Mariam bint Imran

The story of Mariam bint Imran was among the many stories that Allah (God) told His Messenger, because of the wisdom behind the story that only Allah knows, Where Allah instills strength and steadfastness in the heart of the Messenger of Allah and establishes him on the religion of Islam, So that he has the determination and steadfastness in the face of the enemies of Islam.

-Birth and life of Mariam bint Imran

The Lady Mariam bint Imran, peace be upon her, her mother was Hannah bint (the daughter of ) Faqudha bin Kabeel. Her parents were known for their morals, piety and righteousness.

The piety of Hannah, the mother of Mary, and her love for Allah (God Almighty) appeared when she became pregnant and vowed what was in her womb for the service of Al Quds. There was another saying that she vowed what was in her womb before she was pregnant. The reason for this vow is that Maryam’s mother was old and barren, so she intended to vow her baby purely for the sake of God.

Lady Mariam was born in the absence of her father, he died while her mother was pregnant.

Her mother as we mentioned, vowed to serve  bayt al maqdes (Al Quds) when she was born, but it is known that the vow to serve Al Quds was for males only, but Mariam came as a girl, so her mother was saddened by her vow that she could not fulfill. But Allah accepted her with a good acceptance, And took care of her, and what Allah takes care of is always in welfare.

Zakaria, peace be upon him, warrantied her, she grew up in his house, getting raised in the Prophet’s house is the best thing that could ever happen to her, Zakaria was her guardian, the one who took care of her and protected her. When Mariam (peace be upon her) reached puberty, she had a mihrab inside the mosque that no one could enter except Zakaria, peace be upon him. Mariam had a lot of good and unparalleled sustenance, from where she does not know, every time Zakaria enters the mihrab, he finds her with a sustenance that he has no idea where it came from, but it is Allah who grants them and provides them what they would never expect.

-The story of Mariam and her pregnancy

Mary was isolated from her family, as all her focus was on worshiping Allah (God Almighty) to the fullest, And she was ascetic about her people, as she got herself isolated in an Eastern location. This place where Mariam isolated herself in was far from people, as it was isolated from them on a barrier as stated in the Book of God (Quran) God Almighty said:

وَاذكُر فِي الكِتابِ مَريَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَت مِن أَهلِها مَكانًا شَرقِيًّا * فَاتَّخَذَت مِن دونِهِم حِجابًا فَأَرسَلنا إِلَيها روحَنا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَها بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا).

(And mention in the Scripture Mary, when she withdrew from her family to an eastern location. She secluded herself from them, and We sent to her Our Spirit, and he appeared to her as an immaculate human)

And while she was in isolation from her people, God sent our master Gabriel to her to give her the glad tidings of Jesus peace be upon him (عيسي عليه السلام)

But Mariam thought that he wanted to hurt her because when Allah sent him to her, he was in a form of a man, so Mary was terrified and told our master Gabriel to fear Allah in her, but Gabriel reassured her that Allah was the one who sent him, as it came in Quran: (قالَت إِنّي أَعوذُ بِالرَّحمنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا * قالَ إِنَّما أَنا رَسولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلامًا زَكِيًّا)

( She said, “I take protection from you in the Compassionate, should you be righteous.”* He said, l am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure boy.)

Mariam, peace be upon her, was astonished when our master Gabriel told her! She’s not married how could she be pregnant when no one have ever touched her! But he gave her good tidings that God would create this boy and bring him to life without a father, as this miracle would be a reminder and a sign for people to believe in God, as he said in his sacred book (Quran):

(قالَت أَنّى يَكونُ لي غُلامٌ وَلَم يَمسَسني بَشَرٌ وَلَم أَكُ بَغِيًّا * قالَ كَذلِكِ قالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَلِنَجعَلَهُ آيَةً لِلنّاسِ وَرَحمَةً مِنّا وَكانَ أَمرًا مَقضِيًّا).

( She said, “How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I was never unchaste?”* He said, “Thus said your Lord, `It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to humanity, and mercy from Us. It is a matter already decided.’”)

-The birth of Jesus, عيسي عليه السلام

As her pregnancy was a miracle, her son wasn’t an ordinary person either, he is the Messiah Jesus, peace be upon him. When Mariam gave birth to Jesus, peace be upon him, she took him to her people, but they judged her and couldn’t accept what happened as came in the Quran:

يَا أُخْتَ هَارُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا

O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an indecent man, and your mother was not unchaste.”

So she asked them, by pointing only without speaking to them, to comply with the command of Allah Almighty, to speak to her son, but they were astonished at her request, how could they speak to a newborn baby! As it came as a dialogue I’m Quran:

فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ ۖ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا

So she pointed to him. They said, “How can we speak to an infant in the crib?”

The response came from Jesus, peace be upon him:

قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا

30. He said, “I am the servant of Allah. He gave me the Scripture, and He made me a prophet.

وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا

31. And He made me a blessing wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayer and charity, so long as I live.

وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا

32. And kind to my mother, and He did not make me a disobedient rebel.

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا

33. And Peace is upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the Day I get resurrected alive.”

Surat Mariam, verses 30 to 33

And that was when they believed her and learned that she was innocent and honest (peace be upon her).

The story of Mariam bint Imran is one of the most miraculous inspiring stories in Islam that may inspire you to learn Quran “our islamic reference” just to enjoy the aesthetic way the Quran was written in, and how well and detailed the stories in the Quran such as Surat Mariam we were talking about and Surat yusuf , hud (هود)and so much more.