Transcript Remember Mary in the Book

The Qur'an informs us of former Prophets and religious figures
sent by God to proclaim His Oneness. Islam requires Muslims to
acknowledge and respect these people, one of whom is Mary
(Maryam), the mother of Prophet Jesus. She has a unique place in
the Qur'an and the hearts of Muslims, and is remembered as a
highly devout woman.
Mary is depicted in the Qur'an as an individual in her own right.
The Qur'an usually mentions her and Jesus separately, and deals
more with her life before Jesus and her own merits as a woman
chosen, purified, and protected by God. Most Biblical figures who
appear in the Qur'an are from the Old Testament. Mary is one of
the few New Testament figures, along with Zachariah, John the
Baptist, and Jesus.
 Both holy books refer to women by their relationship to a man or
a place. For example: the wives of Noah, Abraham, and Pharaoh,
and the Queen of Sheba.
Only Moses, Abraham, and Noah are mentioned more often. The
Qur'an's nineteenth chapter”Surah Maryam”is named after her,
and its third chapter”Surat Al-˜Imran (˜Imran's Family)”is
devoted primarily to her and her family.
While the Bible calls her the Mother of Jesus, the Qur'an calls
Jesus the Son of Mary. Islam values mothers, and Muslims revere
pious, devoted mothers. Mary is considered one of the greatest
examples of female perfection, a person who reached one of the
highest of positions.
 The Qur'an, which lacks any mention of Joseph, moves
in the other direction by identifying Jesus in relation
to his maternal family tree. In the Qur'an, therefore,
the spotlight is on Mary as a single parent who
establishes Jesus' lineage. This is quite different from
the New Testament, where her family history is
unknown and her primary role is to conceive and give
birth to Jesus, not give him a bloodline he can be
proud of.
 God chose Mary and placed her in ˜Imran's blessed
household. Hanne (or Anna), Imran's wife and Mary's
mother, prayed for a child despite her barrenness. Upon
learning of her pregnancy, she devoted her child to God:
My Lord, I have vowed to You that what is in my womb will
be dedicated to Your service. Accept it from me, for You are
the One Who hears, the One Who knows. When she
brought forth the child, she said: My Lord, I have brought
forth a female,”but God knew what she had brought forth,
for the male is not like the female”and I have named her
Mary. I place her and her offspring under Your protection
from Satan, the cursed one (3:35-36).
 Her piety was obvious. She dedicated her unborn child
to God's service, and then, after discovering it is a girl,
placed the child and the child's offspring, including
Jesus, under God's protection. God prepared a virtuous
lineage for Jesus by protecting Mary, the mother-to-be
of a Prophet, from all evil and impurity, so that she
would be a pure source for the miraculous birth.
 As boys were more likely to be given to priests to be raised
and educated, girls were rarely dedicated to temples.
Hanne, probably not expecting a daughter, gave Mary to
the priest Zachariah so that she would be raised in the
purest place. Her gender, as well as the traditions and social
conceptions of her time, should not prevent her from
attaining closeness to God. She was a special person, one
being prepared for a life of utmost belief and devotion, and
to witness God's miracle. Her unique story started with a
prayer while she was still an embryo. The prayer was
accepted, and a life of faith and surrender to the Divine
Will began...
 God accepted her, caused her to grow up well, and had
Zachariah take care of her. The exact nature of their
relationship is unknown. The Bible notes that she was
a relative of Zachariah's wife. Zachariah had a special
tie to Mary, seeing that Mary's mother had placed her
in his custody. Whenever he visited her, he found her
with provisions. When he asked where they came
from, she said: It is from God. Truly, God provides for
whomever He wishes without measure (3:37).
 Mary lived in a mihrab, literally a chamber, a place of
honor, a sanctuary protected from impurity. The text
says that Zachariah had to go there to see Mary,
implying that she was confined therein and totally
protected from the world. That he was always
surprised to find her with food supports this
interpretation. God was her true Provider, although
she appeared to be in Zachariah's custody.
 Her answer to Zachariah was notable. She stated that
God is the true Provider and provides for whomever
He wishes without measure. Immediately after Mary's
suggestion, Zachariah prayed: My Lord, grant me
offspring from Yourself. Truly, You hear all prayers
(3:38). Thus she implied that God could grant any
wish, regardless of its impossibility. Zachariah was old
and his wife was barren, and yet he asked God for a
child. The angels called to him while he was praying,
saying that he would be given a son named John, who
would be a Prophet. We could say that the Qur'an is
hinting about the miraculous birth to come.
 This scene shows Mary in all her wisdom and deepness of
faith: The miraculous gift of food serves a double function
in the story. In the first place, it is a tangible expression of
the divine protection Mary receives of her dedication and
devotion to God. Second, it functions as Zachariah's
springboard to deeper faith and trust in the deity. In the
process, there has been an interesting reversal of roles
between Zachariah and Mary. What he provides for her, the
superfluous food and drink he brings to the mihrab, is
unnecessary for her survival. But what she provides him, a
much-needed lesson about the power of God, is
indispensable for his. Sequestered in the solitude of the
mihrab, she has become his caretaker.
 Two Qur'anic passages mention Mary during her pregnancy, as follows:
The angels said: Oh Mary, God has chosen and purified you. He has
chosen you above all other women. Oh Mary, be obedient to your Lord.
Prostrate yourself and be among those who bow down. This is part of
the hidden news We reveal to you. You were not with them when they
cast lots to see who would take care of Mary, nor were you with them
when they disputed among themselves. The angels said: Oh Mary, God
gives you the good news of a word from Him. His name will be Messiah
Jesus, son of Mary, who will be eminent in this world and the next, and
will be one of those brought near (to God). He shall speak to people
from the cradle and in his later years, and will be one of the righteous.
