19:30-33]. 

With her piety, devotion, profound faith and virtue, Mary is a role model for all believers. Her trust in Allah when she was given the tidings of prophet Jesus, and when she encountered her people with a child—even though she was not married—is admirable, and something we should try to emulate. 

“˹There is˺ also ˹the example of˺ Mary, the daughter of ’Imrân, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her ˹womb˺ through Our angel ˹Gabriel˺. She testified to the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the ˹sincerely˺ devout.” [Qur’an 66:12]