Hannah (Hebrew Ḥannāh, meaning "favor" or "grace"; according to Eastern Churches, she is ascribed the title Forbear of God, and both the Birth of Mary and the Dedication of Mary to the Temple are celebrated as two of the Twelve Great Feasts. Ḥannah) is also revered in Islam, recognized as a highly spiritual woman and as the mother of Mary. The Qur'an describes her as the daughter of Fatuz, who remained childless until her old age. One day she saw a bird feeding its young while sitting in the shade of a tree, which awakened her desire to have children of her own. Hannah prayed for a child and eventually conceived; her husband, named Imran, was one of the Panel Imams of the temple of Solomon and died before the child was born. Expecting the child to be male, Hannah vowed to dedicate him to isolation and service in the Temple.
However, Hannah bore a daughter instead, and upon delivering she was surprised because she expect a son, whom she vowed to Gods service, but it was a daughter and she confused that a daughter could serve God or not. However she named her Mary and seek her protection from Satan. And Qur'an answered that this daughter is uncomparable, much more than a son.
Although the canonical books of the New Testament never mentioned the parents of Mary (Luke 3:23 names Mary's father as Heli), traditions about her family, childhood, education. The oldest and most influential source for these is the apocryphal Protevangelium of James, first written in Greek around the middle of the second century but termed as apocrypha with the accusation of "absurdities" by St. Jerome in the 4th and 5th centuries and condemned as untrustworthy by Popes Damasus I, Innocent I, and Gelasius I.
It’s interesting, Qur'an declares her above the Women of the worlds, when there are lot of great Women in the History of Islam, viz. Rahima, wife of Ayub [Job], Sara, wife of Abraham, Athia, wife of Pharaoh Ramesis II, Maryam, sister of Moses, Safura, wife of Moses, Khadija, wife of Muhammad, Amina, mother of Mohammad, Ayesha, wife of Muhammad, and Fatima, daughter of Mohammad etc. Yet the ranking shall never be change nor one dare to, as it has declared by God, the Lord of the Worlds, not by Muslims.
According to Qur'an Mary was the daughter of Imran. And Imran was the next man after Abraham, whose family is chosen over the world. Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds – Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.-(3:33-34)
Imran- was one of the Imams of the 12 (Imams) of the Temple of Jerusalem. His wife was Hannah, -Hannah binte Fatuz. They have no children as Anna was a barren and they both were already in their older age. Yet Hannah always pray to Almighty to give them a child to cool and peace her eyes and the Lord heard her pray and she became pregnant. Hannah was so happy that she made a promise- "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated (for Your service), so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing." -(3:35)
Hannah delivered a child. It was a girl and she was surprised because of her promise. It was not known to her that a girl could be consecrated for the Lords service or not. So, she said, "My Lord, I have delivered a girl." And Allah was most knowing of what she delivered, "And the male is not like the female. And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her in You and (for) her descendants from Satan, the expelled (from the mercy of Allah)."
So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. -(3:36-37) It is believed that the only children born without the "touch of Satan," were Mary and Jesus,[Bukhari, Anbiya, 44; Muslim, Fada'il, trad. 146, 147]
The Quran narrates that Mary grew up in the temple of the prayer, and had a special place in the temple of her own. She was placed under the care of the Zechariah, her uncle. The Muslim narrative makes it clear that lots were cast as to who should be the guardian of Mary and the outcome was that she should be placed under Zechariah's care.
Hannah didn't forget her promise. Her husband died when she was pregnant. So when Maryam leaved Brest feed, she brought her to the temple.All Imams were interested to take care of the child as she was consecrated for the Temple. Zechariah, one of the 12 Imams claimed that he is the right person among all to brought her up as his wife Elezabeth is the sister of Hannah. But other Imams were not agreed with that and not interested to give up the chance to brought up the child. And they began to quarrel and later decide to go for a lottery to solve the dispute. At that time, there were a lot of ways to examine fate viz. throwing dice on the ground, shooting arrows etc but in case of Maryam they through their pens in the pond of the Temple with a condition that he will win whose pen moves against wind. And when they cast Zechariah wins. That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.(3:44)
Thus, Mary accommodate in a room attached to the Temple in the east under the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this (coming) to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." (3:37)
Allah can do anything- there is no doubt in it to Zechariah. But he never saw such miracle in his own eyes before- Maryam takes fruits that were not available in that season. He has no children and he never prayed to almighty to give him one because he knew- he himself and his wife much older to gave birth a child. But seeing this miraculous seen with his own eyes, he prayed standing there and wished to have a child. At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." (3:38)
This is the child hood story of Mary, the mother of Jesus- the Christ, who is born without a father. And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into (her garment) through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.(66:12)
Mary spent more than a decade in the Temple and served her Lord. Then one day Gabriel brought her the news of birth of Jesus. He appeared as a well proportioned man. Mary was in her room at that time. She was surprised to see him and then feared to lose her virginity. Qur’an says-
Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. 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 should be fearing of Allah."
