📖 Story
Maryam was ten years old. That evening she came home from school deep in thought, because her Arabic teacher had asked her, "Do you know the story of your name, Maryam?" and she hadn't known what to say. She sat beside her mother, eating dates, and asked, "Mama, why did you name me Maryam?"
Her mother smiled and said, "Because Maryam was the best of the world's women in her time, and her name is the name of a whole surah in the Quran, Surah Maryam. And because she was the mother of a great prophet, one of the messengers of firm resolve: Isa, peace be upon him. And the dates in your hand right now are connected to her story!" Maryam looked at the date in surprise and said, "Dates? Tell me, Mama!"
Her mother said, "Before Maryam was born, her mother was a righteous woman who vowed that her child would be devoted to serving Allah's house. When the baby was born a girl, she said: 'And I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge for her in You and for her descendants from Satan, the expelled' [Al Imran 3:36]. Allah accepted her with good acceptance and made her grow in a good manner, and Allah's prophet Zakariyya, peace be upon him, took care of her."
Then she said, "Maryam worshipped Allah in the prayer chamber, and every time Zakariyya came in to her he found provision, meaning food, with her. He would ask her: 'O Maryam, from where is this to you? She said, It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account' [Al Imran 3:37]."
Her mother said, "Allah said about her: 'O Maryam, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds' [Al Imran 3:42]. Then great glad tidings came to her: 'Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam, distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near to Allah' [Al Imran 3:45]."
Maryam said, "But how could she have a child when she wasn't married?" Her mother said, "Your question is Maryam's own question! She said: 'How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?' [Maryam 19:20]. And the answer came: 'Thus it will be; your Lord says, It is easy for Me' [Maryam 19:21]. Allah, who created Adam without a father or a mother, is able to create Isa from a mother without a father. Allah says: 'Indeed, the example of Isa to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, Be, and he was' [Al Imran 3:59]."
Maryam said, "Subhan Allah! Be, and it is." Her mother said, "Yes. Then Maryam became pregnant with Isa and withdrew from people to a faraway place. When the time came to give birth, she went to the trunk of a palm tree, tired and sad. A voice called out to reassure 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 content' [Maryam 19:24-26]."
Maryam held up the date and said, "Fresh dates! So that's how dates are connected to the story!" Her mother said, "Yes. Allah gave her a little stream of water and a palm tree giving her fresh dates. And look at an amazing lesson: a tired woman can't shake the trunk of a big palm tree, yet Allah told her to shake it. That teaches us to take the means, even if they're small, and Allah does the rest."
Then her mother said, "Then Maryam returned to her people carrying her baby. They were shocked and said bad things about her. She didn't answer them, because Allah had commanded her to fast from speaking. So she pointed to the baby. They said: How can we speak to a baby in the cradle? And baby Isa spoke!"
Maryam said, "The baby spoke?! What did he say?" Her mother said, "He 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, the day I will die, and the day I am raised alive' [Maryam 19:30-33]."
Her mother said, "Did you notice the first thing he said? I am the servant of Allah. That is very important. Isa, peace be upon him, is Allah's servant and messenger, not a god and not a son of Allah. Allah says: 'It is not befitting for Allah to take a son; exalted is He' [Maryam 19:35]. And notice too: dutiful to my mother. He loved his mother and was good to her."
Then her mother said, "Isa grew up, and Allah revealed the Injil, the Gospel, to him and sent him to the Children of Israel. He gave him great miracles, all by Allah's permission: he would shape something like a bird out of clay and breathe into it, and it would become a bird by Allah's permission; he healed the blind and the leper by Allah's permission; and he brought the dead to life by Allah's permission. Allah says: 'And when you designed from clay the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission' [al-Ma'idah 5:110]."
Maryam said, "Why does the phrase 'by Allah's permission' keep repeating?" Her mother said, "A clever question! Because Isa didn't do these things by his own power, but by Allah's power. Allah is the one who gives life and heals, and Isa was a messenger through whom Allah showed miracles."
Then she said, "A few people believed in him; the Quran calls them the disciples. Isa asked them: 'Who are my supporters for the cause of Allah? The disciples said, We are supporters for Allah. We have believed in Allah, and testify that we are Muslims, submitting to Him' [Al Imran 3:52]. But many people rejected him, and they even wanted to kill him."
