A WOMAN OF THE HOUSE OF IMRAN.

 

Mary, the Mother of Jesus  is the ideal of Motherhood in Islam and she is mentioned more than 30 times in the Holy Qur'an and Sura (chapter) 19 of the Qur'an is named after her.The Qur'an relates her life story from its beginning by stating that her mother, a woman of the House of Imran, when pregnant prayed to God saying: "O Lord, I offer You what I carry in my womb in dedication to Your services". When she gave birth to a female, she said: "I have named her Mary and I seek Your protection for her and her offspring from Satan, the accursed". Whenever Zachariah visited Mary in the sanctuary he found her provided with food - Mary said : "It is from God; God gives food in abundance to whomever He wills"( Sura 3, verses 36-38)

The angels said: "O Mary! Behold, God has elected you and made you immaculate, and raised you above all women of the world "(verses 42-43). "God sends you the glad tidings of a son who shall be close to Him and he shall speak to the people in his cradle and as a grown man and shall be of the righteous "(Sura 3, 42-46).

The motherhood of Mary is detailed in Sura 19. The angel said: "I am a messenger of God to bestow upon you the gift of a son endowed with purity". She said:"How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me? The angel said: "This is the order of Your Lord who said it is easy for Me to do, so that We might make Him a symbol to humankind and an act of grace from Us".

From the moment of the birth of the Christ Jesus, Mary's life was totally absorbed into the life and career of he son. During his short ministry she shared in his troubles and tribulations. Mary was and remains the model for womanhood and motherhood. (Sheikh Dr. Zaki Badawi, Chairman, Muslim Council of Great Britain).