Mary (a): Difference between revisions

'''Maryam bt. 'Imrān''' (Arabic: {{ia|مریم بنت عمران}}), or '''Mary''' was the mother of [[Jesus]] the prophet, whose pregnancy occurred in a miraculous way. The story of her life, from her birth to the birth of her son, Jesus, is narrated in [[Sura Maryam]] of the [[Qur'an]]. In Shiite and Sunni [[hadiths]], Maryam is considered as one of the four superior women in the [[Heaven]] along with [[Fatima al-Zahra (a)]], [[Khadija bt. Khuwaylid]], and [[Asiya]].

There is no mention of Maryam’s life in the [[Gospel]], but other Christian sources as well as the Qur'an and Islamic hadiths have provided information about Maryam’s life.

In Christian sources, her father’s name is said to be “Joachim”, and in the Qur'an and Islamic hadiths, he is mentioned as “'Imran”. According to a hadith from [[Imam al-Baqir (a)]], 'Imran was an Israelite prophet. According to Ibn Ishaq’s report, his lineage goes back to [[David]] the prophet. 'Imran died before the birth of Maryam. Her mother is said to be Anne, which is transformed in Arabic as “Hanna” (Arabic: {{ia|حنة}}) the daughter of Faqud.

In Christian texts, Maryam has been referred to by numerous titles, such as the New Eve, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Intercessor, Mother of Divine Providence, the Seat of Wisdom, the Spiritual Vessel, the Mystic Rose, the Ark of the Covenant, the Queen of Angels, and Our Lady of Sorrows. She is also referred to in Islamic texts as “'Adhra'” (Chaste) and “Batul” (a chaste woman who has never married).

[''Mary’s statue on top of a mountain in Harissa, 20 km from northern Beirut, near the four churches'']

According to sources, Hanna, the mother of Maryam, was sterile. She could not give birth to any children until the age of 30. She prayed to God and asked Him to give her a child. Her prayer was answered and she became pregnant with Maryam. Hanna vowed to God that her child will serve [[Jerusalem]]. Verses 35 to 37 of [[Sura Al 'Imran]] refer to Hanna’s vow and its acceptance by God.

After Maryam’s birth, her mother took her to the temple and left her with the priests there. They disagreed about who should be in charge of her. They drew lots for selecting the person who could take care of Maryam, and [[Zechariah]] (Zakariyya) the prophet won the lottery. He was, according to some sources, the husband of Maryam’s maternal aunt. The Qur'an has pointed to the story of the lottery. According to al-Muqaddasi’s report, Zechariah provided her with milk and training, and when she grew up, he selected a place for her in the temple where she worshiped God and served the temple when it was her turn. She worshiped so much that she came to be known among the Israelites as an exemplary worshipper.

“We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent Allah, if you are fearful (of God). He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: How shall I have a boy and no man has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so; your Lord says: It is easy to Me”.

There is a disagreement among Christian denominations over whether Maryam married [[Saint Joseph]], the carpenter, who is referred to as Maryam’s fiancé, or she remained a virgin forever. Moreover, there is a disagreement over whether she had children other than Jesus as well. In the Gospels of Luke and Mathew, there are verses seemingly about Jesus’s brothers and sisters. The Gospel of Mark has even mentioned the names of Jesus’s brothers and pointed to his sisters. However, some Christians have rejected the claim that Jesus had any siblings. The Church has officially announced since the 5th century that Mary always remained a virgin and that she never married Joseph. For Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the Biblical reference to Jesus’s siblings is a metaphorical way of referring to his kin.

According to some people, Islamic sources also deny the story of Maryam’s marriage because she was a permanent servant of the temple, and never left the temple except for urgencies, including giving birth to Jesus.

What is more, the [[infallibility]] of Maryam was discussed in the Middle Ages, and eventually, in 1854, the belief has been announced by the Catholic Church as an infallible doctrine. However, the Orthodox Church denied Maryam’s infallibility.

* The Persian Movie, ''Maryam Muqaddas'': the movie was directed by Shahriar Bahrani in 2000. The movie portrays the life of Maryam from her own birth to the birth of Jesus the Christ. It also portrays Maryam’s relationship with the prophet Zechariah. Over 90 actors and actresses played in this movie. Maryam was played by the actress, Shabnam Gholikhani. Later, the movie was also presented as a TV series in 11 episodes. In the series, religious and social circumstances of the Jews were portrayed along with Maryam’s life.

* Maryam in Persian poems: in many Persian poems, the story of Maryam’s miraculous pregnancy as well as her chastity are narrated. The third part (“daftar”) of [[Rumi]]’s ''[[Mathnawi]]'', the story of the appearance of the [[Holy Spirit]] to Maryam in the form of a human being is narrated. There are verses in ''Diwan-i Shams'' in which Maryam is referred to.