Maryam said worriedly, "And did they kill him?" Her mother said, "No! Allah protected him. Allah says: 'And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another was made to resemble him to them' [an-Nisa 4:157], 'Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise' [an-Nisa 4:158]. Allah raised him up to the heavens alive."
Then her mother said, "The Prophet ﷺ told us, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, that Isa son of Maryam will descend near the end of time as a just ruler, ruling by the law of Islam and filling the earth with justice. And he ﷺ said: I am the closest of people to Isa son of Maryam in this world and the Hereafter. The prophets are brothers, and there is no prophet between me and him. This is narrated by al-Bukhari."
Maryam said, "The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loves Isa, peace be upon him!" Her mother said, "Yes, and a Muslim's faith isn't complete until he believes in Isa and in all the prophets. And Isa himself gave glad tidings of our Prophet ﷺ. Allah says: 'And bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad' [as-Saff 61:6]. Ahmad is one of the names of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ."
Then she said, "At school, Maryam, you may meet friends who believe something different about Isa, peace be upon him, from what we believe. We love and respect him, we say about him what the Quran says, and we speak to everyone politely and kindly, as our religion teaches us."
Then her mother said, "Do you remember the prayer of Maryam's mother: I seek refuge for her in You and for her descendants from Satan, the expelled? Allah answered her prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said, as in Sahih al-Bukhari, that Satan touches every child when it is born, except Maryam and her son. And he ﷺ said: The best of its women was Maryam daughter of Imran, and the best of its women was Khadijah. This is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim." Maryam said, "A mother's prayer gets answered!"
Maryam was quiet for a moment, then slowly ate the date and said, "Mama, I'm proud of my name. Maryam worshipped Allah, trusted in His provision, and was patient when people talked about her. And Isa was dutiful to his mother." Then she got up, hugged her mother and said, "And I'll be dutiful to my mother too."
Her mother laughed, held her close and said, "May Allah bless you, Maryam. Tomorrow, tell your teacher the story of your name." The next day Maryam stood up in class and told the story of Lady Maryam and the blessed palm tree, ending with the words of Isa, peace be upon him: "And peace is on me the day I was born, the day I will die, and the day I am raised alive."
Her mother smiled and said, "Because Maryam was the best of the world's women in her time, and her name is the name of a whole surah in the Quran, Surah Maryam. And because she was the mother of a great prophet, one of the messengers of firm resolve: Isa, peace be upon him. And the dates in your hand right now are connected to her story!" Maryam looked at the date in surprise and said, "Dates? Tell me, Mama!"
Her mother said, "Before Maryam was born, her mother was a righteous woman who vowed that her child would be devoted to serving Allah's house. When the baby was born a girl, she said: 'And I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge for her in You and for her descendants from Satan, the expelled' [Al Imran 3:36]. Allah accepted her with good acceptance and made her grow in a good manner, and Allah's prophet Zakariyya, peace be upon him, took care of her."
Then she said, "Maryam worshipped Allah in the prayer chamber, and every time Zakariyya came in to her he found provision, meaning food, with her. He would ask her: 'O Maryam, from where is this to you? She said, It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account' [Al Imran 3:37]."
Her mother said, "Allah said about her: 'O Maryam, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds' [Al Imran 3:42]. Then great glad tidings came to her: 'Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Isa, the son of Maryam, distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near to Allah' [Al Imran 3:45]."
Maryam said, "But how could she have a child when she wasn't married?" Her mother said, "Your question is Maryam's own question! She said: 'How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?' [Maryam 19:20]. And the answer came: 'Thus it will be; your Lord says, It is easy for Me' [Maryam 19:21]. Allah, who created Adam without a father or a mother, is able to create Isa from a mother without a father. Allah says: 'Indeed, the example of Isa to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, Be, and he was' [Al Imran 3:59]."
Maryam said, "Subhan Allah! Be, and it is." Her mother said, "Yes. Then Maryam became pregnant with Isa and withdrew from people to a faraway place. When the time came to give birth, she went to the trunk of a palm tree, tired and sad. A voice called out to reassure 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 content' [Maryam 19:24-26]."
