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MARY AND HER
SON, JESUS
The Noble Qur'an, the final testament which God Almighty revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as guidance for all mankind, speaks highly not-
only of Mary, but also of Jesus, her son. According to the Noble Qur'an,
Jesus (P.B.U.H.) is a prophet as are Noah, Abraham, and Moses (Peace Be Upon
Them All). As far as Mary is concerned, the Noble Qur'an has hailed her as a
model for the women of the entire world. The following discussion, based on
the Noble Qur'an, will further explain this fact.
In the Noble Qur'an, Mary (P.B.U.H.) has been mentioned several times,
especially in the chapters called "Al-Imran" and "Maryam", the Arabic name
for Mary. When Mary was born, her mother prayed that her daughter should be
given the protection of God, so she would lead a good life. God Almighty
heard her plea and accepted Mary into His protection, under the care of
Zackariah, the father of John "the Baptist." Allah the Almighty says in the
Noble Qur'an:
"Behold! A woman of Imran said: 'O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is
in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest
and knowest all things.' When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord!
Behold! I am delivered of a female child!' - And Allah knew best what she
brought forth. And the male is not as the female. I have named her Mary, and
I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan the outcast." (Qur'an,
3: 35 – 36).
"Whenever Zackariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found her
provided with food. He said: 'O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?' She said:
"It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases without
measure." (Qur'an, 3: 37).
"Behold! The angels said: O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee;
chosen thee above the women of all nations. O Mary! Worship thy Lord
devoutly; prostrate thyself and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow
down." (Qur'an, 3: 42 .(
The Noble Qur'an further states that it is an awesome statement to accuse
Mary of unchastity, as did the Jews:
"That they rejected faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false
charge." (Qur'an, 4: 156 ) .
The Noble Qur'an also gives an account of the birth of Jesus by Mary. Just
prior to Jesus' birth, Mary retired to an eastern place where she prayed. It
was in this state that the angel appeared to her in the shape of a man. As
she thought the angel was a man, she was frightened and asked him not to
invade her privacy. God Almighty says in the Noble Qur'an:
"Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family
to a place in the east. She placed a screen (to screen herself from them).
Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all
respects. She said: 'I seek refuge from thee in (Allah) Most Gracious: (come
not near) if thou dost fear Allah.' He said: 'I am only a messenger from thy
Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.' She said: "How shall I
have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste." (Qur'an,
19: 16-20 ) .
Mary was naturally confused by this as she proclaimed that she had not been
touched by any man, to which the angel then replied:
He said: "So (it will be): thy Lord saith: "That is easy for Me: and (We
wish) to appoint him as a sign unto men and a mercy from Us: it is a matter
(so) decreed. So she conceived him and she retired with him to a remote
place." (Qur'an, 19: 21 – 22 ) .
Mary, being human, suffered the effects of childbirth as any expectant
mother would during these times. Allah the Almighty says in the Noble Qur'an:
"And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: she
cried (in her anguish: 'Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I
had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!' But (a voice) cried to her
from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not for thy Lord hath provided a
rivulet beneath thee. "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree:
it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine)
eye. And if thou dost see any man say: I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most
Gracious and this day will I enter into no talk with any human being." (Qur'an,
19: 23-26 ) .
When Mary showed the baby to her people, they said that this was truly an
amazing thing that had happened. The newly born baby (Jesus) replied to the
people as shown In the following verses:
"At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms).
They said: 'O Mary! Truly an amazing thing has thou brought! O sister of
Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil nor thy mother a woman unchaste!'
But she pointed to the babe. They said: 'How can we talk to one who is a
child in the cradle?' He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath
given me revelation and made me a prophet; and hath made me blessed
wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I
live. (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable.
So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I
shall be raised alive."
( Qur'an, 19: 27-33 ) .
Even though Mary is the mother of Jesus and occupies the highest position
among women, neither Mary nor Jesus has any divine attributes. The Noble
Qur'an makes this clear in the following verses:
"They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. "But said
Christ: "O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.
"Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the garden and
the fire will be his abode. There will be for the wrongdoers no one to help.
They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a trinity: For there is
no God except one God (Allah). If they desist not from their word (of
blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among
them. Why turn they not to Allah and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than an
apostle. Many were the apostles that passed away before him. His mother was
a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah
doth make His Signs clear to them. Yet see in what ways they are deluded
away from the truth! Say: "Will ye worship besides Allah something which
hath no power either to harm or benefit you? But Allah, He it is that
heareth and knoweth all things." Say: "O people of the Book! Exceed not in
your religion the bounds (of what is proper) trespassing beyond the truth
nor following the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by,
who misled many and strayed (themselves) from the even way." (Qur'an, 5:
72-77 ) .
Jesus (P.B.U.H.) was born miraculously through the same power which had
brought, Adam (P.B.U.H.) into being who had no father and mother:
"Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He (God)
created him of dust, and then said to him, "be!" and he was." (Qur'an,3: 59
) .
"Say: He is Allah the One and Only; Allah the Eternal Absolute, He begetteth
not nor is He begotton; and there is none like unto Him." (Qur'an, 112) .
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