Mary the Chosen woman – The Mother of Jesus in the Quran pdf

Mary the Chosen woman

MARY THE CHOSEN WOMAN

Mary in the Quran: a model for believers

The family of Mary, the mother of Jesus. enjoys a special and prominent place in Islam. The Quran’s third chapter, one of the longest, is in fact named after this family (Al Imran, or the Family of Amram).

 Throughout the Quran and in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad there are references to Mary and to other members of her family. Along with the Quran’s common reference to her as the mother of Jesus.

it also identifies Mary as the daughter of ‘Imran (Quran, 66:12), sister of Aaron (Quran, 19:28), and she who preserved her chastity (Quran, 21:91).

We know from the teachings of Prophet Muhammad that john (Yahya) was Mary’s nephew, that is, the son of her sister, thus making Zachariah Mary’s brother-in-law.1

Hence, the Quran makes specific mention of Mary’s father, Imran, and of Mary’s mother, the wife of ‘Imran (though the Quran does not mention her name).

 It is also possible that the reference to Mary as the sister of Aaron is literal, meaning that she had a brother named Aaron,2 who then would be ‘Imran’s son.

This is, of course, in addition to ‘Imran’s two daughters, Mary and the mother of John, as well as his two prophet grandsons, John and Jesus.

 This indeed constitutes distinguished recognition of one family, having only one parallel in the Quran, namely, the family of Abraham $, his sons, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

The family of ‘Imran, then, was truly exalted above much of humanity. Its members were luminaries of faith who devoted themselves to God and to consummate worship of Him:

God has surely chosen Adam and Noah, and the Family of Abraham and the Family of ‘Imran above all the worlds; “they were’ descendants, one of another. And God is all-hearing, all-knowing (Quran, 3:33-34).

The Quran, however, gives particular distinction to Mary, even in the context of her eminent family, exalting her above all of them with the exception of her son Jesus ‘ a fact reflected in the Quran’s extended treatment of her life, avail­ able in no other scripture.

The story of Mary begins when her mother discovers that she herself is with child. Hopeful of giving birth to the prophet-heir of her people, she dedicates her unborn child (whom she anticipates to be a male) to the service of God

throughout his life: Behold, the wife of ‘Imran said, “My Lord, I have dedicated to You, in devotion, what is in my belly. So accept it from me. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing” (Quran, 3:35).