Simply put, Muslims also venerate Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Muslims love and respect her without worshipping her. In fact, Muslim women are known to wear the veil and the conservative clothing in emulating her finest example of chastity and purity. Virgin Mary in Islam is the pinnacle of womanhood and motherhood that is far from the sexualized and objectified women we have today.
In our times, women are seen as toys or tools. You will hardly see anything being sold without having an almost naked woman promoting it in advertisements. Today, women are expected to be beauty queen gorgeous in order to matter. It is expected from them to flaunt their skin in public or in social media in order for them to celebrate feminism. All these they do because they have been brainwashed into thinking that this kind of slavery of women is their liberation and empowerment.
This is very strange here in the Philippines because Maria Clara used to be the role model for our women. And Maria Clara herself was an epitome of Virgin Mary. I could even remember our grandmothers who go to the churches wearing veil over their heads. But now, as they say, men are more covered than women. And very little is left now to the public’s imagination for any woman to be considered totally naked in public these days.
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
The father of Mary is referred to in the Quran as Imran while her mother was simply known as the wife of Imran. However, other Muslim Quran interpreters name the mother of Mary as Hannah. Her mother dedicated her child to serve Allah in the temple and that she was expecting a son. But Allah made her child a girl but she still made Mary serve Allah at the temple too.
When she became an orphan she came under the care of Prophet Zakaria, the father of John the Baptist. Before conceiving Jesus, Virgin Mary used to stay in a secluded place and Zacaria would often find food with her that she says to have come from Allah himself as no one is allowed to enter that secluded place. Allah said in the Quran regarding Zakaria’s conversation with Mary about the food,
“O Mary, from where is this coming to you?” She said, “It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.” ¬Quran 3:37
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Allah said in the Quran,
And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man. She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, so leave me, if you fear Allah.” He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you news of a pure boy.”
She said, “How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?”
He said, “Thus it will be; your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter already decreed.’ “
So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, “Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.”
But he called her from below her, “Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.
And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.
So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, ‘Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to any man.’ “ ¬Quran 19:17-26
PERSECUTION
Allah said in the Quran,
“Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented. O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.”
So she pointed to him. They said, “How can we speak to one who is in the cradle, a child?”
Jesus said, “Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and Zakah as long as I remain alive and made me dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.”
That is Jesus, the son of Mary – the word of truth about which they are in dispute.” ¬Quran 19:27-34
This story shows that the Jews’ disbelief made them deny the virgin birth of Jesus by Mary and Jesus, while still a baby, spoke to defend his mother. This is the first miracle of Jesus.
MARY IS MOST HONORED IN ISLAM THAN ANYWHERE ELSE
Allah said in the Quran,
“And Mary, the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her chastity… she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.” ¬Quran 66:12
“When the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.”” ¬Quran 3:42
In fact, chapter 19 of the Quran is entitled as Maryam or Mary, in honor of the mother of Jesus.
In Islam, it is strictly forbidden to make any statue, paintings or any representation of Virgin Mary because any action like this is guessing what Virgin Mary really looked like.
Muslim women wear the veil to emulate her example the same way Christian nuns do so.
Lastly, although Muslims do not worship Virgin Mary, no Muslim will be considered a Muslim unless he believes in everything mentioned about her in the Quran.
If you want to know more about Islam, watch Mensahe TV via Cignal Channel 184.
