Zain Ali describes how Jesus and Mary are depicted as beloved by God in the Qur’an.

Jesus, within Muslim tradition, is referred to as Isa. The name Isa shows up almost 30 times in the Qur’an. Similarly, Mary, the mother of Jesus, whom the Qur’an refers to as Maryam, is mentioned approximately 35 times — there is even a chapter in the Qur’an named after her (the Qur’an has 114 chapters in total). The name Muhammad, on the other hand, appears only five times in the Qur’an.

Mary and Her Family

The Qur’an is deeply reverential in its view of Mary and Jesus. Mary is referred to in the Qur’an as someone who has been chosen and purified above all women of all nations (Q 3:24). This is surprising, as the initial audience of the Quran were Arabs, yet Mary, the most respected woman in the Qur’an, is Jewish. Although the Qur’an describes Mary’s mother as the wife of Imran, a number of commentators note that this is not a literal description of Mary’s father, but rather an indicator of Mary’s lineage. Imran is the Arabic equivalent of Amram, the father of Moses and Aaron. Mary is, then, seen as a descendant, and perhaps inheritor, of the family of Moses and Aaron.

Mary’s mother is depicted in the Qur’an as a deeply religious character who dedicates her daughter to the temple, placing her in the care of Zachariah — a priest in the temple. It is during Mary’s stay in the temple that she is visited by angels. They advise her that she will receive the gift of a holy son. Understandably, the news is unexpected and Mary responds with a question: “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” (Q 19.20). To which the angels reply that it is a matter willed by God, and that God wishes her son to be a sign (ayah) for humanity and a source of mercy (rahma). The Qur’an has more to say about Mary and Jesus, but we can first consider the narrative about John the Baptist.

John the Baptist

Alongside the Qur'anic narrative of Mary, there is a parallel narrative about her guardian Zachariah, who is depicted as praying for a successor. Again, angels speak to Zachariah and inform him that he will soon have a son who will be named Yahya (John), and that Yahya will be “honourable and chaste and a prophet (nabi) from among the righteous” (Q 3:39). As we know through the Gospels, John was beheaded at the command of the morally degenerate Herod. According to Muslim lore, the head of John is buried in Damascus in what is today referred to as the Umayyad Mosque (prior to Muslim rule, the site was home to the Basilica of Saint John). The burial site within the mosque has been developed into a shrine and was visited by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

Birth of Jesus

Returning now to Mary, the Qur’an provides a brief snapshot of her life that focuses on the birth of Jesus. As her pregnancy is drawing to an end, the Qur’an notes:

“the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): ‘Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!’ But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree):

“Grieve not! for your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you: And shake towards

the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you.’ So eat and drink

and cool (your) eye…” (Q 19:23-26).

This must have been a difficult time for Mary, having become pregnant out of wedlock, and now having to endure childbirth without any obvious family support. The Qur’an is silent about the presence of Joseph. The pain has driven her to a palm-tree. She is in anguish and wishes that she could have been something forgotten, perhaps even dead. As readers, we are drawn to her. We feel her pain and her deep distress, perhaps even spiritual distress. She is comforted by a voice, perhaps that of an angel, or perhaps God, who reassures her with provisions of dates and water.

There is a miracle here that’s not easily visible. An old Palestinian acquaintance explained to me that a fully grown man would find it near impossible to shake dates off a palm-tree, let alone a young woman in the throes of childbirth.

The Qur’an does not say that Jesus was born at the base of the palm-tree, it only depicts Mary as finding refuge at this location. This is significant if we keep in mind the Church of the Kathisma built in the fifth century. It is located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem — and according to local Christian lore, it is where the pregnant Mary stopped for a rest on her way to Bethlehem. There are early records suggesting that the site also had a sweet water spring that pilgrims would drink from.

There isn’t much of the Kathisma that’s left today. It was forgotten for many centuries until its mosaics were rediscovered in 1992. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this structure were restored in some way, perhaps through a joint effort sponsored by Christians and Muslims — InshaAllah, Godwilling.

Jesus the Newborn

There are additional challenges that Mary faces when she returns to her community with her newborn child. But the person of Jesus is significant here. The Qur’an acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah (Isa al-Masih), as a sign (ayah) of God, as source of mercy. He is lovingly acknowledged as the son of Mary (Isa ibn Maryam) and as a messenger of God (rasul Allah). He is also acknowledged as the word of God (kalam Allah) — incidentally, the Qur’an is also seen by Muslims as kalam Allah or divine logos.

Jesus in Muslim Theology

Muslim theology shares much in common with Christian views on Jesus. We agree that he is fully human, the son of Mary, the Messiah, a messenger from God, a worker of miracles and a healer and as having a special relationship with God.

The difference is that we stop short of seeing Jesus as God. I understand the title “Son of God”, as “a relational metaphor, pointing to an intimate relationship with God”. This theological difference is significant, although there may be ways to build bridges. For example, according to Muslim tradition, when God dearly loves someone, God becomes very close to that person: “I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks.”

I believe Christ and Mary were such people — persons so beloved by God that God wove his light into their souls.

As Christmas draws near, we can take time to reflect on the important figures in this narrative — let us remember Zachariah, Mary, John, the mothers of Mary and John, and of course Jesus. Let’s reflect on their faith and humanity, their anguish and sacrifices and their humility.

O come all ye faithful.
O come and let us behold them.
O come let us adore them
Most beloved of our Lord. 

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 233 December 2018: 16-17