Jump to content

Mary's Pregnancy

Priority: c, Quality: b
From wikishia

The Pregnancy of Mary (a) was a miracle in which Mary (a), the daughter of Imran, became pregnant without any physical relationship with a man, resulting in the birth of Jesus (a). The event of Mary's pregnancy is mentioned in both the Quran and the Bible, with similarities regarding her virginity and differences in certain details.

According to the Quran, Mary had withdrawn to a secluded place for worship when the angel of God appeared to her and gave her the glad tidings of the birth of a son. Regarding the manner of Mary's pregnancy, the Quran only states, "We breathed into her Our spirit." Some Quranic exegetes believe that the precise details of how Mary became pregnant are beyond human knowledge.

According to the verses of Sura Maryam, after the period of pregnancy, the pains of childbirth drove Mary (a) to the trunk of a palm tree, where she wished for death. Quranic exegetes attribute this statement of Mary (a) to her fear of people's reproach. According to the Quran, God told Mary (a) not to grieve, and to alleviate her suffering, a stream of water flowed beneath her feet, and fresh dates were made available to her. Additionally, Mary (a) was asked to rejoice at the sight of her newborn.

According to the verses of the Quran, Mary (a), who was fearful of confronting people, was commanded to observe a vow of silence and returned to her people with her newborn. In Quran 4:156, it is stated that Mary was subjected to a great accusation regarding her pregnancy and the birth of her child. Mary (a) pointed to her infant to respond, and the child miraculously spoke, saying, "Indeed I am a servant of Allah! He has given me the Book and made me a prophet." According to some exegetes, through this miracle, Jesus (a) affirmed the purity of his mother.

Miracle of Mary's Pregnancy

Qur'an 19:20

She said, ‘How shall I have a child seeing that no human being has ever touched me, nor have I been unchaste?’

The miraculous event of Mary's pregnancy is described with some differences in both the Bible and the Quran.[1] Quranic exegetes have described the pregnancy of Mary (a), which occurred without the involvement of any man, as a great miracle, an extraordinary act,[2] and a remarkable story.[3] Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadl Allah (d. 2010), a Shia exegete, considered the miraculous aspect of this event to be the birth of a child from a mother who had no contact with a male, contrary to the natural law of human reproduction.[4] In the Quran, God describes Mary (a) and her son Jesus (a) as a sign (aya) for all people.

Luke 1:34

How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?

[5] This description is attributed to the fact that a virgin woman, without being married or touched by any man, gave birth to a child, an event regarded as a great miracle and a sign for people across all eras.[6]

In the Quran, the chastity of Mary (a) is highlighted in Quran 21:91 and Quran 66:12. The emphasis on Maryam's chastity is considered a response to the accusations made against her by the Jews.[7] Some Shia exegetical hadiths explicitly state that Mary's pregnancy resulted solely from the angel's breath.[8] In the Quran, the creation of Jesus (a) is likened to the creation of Adam (a).[9] Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (d. 1981), a prominent Shia scholar, explained this similarity by noting that Jesus (a) like Adam (a), was created without a father.[10]

Parthenogenesis: A Scientific Explanation

Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a Shia Quranic exegete, has raised the question of whether, beyond the miraculous aspect of Mary's pregnancy, it is scientifically possible for a child to be born without a father.[11] According to Makarem Shirazi, advancements in modern science have confirmed the possibility of such an occurrence through a process known as parthenogenesis.[12] Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which an embryo develops biologically solely from the female, without any involvement of a male.[13] It is noted that parthenogenesis occurs in two forms: natural and artificial. Natural parthenogenesis has been observed in certain insects,[14] while artificial parthenogenesis has been successfully conducted in laboratory settings for some species.[15] Reports indicate that attempts have been made to achieve parthenogenesis in mammals, but despite initial successes,[16] The necessary scientific validation for human application has not yet been established.[17]

