MARY, mother of Prophet Jesus (pbuh)

compiled by: Bro. Abdullah Lagramada

Ajyad, Makkah
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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.

The guardianship of Zachariah

Mary’s honorable family upbringing, the fact that she was a chosen person,
and her many outstanding virtues are emphasized frequently in both the
Qur’an and hadith. However, the verses of the Qur’an alone are more than
sufficient to explain her superiority as a woman. Firstly, she came from an
honorable family, a father as noble as Imran and a mother so memorable and
devoted that her prayers were accepted by God. Mary was the fruit of a
devoted mother’s prayer and because of her oath she was entrusted to a holy
sanctuary at a very young age.

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 Sanctuary and sense of servitude

While she increased her worship with every day that passed, the period that
Mary was under the care of Zachariah continued with God’s special
protection and sustenance. This particular characteristic is mentioned in the
Qur’an: “And (in due time came the moment) when the angels said: “Mary,
God has chosen you and made you pure, and exalted you above all the
women in the world. “Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate and
bow (in the Prayer and devotion to Him) with those who bow!”(Al Imran 3:42–
43).11

The words of the Creator’s purification of Mary—“God’s purification”—have

been interpreted in various ways as referring to spiritual, moral, or physical
purification. Some said that this means “purification from disbelief and sin,”
while others claim this means “purification from menses following birth, all
kinds of physical defect and contact with males,” and most scholars say the
words “chosen above women of all nations” refers to all the women of her
era,12 and though the physical actions of worship are stressed in this verse,
more important is the fact that Mary abided by both the command of
worship, “be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate and bow (in the Prayer
and devotion to Him) with those who bow!” and the spirit of worship deep in
her soul: “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).

The Qur’an also bears witness to Mary being a woman of “truth”13 in many
verses.

Mary’s superiority to all women

The verse in the Qur’an about Mary being superior to all other women (Al
Imran 3:42–43) has been referred to in most commentaries as well as various
reports of hadith found in the Tisa Qutubi. About the many virtues of Mary,
the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

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)

6. “Fatima is the leader of the women of Paradise after Mary.” (Tirmidhi,

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.

Mary’s being among those named by the Prophet

The narrations stated above have led some scholars to believe that there is a
possibility of the existence of female prophets. There have been various
opinions supporting the idea that female prophets may have been sent and
asking whether Mary the mother of Jesus was a Prophet or not. The opinion of
scholars who believe Mary may have been a Prophet is based on the fact that
Mary’s name is mentioned in the Qur’an among the Prophets: “Those were
some of the Prophets on whom God did bestow his grace of the posterity of
Adam and of those whom we carried (in the Ark) with Noah and of the
posterity of Abraham and Israel—of those we guided and chose”(Mary 19:58),
and also on the angel bringing the revelation of tidings and the benevolence
provided to Mary from the creator, and the fact that she was a chosen person
above all women purified through the grace of God as a “woman of
perfection,” and “leader in Paradise”16 all led these scholars to believe that
Mary could possibly be a messenger. However, the general opinion accepted
by most scholars is that women were not sent to the world as prophets.17

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.

Mary: the monument of chastity

The Qur’an clearly explains in this verse how Mary conceived Jesus:
And (remember) when the angels said: “Mary, God gives you the glad tidings
of a Word from Him, to be called the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary" highly
honored in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those near-stationed to
God. He will speak to people in the cradle and in manhood, and he is of the
righteous. "Lord," said Mary, “how shall I have a son seeing no mortal has
ever touched me?” “That is how it is,” he (the Spirit who appeared before
her) said, (quoting God): “God creates whatever He wills; when He decrees a
thing, He does but say to it ‘Be!’ and it is.”(Al Imran 3:45–47)

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).

There are various reports and comments specifically referring to Mary’s

conception of Jesus and the miraculous birth in the interpretations and
explanations of hadith which exceed the limits of this article. The embryologic
phase of Mary’s pregnancy was just like any other pregnant woman: she
conceived, the baby grew in her womb, and when the contractions began she
made her way to the vicinity of the date tree behind a flowing stream and
then gave birth. But how did the pregnancy and this embryological process
actually begin? This question resembles a parcel holding the mysteries of this
miraculous event.

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.

Mary’s death and burial

There is no account in the Qur’an or hadith of Mary’s death or burial, so
details and information related to the topic are generally based on Christian
sources or historical literature. Not included in the synoptic gospels (Matthew,
Mark, Luke), Mary’s attending the miracle of Cana (John 2:11) and the event
of the crucifix (John 19:25–27) were only reported in the book of John; she
prayed with Jesus and his disciples in the Acts (1:14) following his
resurrection, but there is no mention of the remaining period of her life, her
death, age, or appearance in any of the gospels.
It is estimated that Mary must have been around fifty years old at the time of
Jesus’ passing and there are varying reports regarding her own death; some
say she was fifty-six, while there are other reports of her being seventy or
even seventy-two. The questions of where and how she died have been
topics of discussion and dispute for centuries, but the fact that she carried on
throughout her life in sincere devotion and worship of God is much more
suitable for her general profile.

Although there is no information on Mary’s place of burial in Christian

sources, there are different views. Some say she was buried in Jerusalem,
whereas others say it could have been in Ephesus or Antioch. Although there
is no specific grave associated with Mary in Ephesus, there are graves said to
be that of Mary which are in churches, one in the Jehosaphat valley between
the Mount of Olives and Mount Temple and another in Gethsemani. There are
some claims that her grave is on the mountain of Sion, and a Syrian history
writer claims that her grave is situated in Al-Faradis in Damascus.18

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.