He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you (news of) a pure boy."(19:16-19) "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow (in prayer)." That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you,(3:42-43)
-"O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near (to Allah). He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous."(3:45-46)
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.' "(19:20-21)
She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?"
(The angel) said, "Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is. And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel and (make him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (3:47-49)
So she conceived him, (19:22)
After Conceived, Mary completely confined herself to her room. Gradually she feels the burden and was dying with shame all the time. People may know and what will they say? And atlast the time came.
Oneday, early in the morning when everybody was sleeping, she leaves the temple. There is only one thing in her mind, to find a remote place -far from the crowd; where nobody could trace her. She moved as fast as she could. And she got a place.
The place where Mary reached was a hill top. And she withdrew with him to a remote place.(19:22) And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and sheltered them within a high ground having level (areas) and flowing water.(23:50)
The childbirth pain begins and she drove her beneath a date tree. There were a shed nearby and Mary found that too, but it was an abandon Cowshed that was not known to her. Thirsty, hungry, childbirth pain and with a fear to meet any men- she was completely unable to bear all of these. So she wished to die to relief from all. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a Date tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."(19:23)
Mary might thought she was alone, but she was not. Allah, the most Merciful was always with her, but she didn’t know. God sent Gabriel to meet all of her needs.This time Gabriel was unseen- But he called her from below, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk of the Date 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.' "(19:24-26)
Mary issued a son and she named him Jesus. Because she was instructed to name such by the angel before she gave birth. On the 8th day, she went to the temple to perform religious duties. An old woman, who lived in the temple too and was known to her previously, help her to make all the arrangements happily. She can’t live in her room in the temple before passing 40 days. So when she was leaving the temple by chance met one of her relative. It was Joseph the Carpenter, her cousin. Thus Quran says- Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. (19:27)
People gathered, finding an interesting thing. Mary, the daughter of Imran -who was Pious, one of the Imams of the Temple and look what his daughter done; she gave birth a baby when she was unmarried!
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."(19:27-28)
Look, the style of their teasing. They called her sister of Aaron instead of Mary or Maryam, to compare two Maryams, one is pious, respectable and other is sinner, hatred and thus to show her, and feel her the difference and to be shamed her selves. ie What a dishonour of a holy name [Maryam].’
Gradually they pinched and pierced Mary with their sharp words. Mary was seated lowering her face and didn't tell a word to answer them. Because she knows, if she told them the truth, they won’t believe her. So she kept silent with her mouth shut. And that made the crowd crazy. At that time, to relieved herself from the crowd, she signed that she had vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so she would not speak to any. And they understood her sign, yet they were not interested to leave her with that alibi. They began to tease her more ferociously. So, Mary looked for another way when her vowed to the Merciful abstention didn't work. She concentrated her mind calmly. Suddenly, she recall the angels voice- ‘He will speak to the people in the cradle…’ So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?" (19:29)
People get crazier.
What to do in this situation Mary doesn't know. She was helpless and on the verse of tears. And her eyes flooded with tears and began to fall drop by drop on Jesus body, he was at that time feeding breast sited on her lap. When Mary’s eye drop touches his body, he stops feeding and leaves the breast.
Jesus observed her mothers downed crying face for a few sec. They insulted his innocent mother a lot because of him. To safe her mother from the peoples, he turns his face towards the gathering and said to them raising his finger, "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." (19:30-33)
One more interesting thing you may notice here; Jesus talked about him, about his mother, about his duty; But not a single word about his father. Why he talked to, when he was born without a father!!
People, those were gathered there, were extremely surprised, a child of few days certifying his mother’s innocence! They couldn’t believe their own eyes and ears. They were dumbed for a few minutes. Then they began to stare at Mary with fear, with respect, as if, she was a stranger and they seen her for the 1st time. They were completely doubtless and already ashamed for their behavior with her. So they immediately leave the place one by one without saying a word. One thing to be noted here, Jesus never talked again before the age, when a child normally began to talk.
On the other hand, on hearing all of this, People, whom were not seen Jesus to certify her mother, disbelieved all. More over the story made them laugh and joking. It was completely unbelievable to them. Because they know fully the procedure and items that necessary to give birth a human child. And they will disbelieve, it was also written in the Holy Scripture-
‘Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe,
Though it were told you.’ (Habakkuk 1:5)
The People imposed a great slander on Mary. They said, ‘The baby is nothing but the bustard son of that carpenter.’
The carpenter to whom they pointed was Mary’s cousin, named Joseph. He sometimes meets with Mary during the time of his visit the temple.
Qur’an says to those disbelievers- And (We cursed them) for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander, (4:156)
Joseph was honest. He saved Mary from the slander on marrying her.
The End.
Not Yet Verified
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