Mary’s Pregnancy: Account and Quality

Forty‑day‑old Jesus in the Temple_ mural painting in Vank Cathedral, Isfahan, Iran (1655–1664 CE)

According to the Quranic verses, Mary (a) had withdrawn from people[18] to a secluded place in the eastern part of Al-Aqsa Mosque[19] for worship.[20] There, an angel appeared to her, referred to as an angel in Qur'an 3:45 and as the "Spirit" in Sura Maryam.[21] Quranic exegetes identify this angel as Gabriel.[22] Sura Maryam emphasizes that the angel appeared to Mary (a) in human form.[23] According to exegetes, this event caused Mary (a) to become fearful,[24] and she sought refuge in God from the perceived threat of this figure (the angel).[25] Based on verses from the Quran 3 and the Qur'an 19, as well as some Quranic exegeses, the angel identified itself as a messenger of God[26] and delivered the divine glad tidings[27] to Mary (a) about the birth of a child.[28] In a verse from the Quran 3, this child is referred to as the Messiah (Masih), Jesus, son of Mary ('Isa b. Maryam (a)), and is described as one of those close to God.[29] According to the Quran, upon receiving this news, Mary (a) asked how she could have a child when no man had touched her,[30] and she was not unchaste.[31] According to a verse in Sura Maryam, the angel responded that creating a child without a father is an easy matter for God.[32]

According to Makarim Shirazi, the Quran does not specify the duration of Mary's pregnancy.[33] Exegetes have offered varying opinions on this matter,[34] ranging from a few hours[35] to nine months.[36] It is noted that hadiths also report different durations for the pregnancy.[37] Ibn Kathir, a Sunni exegete, has stated that the most widely accepted view is a duration of nine months.[38]

Quality of Pregnancy

According to Makarim Shirazi[39], the Quran does not provide explicit details about the process of Mary's pregnancy, only describing it with the phrase "We breathed into her Our Spirit."[40] Shia exegetical hadiths explicitly state that the pregnancy occurred solely through the angel's breath.[41] Makarim Shirazi notes that exegetes have offered various interpretations regarding the nature of the pregnancy.[42] Some exegetes suggest that the pregnancy resulted from Gabriel breathing into the collar of Mary's garment,[43] an expression which is considered metaphorical with "garment" being understood to refer to her womb.[44] Al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067), a Shia exegete, considered this interpretation weak.[45] 'Allama Tabataba'i interprets the phrase "breathing of the Spirit" into Mary (a) as a metaphor indicating the extraordinary nature of Jesus' creation, which, unlike other humans, did not follow the natural process of conception and, like Adam (a), resulted from the absolute divine will.[46] Muhammad Jawad Mughniyya (d. 1400/1979), another Shia exegete, views the process of Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' creation as matters whose full details are unknowable, with complete knowledge belonging solely to God.[47]

From Death Wish to Jesus's Birth

The Birth of Christ by Husayn Bihzad; award-winning artwork at the International Painting Competition in New York (1958).[48]

According to the Quran, Mary (a) withdrew from people to a distant place.[49] Some Quranic exegetes have identified this remote location as Nazareth in present-day Palestine.[50] As stated in a verse from Sura Maryam,[51] the pains of childbirth drove Mary to the trunk of a dried palm tree.[52] During this moment, she wished for death, saying, "I wish I had died before this and become a forgotten thing, beyond recall."[53] Exegetes have attributed this wish to her feelings of shame before people,[54] fear of their blame,[55] and concern over losing her honor.[56]

Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Mudarrisi, a Shia exegete, explains Mary's words by noting that she was a young woman who had renounced worldly life and held no personal or social responsibilities. Now, faced with the pains of childbirth, she found herself at a loss for what to do. Understanding the severe social consequences of such an event, she wished for death as an escape.[57] Makarim Shirazi interprets Mary's plea for death as an indication that she valued her chastity more dearly than her own life.[58]

