‘’Recall, when the angel said: O, Maryam! Allah gives you the glad tidings of a command from Him. His name shall be messiah, Jesus A.S son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the Hereafter; and shall be of those brought near to Allah’’ (AL IMRAN)
Who is Jesus A.S?
(Christ) Jesus A.S whom Quran has attributed to his mother and is called Essa A.S son of Hazrat Maryam. Mothers really deserve to be proud of this attribution. Hazrat Maryam A.S is the mother whom Allah purified and chose among other women of the world. The truth of the story of Hazrat Maryam motherly love is very much impressive. She had to encounter much more distressing circumstances. She was born of a religious family. Her father was a great intellectual of Bani Israel. When her mother was pregnant. She vowed to dedicate her newborn child for serving Bait-Ul-Maqdas (place of worshipping in Jerusalem)
As Allah says;
‘’Recall, when the wife of Imran said: ‘’O my Lord! Surely I dedicate to you what is in my womb purely to your service, so accept this offering of mine; surely you alone are the all hearing (of prayers) and the all knowing (of intention).
‘’Then when she gave birth to it, she said (wistfully): ‘’ Lord! Surely I have but given birth to a female.’’ And Allah knew best what she had given birth to. And the male which she had solicited was nowise like the female that was born. And the mother said: ‘’ I have named her Maryam, and I command her and her progeny to your protection from the mischief of Satan, the outcast.
Right graciously by then did her Lord accept the girl with true acceptance and caused her to grow with perfect growth. And caused Hazrat Zikriah Zechariah to be her guardian. Whenever Zechariah paid a visit to Mary in her sanctuary he found, she had fresh provision with her. Once he said: O’ Mary! Whence comes onto you this provision? Mary said: ‘’this comes from Allah.’’ Surely Allah provides sustenance to whom he wills without measure.’’ (AL-IMRAN)
Her father Imran had died in her childhood. And there was controversy among her relatives about her ‘’up bringing’’. They drew lots to decide the matter. According to the draw her maternal uncle Zechariah A.S was assigned the responsibility of her upbringing. Allah says about this incident in the Holy Quran:
‘’ These (incidents) are of the tidings of things unseen that we reveal unto you. And you were not with them when those (persists of the temple) were casting lots by throwing their quills to decide as to whom, Should have charge of Mary; nor were you with them when they were contending with one another about it.’’
Mary remained busy in meditation day in and day out besides her row of serving Bait-Ul-Maqdas. Even though, Allah chose her for granting her his great trust. One day she was busy in meditation when Allah sent His angel to give her glad tidings, as Allah says.
‘’Recall, when the angel said:’’ O Mary! Allah gives you the glad tidings of a command from Him. His name shall be Messiah Jesus A.S son of Mary, Illustrious in this world and the hereafter and shall be of those brought near to Allah.’’
No sooner did she listened this glad tidings then she started shivering and begged humbly to Allah as the Quran says,
‘’ Mary said (in astonishment ‘’good Allah); how can there be a son to me whereas no man has touched me, nor have I been unchaste’’ Gabriel said; so it is, your Lord has said; to bestow a child is easy to me, that we may make him a sign (of our might) to people and Mercy from us. And it is a matter already decreed.’’ (SURAH MARYAM)
She listened this and bowed before inevitable divine command. After a few days she felt sign of pregnancy. This feeling was really a boundless anguish and unbearable pain for a chaste virgin. She felt the city because of impending humiliations and disgrace and started living in a barren valley, which was left by shepherds for being deserted. When the time of delivery came she took lean of a date palm tree. Mean while Jesus A.S was born in this world, and she said at that moment,
‘’She said (wistfully) would that I had died before this, and become a thing forgotten and lost from sight.’’ (SURAH MARYAM)
Then happened; what was bound to be happened,
‘’Then she brought the baby to her people carrying him (in her lap). They said; O, Mary! You have indeed committed a thing most vile. O, Sister of Haroon! Your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother an unchaste woman.’’ (SURAH MARYAM)
People in spite of being completely acquainted with the modesty and virtuosity of Mary, they neither paid any heed to her, nor considered the miraculous birth of this innocent child. On the contrary they just put that false accusation on her. She endured that situation with a great patience. She embraced the will Allah and stood like a rock for her son against those inevitable, regretful problems, which were nothing short of a death.
It is also mentioned in a narration that she had carried her son to Egypt in order to avoid the torture of her opponents. She stayed there for twelve years. She had to spin cotton (thread) and glean wheat from the field in order to earn her living. Look! What do you think of that scene, when Maryam had lifted Jesus A.S on her one shoulder and a pile of wheat on the other?
When Jesus A.S grew up, she thought of his education and took him to a school and gave him under the supervision of a teacher. Then Allah commanded her to go to ‘’Jerusalem’ so that she could pray according to Moses A.S religion. She started dwelling in a village called ‘’Nasirah’’. Jesus A.S also grew young in that village. Whenever he dreamt of anything he used to tell it to his mother, who the only gleam of his hopes under those grievances. She used to encourage and console him.
It is stated in Bible that when Jesus A.S was 29 years old, he along with his mother went to the mountain of ‘’ Olive’’ to pick up olives. Where he dreamt and was told,
‘’ You have been sent to Bani Israel as a messenger, ‘He told his mother all about it and informed her that he would have to face so many problems on his way as it was revealed on him. He further said that would no longer stay with her nor could serve her as usual.
When Mary heard this, she replied,
‘’ O, my Son! Sublimity to Holy name of Allah; who had already informed me about this, before your birth.’’
On that very day Jesus A.S left his mother and started performing his duty as a messenger. His mother accompanied him for 30 years. During this period she trained him for such a great and noble aim, for which he was waiting eagerly. Though he did leave his mother yet both of them became everlasting sign of Allah in His way. As Allah says;
‘’ And we made the son of Mary and his mother (Maryam) a sign.’’ (SURAH AL MOUMINEEN)
At another occasion Allah says,
‘’And we made her and her son Jesus A.S a sign for the mankind.’’ (AL-ANBIYAH)
Mother of Jesus A.S, Hazrat Maryam is the one of the most valuable being and blessed soul for whom the extolment for all her living and spiritualism. May Almighty Allah showers the great blessings upon the spiritual blessed soul of Hazrat Maryam A.S…….. Amen
In this golden series of the history of Prophets Mothers, the last one is Sayyidah Aminah daughter of Wahab who is the Holy mother of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)…………….the next chapter dedicated to Sayyidah Aminah ( R.A ) ………………..