Maryam held up the date and said, "Fresh dates! So that's how dates are connected to the story!" Her mother said, "Yes. Allah gave her a little stream of water and a palm tree giving her fresh dates. And look at an amazing lesson: a tired woman can't shake the trunk of a big palm tree, yet Allah told her to shake it. That teaches us to take the means, even if they're small, and Allah does the rest."
Then her mother said, "Then Maryam returned to her people carrying her baby. They were shocked and said bad things about her. She didn't answer them, because Allah had commanded her to fast from speaking. So she pointed to the baby. They said: How can we speak to a baby in the cradle? And baby Isa spoke!"
Maryam said, "The baby spoke?! What did he say?" Her mother said, "He 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, the day I will die, and the day I am raised alive' [Maryam 19:30-33]."
Her mother said, "Did you notice the first thing he said? I am the servant of Allah. That is very important. Isa, peace be upon him, is Allah's servant and messenger, not a god and not a son of Allah. Allah says: 'It is not befitting for Allah to take a son; exalted is He' [Maryam 19:35]. And notice too: dutiful to my mother. He loved his mother and was good to her."
Then her mother said, "Isa grew up, and Allah revealed the Injil, the Gospel, to him and sent him to the Children of Israel. He gave him great miracles, all by Allah's permission: he would shape something like a bird out of clay and breathe into it, and it would become a bird by Allah's permission; he healed the blind and the leper by Allah's permission; and he brought the dead to life by Allah's permission. Allah says: 'And when you designed from clay the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission' [al-Ma'idah 5:110]."
Maryam said, "Why does the phrase 'by Allah's permission' keep repeating?" Her mother said, "A clever question! Because Isa didn't do these things by his own power, but by Allah's power. Allah is the one who gives life and heals, and Isa was a messenger through whom Allah showed miracles."
Then she said, "A few people believed in him; the Quran calls them the disciples. Isa asked them: 'Who are my supporters for the cause of Allah? The disciples said, We are supporters for Allah. We have believed in Allah, and testify that we are Muslims, submitting to Him' [Al Imran 3:52]. But many people rejected him, and they even wanted to kill him."
Maryam said worriedly, "And did they kill him?" Her mother said, "No! Allah protected him. Allah says: 'And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another was made to resemble him to them' [an-Nisa 4:157], 'Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise' [an-Nisa 4:158]. Allah raised him up to the heavens alive."
Then her mother said, "The Prophet ﷺ told us, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, that Isa son of Maryam will descend near the end of time as a just ruler, ruling by the law of Islam and filling the earth with justice. And he ﷺ said: I am the closest of people to Isa son of Maryam in this world and the Hereafter. The prophets are brothers, and there is no prophet between me and him. This is narrated by al-Bukhari."
Maryam said, "The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loves Isa, peace be upon him!" Her mother said, "Yes, and a Muslim's faith isn't complete until he believes in Isa and in all the prophets. And Isa himself gave glad tidings of our Prophet ﷺ. Allah says: 'And bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad' [as-Saff 61:6]. Ahmad is one of the names of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ."
Then she said, "At school, Maryam, you may meet friends who believe something different about Isa, peace be upon him, from what we believe. We love and respect him, we say about him what the Quran says, and we speak to everyone politely and kindly, as our religion teaches us."
Then her mother said, "Do you remember the prayer of Maryam's mother: I seek refuge for her in You and for her descendants from Satan, the expelled? Allah answered her prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said, as in Sahih al-Bukhari, that Satan touches every child when it is born, except Maryam and her son. And he ﷺ said: The best of its women was Maryam daughter of Imran, and the best of its women was Khadijah. This is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim." Maryam said, "A mother's prayer gets answered!"
Maryam was quiet for a moment, then slowly ate the date and said, "Mama, I'm proud of my name. Maryam worshipped Allah, trusted in His provision, and was patient when people talked about her. And Isa was dutiful to his mother." Then she got up, hugged her mother and said, "And I'll be dutiful to my mother too."
Her mother laughed, held her close and said, "May Allah bless you, Maryam. Tomorrow, tell your teacher the story of your name." The next day Maryam stood up in class and told the story of Lady Maryam and the blessed palm tree, ending with the words of Isa, peace be upon him: "And peace is on me the day I was born, the day I will die, and the day I am raised alive."
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