According to the Quranic verses, after Mary (a) wished for death, a voice called out to her from beneath her to alleviate her distress.[59] Some have identified the caller as Jesus (a), while others believe it was Gabriel.[60] The Quran recounts that God caused a small stream to flow beneath Mary (a)[61] and sent down fresh dates from the palm tree for her.[62] Drawing on Quranic verses, exegetes state that Mary was then instructed to eat the food, drink the water, and rejoice in the birth of her child.[63]

Mary’s Return to Her People

According to the Quran, Mary (a) returned to her people with her child after giving birth.[64] Quranic exegeses state that she was instructed at this time to refrain from speaking and to observe a vow of silence.[65] The Quran reports that her people accused her of committing a shameful act[66] and taunted her,[67] saying, "O sister of Aaron['s lineage]![68] Your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother unchaste."[69] The Quran describes these accusations as a grave slander and falsehood.[70]

According to al-Fayd al-Kashani, Mary (a) responded to her people's slander by pointing to her child.[71] As stated in a verse from Sura Maryam, they questioned how they could speak to a child in the cradle.[72] It is reported that at this moment, Jesus (a), through a divine miracle, spoke[73] and declared, "Indeed I am a servant of Allah! He has given me the Book and made me a prophet."[74] Some exegetes believe that through this miracle, Jesus affirmed the chastity of his mother, Mary (a).[75]

Differences between Quranic and Biblical Accounts of Mary’s Pregnancy

Some scholars, comparing the portrayal of Mary (a) in the Quran and the Bible, have concluded that in the Quran, Mary (a) holds independent significance and status. In contrast, in the Bible, Mary (a) is primarily mentioned in connection with matters related to Jesus (a). In the Bible, Mary's value is derived from her role as the mother of Jesus (a), whereas in the Quran, Mary (a) is esteemed for being Mary (a) herself.[76] The Quranic account of the core story of Mary's pregnancy is more detailed than that of the Bible.[77] Both the Quran and the Bible agree on Mary's virginity, but the Bible includes details about Mary's life before her pregnancy that are absent in the Quran, such as her betrothal to a man named Joseph before she became pregnant.[78]

Differences have been noted between the Quran and the Bible regarding the details of events following Mary's pregnancy:

In the Quran, Mary was alone outside the city under a dried palm tree during childbirth, whereas in the Bible, Mary was either in Joseph's house or in an inn within the city.[79]

The Quran mentions Jesus (a) speaking from the cradle to affirm his mother's chastity, a narrative absent in the Bible.[80]

In the Quran, Jesus (a) testifies to his prophethood while in the cradle, whereas in the Bible, others, such as shepherds and magi, recognize the special status of the newborn.[81]