She said: My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched
me? He said: Thus it is. God creates what He wills. If He decrees
something, He only need say: ˜Be!' and it is. (3:42-47)
 Mary is called chosen and purified, one kept from sin by God.
She was raised in the purest family and had the utmost
dedication to God. Her mother prayed that she and her offspring
would be protected from Satan, and her prayers were answered.
In addition, she was advised to prostrate herself and be among
those who bow down. The Qur'an often advises believers to
perform these acts of faith in their prayers: Mary is being
exhorted to do the same. The intention behind this, as we have
seen with other biblical figures found in the Qur'an, is to remind
the reader that the attitude of submission at the heart of Islam is
not something that came into existence only with the arrival of
Muhammad. Many virtuous people, like Mary, fully submitted
themselves to the divine will centuries prior to the emergence of
Islam.
 The Qur'an reminds Prophet Muhammad and its readers
that part of the hidden news is being related. As only God
knows all of the hidden news, Muslims are cautious not to
add to what the Qur'an has revealed. For example, the
place in the east mentioned in the following verse is not
precise. It could be a chamber on the eastern side of
Zachariah's house or the city of Nazareth. As the Qur'an
does not diverge from its main point, in this case Mary's
self-imposed seclusion even before the annunciation, such
irrelevant details are not given. Her decision, made before
she knew of this event, cannot be seen as an act of escape
from social pressure. It is highly likely that it was an
attempt to draw closer to God.
 Remember Mary in the Book. When she withdrew
from her family to a place in the east and took cover
from them, We sent to her Our spirit which appeared
to her in the form of a normal person. She said: I take
refuge in the Merciful One from you if you fear Him.
He said: I am only a messenger from your Lord, to give
you a righteous son. She said: How can I have a son
when no man has touched me and I have not been
unchaste? He said: Thus it is. Your Lord said: ˜It is easy
for Me. We will make him a sign for people and mercy
from Us. It is an accomplished fact.' (19:16-21)
 One may imagine her distress at such an awkward
situation. Raised in the purest household and living a
life of chastity and virtue, she now must confront
terribly degrading accusations and humiliation. Not
comprehending, she said she cannot have a son
because she is a chaste virgin. Although the angel
confirmed this and said he was sent by her Lord, she
still did not comprehend how the pregnancy can
occur. Yet her upbringing and faith gave her the
strength of heart to submit fully to the Divine Will and
bear the result patiently.
 She is a young virgin, all alone in a patriarchal society.
The Qur'an does not mention Joseph, and Biblical
sources only give him a minor role. Mary does not rely
on her relatives or her appointed guardian for support.
Her lifestyle seems to demonstrate the fact that God is
the only one to rely on and turn to for help.
 She conceived him and withdrew with him to a distant
place. The birth pangs led her to the trunk of a palm
tree, where she cried: Oh, if only I had died before this
and had been forgotten, unremembered! Then (a
voice) called out to her from below her: Do not grieve.
Your Lord has placed a stream beneath you. Shake the
trunk of the palm tree and it will drop fresh ripe dates
upon you. Eat, drink, and be consoled. If you see
another person, say: ˜I have vowed a fast to the
Merciful One and will not speak to anyone today.'
(19:22-27)
 Mary went to an unknown distant place. Muslim
commentators have proposed Jerusalem, Bethlehem,
Egypt, and other places. Wherever the place, she was
far from civilization and in distress.
 Her cry in verse 23, a heartfelt complaint in which she laments
her situation, raises some interesting questions about her
character. Most of the explanations of the cause of her anguish
extend beyond herself, like her concern that others might
mistakenly call Jesus the son of God, rather than understand it as
due to lack of belief or some other personal flaw on her part.
Whatever its precise cause, there is an ironic element to her
prayer that can be easily overlooked. The image of Mary praying
that she be unremembered and obliterated from history strikes
the reader as incompatible with the high profile and exalted
status she has come to hold within both Islam and Christianity.
Against her wishes, she certainly was not forgotten! In this sense,
Mary's prayer was not answered.
 She carried him (Jesus) to her people, who said: Oh
Mary, you have done something strange! Oh sister of
Aaron, your father was not wicked nor was your
mother unchaste. She pointed to him. They said: How
can we talk to a child in the cradle? (19:27-29)
 As her son was to be a sign for people and a mercy
from God, Mary brought him to her people. God did
not desert her. According to Jewish law, an adulteress
had to be stoned to death. From his cradle, Jesus
defended his mother: I am God's servant. He has given
me the Book, made me a Prophet, blessed me
wherever I am, and charged me with prayer and
almsgiving as long as I live. [He has made me] dutiful
toward my mother, nor has He made me a tyrant,
wretched (19:31-32).
 One of Jesus' miracles is to speak in the cradle to refute
the calumnies against his mother. This idea has had a
profound effect on the Muslim mentality, and to
slander a virtuous Muslim woman is still considered
one of the greatest sins. The text has certainly
contributed to the preservation of the sense of
woman's honor in Muslim society.
 Mary's story is an example of courage and trust. Her
deep faith and devotion caused her unique life to
flourish. In addition, her life shows that religion, when
understood correctly, does not pacify or restrict
believers but rather frees them from the chains of
earthly worries and fears. This freedom allows them to
fulfill their purpose in life.
 Understanding that submission to the Divine Will is
the ultimate source of relief in this world and the
Hereafter, Mary submitted herself and found peace.
Her example lives on in the hearts of all believers and
continues to inspire all who seek to live up to their full
spiritual potential.