MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS

The Quran further says: We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and gave them shelter on a peaceful hillside watered by a fresh spring. (23: 50) And likewise: [God gave another example in the story of] Mary, ‘Imran’s daughter, who preserved her chastity and We breathed Our spirit into her; she testified to the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was truly devout. (66: 12) Mary or Maryam is a word derived from the Aramaic language meaning exalted. Mary the mother of Christ was born in a Jewish family. God dealt with her miraculously in every respect. Her birth was answer to a special prayer made by a righteous woman. Her upbringing and learning were done in the Jewish temples. From childhood itself, she was consigned in service to the temple. During her days in the temple, because of her spiritual life and her knowledge of realities, she was known by all as a pious and saintly woman. It was impossible to have any doubts on her chastity. God chose such a woman to be the mother of Christ. A mother, who would have no husband and whose son would have no father. She conceived by a direct commandment of God and after the full term of her pregnancy, she gave birth to a pure and healthy child. For a chaste woman such as Mary, it was an extremely sensitive issue for her to be a mother of such a child who would have no father. Because of this very sensitivity, God sent His angels to Mary who reassured her and saved her from grief due to this matter. Together with this, God made miraculous arrangements to provide food and drink for her in her retreat, outside the city. o Mary had dedicated her life to the service of God, so God had opened the doors to the treasures of wisdom and truth.