Notes

  1. ↑ Pūyā, Tawallud-i Masīḥ (a) dar Qurʾān wa Injīl, p. 3.
  2. ↑ Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr-i Kawthar, vol. 2, p. 125.
  3. ↑ Zuḥaylī, Tafsīr al-wasīṭ, vol. 2, p. 1468.
  4. ↑ Faḍl Allāh, Tafsīr min waḥy al-Qurʾān, vol. 15, p. 30.
  5. ↑ Qurʾān 21:91.
  6. ↑ Mudarrisī, Min hudā al-Qurʾān, vol. 7, p. 370.
  7. ↑ Ṭāhirī Nīyā & Ḥaydarī, Sākhtār-i nishāna-ī-yi shakhṣīyat-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maryam dar Qurʾān-i Karīm, p. 51.
  8. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 789.
  9. ↑ Qurʾān 3:59.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 3, p. 212.
  11. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 58.
  12. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 58.
  13. ↑ Parthenogenesis in the Science of Reproduction. (Persian).
  14. ↑ Research on Parthenogenesis. (Persian).
  15. ↑ Research on Parthenogenesis. (Persian).
  16. ↑ Revolutionary Parthenogenesis in the Science of Reproduction. (Persian).
  17. ↑ Revolutionary Parthenogenesis in the Science of Reproduction. (Persian).
  18. ↑ Qurʾān 19:17.
  19. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 34.
  20. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 35.
  21. ↑ Qurʾān 19:17.
  22. ↑ Mughnīya, Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 2, p. 63.
  23. ↑ Qurʾān 19:17.
  24. ↑ Zuḥaylī, Tafsīr al-wasīṭ, vol. 2, p. 1468.
  25. ↑ Najafī Khumaynī, Tafsīr-i āsān, vol. 2, p. 315.
  26. ↑ Qurʾān 19:19.
  27. ↑ Qurʾān 3:45.
  28. ↑ Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Anwār-i dirakhshān, vol. 3, p. 78.
  29. ↑ Qurʾān 3:45.
  30. ↑ Qurʾān 3:45.
  31. ↑ Qurʾān 19:20.
  32. ↑ Qurʾān 19:21.
  33. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 40.
  34. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, vol. 5, p. 196.
  35. ↑ Fayḍ Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-ṣāfī, vol. 3, p. 277.
  36. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 40.
  37. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 40.
  38. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, vol. 5, p. 196.
  39. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 39.
  40. ↑ Qurʾān 66:12.
  41. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 789.
  42. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 39.
  43. ↑ Muqātil b. Sulaymān, Tafsīr Muqātil b. Sulaymān, vol. 4, p. 380.
  44. ↑ Ṭūṣī, al-Tibyān, vol. 10, p. 54.
  45. ↑ Ṭūṣī, al-Tibyān, vol. 7, p. 276.
  46. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 316.
  47. ↑ Mughnīya, Tafsīr al-kāshif, vol. 2, p. 10.
  48. ↑ The Birth of Christ/Master Bihzad Museum. (Persian).
  49. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Balāgh, p. 306.
  50. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 40.
  51. ↑ Qurʾān 19:23.
  52. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 42.
  53. ↑ Qurʾān 19:23.
  54. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 42.
  55. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 4, p. 8.
  56. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 44.
  57. ↑ Mudarrisī, Min hudā al-Qurʾān, vol. 7, p. 32.
  58. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 44.
  59. ↑ Qurʾān 19:24.
  60. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 790; Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr-i Kawthar, vol. 6, p. 510.
  61. ↑ Shaybānī, Nahj al-bayān, vol. 3, p. 309.
  62. ↑ Qurʾān 19:25.
  63. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 42.
  64. ↑ Qurʾān 19:27.
  65. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, vol. 8, p. 433.
  66. ↑ Qurʾān 19:27.
  67. ↑ Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Anwār-i dirakhshān, vol. 10, p. 374.
  68. ↑ Makarem Shirazi considers the most accurate interpretation of this expression to be that Aaron (Harun) was a pure and righteous man, becoming a proverbial symbol of purity among the Children of Israel. When they wished to describe someone as pure, they would say, "He is a brother of Aaron" or "She is a sister of Aaron"; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 51.
  69. ↑ Qurʾān 19:28.
  70. ↑ Qurʾān 4:156.
  71. ↑ Fayḍ Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-ṣāfī, vol. 3, p. 279.
  72. ↑ Qurʾān 19:29.
  73. ↑ Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr-i Kawthar, vol. 6, p. 513.
  74. ↑ Qurʾān 19:30.
  75. ↑ Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr-i Kawthar, vol. 6, p. 513.
  76. ↑ The View of the Holy Qur'an and the Bible on Mary (a). (Persian)
  77. ↑ Pūyā, Tawallud-i Masīḥ (a) dar Qurʾān wa Injīl, p. 5.
  78. ↑ Pūyā, Tawallud-i Masīḥ (a) dar Qurʾān wa Injīl, p. 6.
  79. ↑ Bīyābānī Uskuyī, Tawallud-i ḥaḍrat Masīḥ dar Qurʾān wa ʿahd-i jadīd, p. 35.
  80. ↑ Bīyābānī Uskuyī, Tawallud-i ḥaḍrat Masīḥ dar Qurʾān wa ʿahd-i jadīd, p. 35.
  81. ↑ Bīyābānī Uskuyī, Tawallud-i ḥaḍrat Masīḥ dar Qurʾān wa ʿahd-i jadīd, p. 35.

