Page 63 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah
P. 63

ccording to the historical sources, Mary
                                       was born at a time when the disorder
                                       mentioned earlier in the book was hap-
                                       pening, when Roman oppression was
                                      real, and the Jews were impatiently await-
                                     ing the Messiah's (pbuh) arrival. She was a
                                   descendent of 'Imran, whose family had been
                             made superior by Allah (Surah Al 'Imran, 33). Allah
                    chose her from among them, purified her, and placed her
                    above all other women, for as Allah reveals in the Qur'an:
                         And when the angels said: "Mary, Allah has chosen
                         you and purified you. He has chosen you over all other
                         women. Mary, obey your Lord and prostrate and bow
                         with those who bow." (Surah Al 'Imran, 42-43)
                         The family of 'Imran was known to believe in Allah, to
                    seek His good pleasure in whatever they do, and to always re-
                    spect the limits that He has established. When Imran's wife
                    learned of her pregnancy, she immediately turned to Allah in
                    prayer and dedicated her unborn child to Allah. It is a sign of
                    her true submission to Allah that she named her child Maryam
                    (Mary in English), meaning "someone who is always worship-
                    ping Allah." This subject is revealed in the Qur'an:
                         Remember when the wife of 'Imran said: "My Lord, I
                         have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated
                         [for Your service]. Please accept my prayer. You are the
                         All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." When she gave birth,
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