The name Mary and its derivatives are one of the most common if not ‘the’ most common female name in the world. The person who these people are named after has a very unique place in history, one that has never been close to being duplicated and can never be even imitated. It started indeed from her birth and culminated in the birth of her noble son.
She was Maryam the daughter of Imran and she was a descendant of Harun (Aaron) the brother of Musa (Moses). She was cared for by Zakariyyah after her birth. Zakariyyah was a Prophet of Allah and the father of Yahya (John the Baptist). It did not take long for Zakariyyah to find out that Maryam was a very special person indeed.
Since she was in his care, he was the one who supplied her with the provisions that she lived off with. One day he noticed that she had certain things in her possession that he had not provided her with. When he asked her how these items had come into her possession she replied, “It is from Allah. Indeed Allah provides for whom he wills without account.” (Qur'aan, Surah 3, Verse 37).
Her response left a deep impression on Zakariyyah. At the time he was a childless old man whose wife was past the age of having children. In spite of these two facts of life and nature, Maryam had caused him to want a child of his own. Just think of this fact. A very righteous child had caused a Prophet of Allah to want a child for himself! Maryam lived a life of complete obedience to Allah and was deeply devoted to His worship. She had no cares at all for the life of this world and focused her attention on Allah in a manner that very few of His servants male or female manage in any time or place in history. As a result of this she managed to attain a level of faith that only four women in the history of mankind arrived at. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be Upon Him) said, “The best woman in her time was Maryam the daughter of Imran…” He also said, “Many men achieved perfection but among women, only Maryam the daughter of Imran...”
This is consistent with the Qur'aanic verse that says:
“And [mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed God 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 bow [in prayer].’” (Quran 3:42-43) After a time she became in need of every degree of faith that she had as she was called upon by Allah to give birth to Isa (Jesus) without having intimate relations with any man. We know that she withdrew from people during most of her pregnancy and was tested by Allah until she was at the end of her patience. However Allah eased her situation and she returned to her people with her son Isa (Jesus).
When Isa, peace be upon Him, spoke to them as a mere newborn infant, it became apparent that Maryam and her son was a blessed couple and unique in the annals of time. Thus spoke Isa: “[Jesus] said, ‘Indeed, I am the servant of Allah (God). 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.’” (Quran 19:30-33). Who could have been a prouder and more grateful mother than Maryam bint Imraan at this time?

Sabur Abdul-Basit is a freelance author from Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in the United States of America.

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