References

  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar al-. Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl. Edited by Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Marʿashlī. 1st edition. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1418 AH.
  • Bīyābānī Uskuyī, Muḥammad. Tawallud-i ḥaḍrat Masīḥ dar Qurʾān wa ʿahd-i jadīd. Journal of Ṣaḥīfa-yi mubīn. No. 8. (1375 Sh).
  • Faḍl Allāh, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Tafsīr min waḥy al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār al-Malak li-Ṭibāʿa wa al-Nashr, 1419 AH.
  • Fayḍ Kāshānī, Muḥammad b. Shāh Murtaḍā. Tafsīr al-ṣāfī. Edited by Ḥusayn Aʿlamī. Tehran: Intishārāt al-Ṣadr, 1415 AH.
  • Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Anwār-i dirakhshān dar tafsīr-i Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Bāqir Bihbūdī. Tehran: Kitābfurūshī-yi Luṭfī, 1404 AH.
  • Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm. Edited by Sāmī b. Muḥammad Salāma. Riyadh: Dār Ṭayyiba li-l-nashr wa al-Tawzīʿ, 1420 AH.
  • Ibn Shādhān, Faḍl. Al-Faḍāʾil. Qom: Raḍī, 1363 Sh.
  • Jaʿfarī, Yaʿqūb. Tafsīr-i Kawthar. Qom: Intishārāt-i Hijrat, 1376 Sh.
  • Ibn Sulaymān, Muqātil. Tafsīr Muqātil b. Sulaymān. Edited by ʿAbd Allāh Maḥmūd Shaḥāta. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1423 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Mughnīya, Muḥammad Jawād al-. Tafsīr al-kāshif. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1424 AH.
  • Mudarrisī, Sayyid Muḥammad Taqī. Min hudā al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Dār Muḥibbī l-Ḥusayn, 1419 AH.
  • Najafī Khumaynī, Muḥammad Jawād. Tafsīr-i āsān. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Islāmīyya, 1398 AH.
  • Pūyā, Aʿẓam. "Tawallud-i Masīḥ (a) dar Qurʾān wa Injīl." Journal of Fiqh wa ḥuqūq-i khāniwāda. No. 6. (1376 Sh).
  • Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, Muḥammad. Al-Balāgh fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān bi-l-Qurʾān. Qom: [n.d], 1419 AH.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1417 AH.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Jawād Balāghī. Tehran: Nāṣir Khusruw, 1372 Sh.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn. Aṭyab al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Islām, 1378 Sh.
  • Ṭūṣī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. Al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Aḥmad Ḥabīb al-ʿĀmilī. Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, [n.d].
  • Ṭāhirī Nīyā, ʿAlī & Ḥaydarī, Zuhra. Sākhtār-i nishāna-ī-yi shakhṣīyat-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maryam dar Qurʾān-i Karīm. Journal of Lisān-i mubīn. No. 15. (1393 Sh).
  • Ẕuḥaylī, Wahba b. Muṣṭafā al-. Tafsīr al-wasīṭ. Damascus: Dār al-Fikr, 1422 AH.
  • Revolutionary Parthenogenesis in the Science of Reproduction. (Persian). Accessed: 2025/08/23.
  • Research on Parthenogenesis. (Persian). Accessed: 2025/08/23.
  • The View of the Holy Qur'an and the Bible on Mary (a). (Persian). Accessed: 2025/08/23.
  • The Birth of Christ/Master Bihzad Museum. (Persian). Accessed: 2025/09/01.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Mary%27s_Pregnancy&oldid=196619"