Mary’s status in Christianity as the most divinely-favored woman in history is without dispute. While Protestants afford her a lower status than do Catholic and Orthodox Christians, she is still honored by Christians of all stripes as the mother and sole biological parent of Jesus. For Christians, this means she was the first dwelling place of God incarnate—a veritable human temple of the divine. Although Muslims rigorously disagree with the theological foundation of Christians’ reverence for Mary, the world’s second-largest monotheistic faith also holds her in remarkably high esteem.
Who Is the Only Woman Named in the Qur’an?
Many women are referenced in the Qur’an. But Mary—called Maryam in Arabic by both Muslims and Christians—stands out as the only woman whose actual name is mentioned therein. The names of other women who play a role in the story of Islam are only found in other sources, such as the Hadith—large collections of the sayings and deeds of Muhammad compiled in the first few centuries of the Muslim community.
A key reason for Mary’s distinction has to do with her unique role as the virgin mother of one of Islam’s most revered prophets—Jesus, called Isa in the Qur’an. People are normally named according to their paternal heritage in ancient Arab convention. Thus, Muhammad is more fully Muhammad ibn Abdullah (“Muhammad, son of Abdullah”). But Muslims believe that Jesus had only one biological parent. Thus, unlike any other figure, he is called, after his mother, Isa ibn Maryam—Jesus, son of Mary.
How Is Mary’s Miraculous Conception Described?
The third chapter of the Qur’an contains the basis of Islam’s traditional story of Mary’s conception. The wife of a man called ‘Imran, whose name was Hannah according to sources outside the Qur’an, promises to dedicate her child to God’s service. This is interpreted as a commitment that her child, which she presumed initially would be a son, would serve in a religious capacity in the Temple at Jerusalem. The identity of the sanctuary with Jerusalem’s historical Temple is not clear, however, being sometimes referred to as a mosque.
Though Mary’s gender precluded her from normal cultic ministry, her mother presents her for God’s service nonetheless, and entrusts her to the priest. The priest in question happens to be Zechariah. Christian readers of this story note parallels with the New Testament’s version, in which Zechariah is the husband of Mary’s beloved cousin Elizabeth. But the two accounts differ considerably in their details.
Dedicated to the Temple; Fed by Angels
In order to preserve her chastity, Zechariah encloses Mary in a secluded room within the Temple. According to Islamic tradition, no one entered this room except Zechariah. The Qur’an relates that, upon entering this space, Zechariah would find Mary had already been provided with food, the source of which was God’s miraculous providence.
The Mary of the New Testament grew up in Nazareth, in the region of Galilee north of Jerusalem. It is only later, upon learning of her pregnancy, that she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. But in the Islamic telling Mary spends her childhood in the Temple. It is while Mary is living there that Zechariah asks God for a child, and his prayer is answered.
The Qur’an’s telling of this story is extremely minimal, with few plot points provided. What is clear is that Mary’s location and circumstances before her conception of Jesus insulated her completely from the possibility of a male’s involvement.
Was Mary Vindicated by Her Infant?
In the Qur’an’s telling, Mary retreats into the wilderness to give birth to Jesus, and does so alone under a date palm tree from whose fruit she is sustained after giving birth. Upon returning to society with the baby in her arms, her chastity is questioned. But in the first miracle performed by the prophet according to Islam, Jesus speaks as a newborn infant in defense of his mother, declaring himself a messenger of God and vindicating her claims to have maintained her chastity.
What Is Mary’s Legacy in Islam?
Some Muslims claim that Mary is the greatest woman who ever lived because of the depth of her devotion to God. A passage in the Hadith refers to her as one of four of the best women of all time, both in this world and in the hereafter.
While Christians’ awe of Mary is inextricably linked to their understanding of her son’s identity, according to Islam the prophet to whom Mary gave birth emphatically rebuked this Christian view of himself. Theologically, it is difficult to see commonality between the Christian and Muslim bases for their shared reverence of Mary. The details of her stories in each faith likewise diverge at key junctures. Nevertheless, the two faiths agree that she is utterly unique among human beings throughout history. Perhaps most remarkably, they agree that her claim to have conceived a child without the help of a man is true.
