A01173 - 'Ali al-Rida

‘Ali al-Rida

‘Ali al-Rida ('Ali ibn Musa al-Rida) ('Ali ar-Ridha) (Ali Reza) (b. c. 11 Dhu al-Qi'dah 148 AH [December 29, 765 CC or January 1, 766 CC], Medina, Hijaz, Abbasid Caliphate [now Saudi Arabia]   - d. 17 Safar 202 AH [June 6, 818 CC], Tus, Persia, Abbasid Caliphate [now Iran]).  Eighth Imam of the Twelver Shi‘a (r. 799-818).  

'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (also spelled Ridha or Reza in Persian), also known as Abu al-Hasan, was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, and the eighth Imam of Twelve Shi'a Islam, after his father Musa al-Kadim.  'Ali al Rida was an Imam of knowledge according to the Zaydi (Fiver) Shi'a school. 'Ali is also seen as a major religious figure for many Sunnis, particularly Sufis.  He lived in a period when the Abbasid caliphs were facing numerous difficulties, the most important of which was Shi'a revolt. The Caliph Al-Ma'mun sought out a remedy for this problem by appointing 'Ali al-Rida as his successor, through whom he could be involved in worldly affairs. However, according to the Shi'a view, when Al-Ma'mun saw that the Imam gained even more popularity, he decided to correct his mistake by poisoning him. The Imam was buried at the Imam Reza shrine in a city in Khorasan, which afterwards gained the name Mashhad,  meaning "the place of martyrdom".

'Ali was born in Medina and was summoned from a quiet, scholarly life by the reigning Abbasid caliph al-Ma’mun to accept appointment as heir apparent, with the title al-Rida.

‘Ali al-Rida’s imamate coincided with a great reversal of fortune for the Shi‘a.  He attained the imamate after the brutal persecution and martyrdom of this father, Musa al-Kadim, at the hands of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid.  After Harun’s death, however, events rapidly evolved.  After a civil war between Harun’s sons Amin and Ma’mun ended in Ma’mun’s victory, ‘Ali al-Rida was summoned to Ma’mun’s capital at Merv (Marv) in northeastern Iran.

 ‘Ali al-Rida, as the head of the house of 'Ali and, therefore, leader of the Shi‘a, could bring a vast claim of potential support for the cause of whoever made an alliance with him.  The caliph brought him to Transoxiana, named him the heir apparent, and replaced the black insignias of the ruling 'Abbasids with those of 'Alid green.  This strange episode ended soon, however, when ‘Ali al-Rida died while traveling with Ma’mun from Merv back to Baghdad. The Shi‘a, doubting the honesty of the caliph’s motives in the first place, believed that he had had ‘Ali al-Rida poisoned.  ‘Ali al-Rida was interred at Tus by Ma’mun in a mausoleum already containing the remains of Ma’mun’s father Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid caliph of Arabian Nights fame.  The spot soon grew in significance because of the presence there of the 'Alid imam.  Its name was changed to Mashhad (literally, “shrine” or “sanctuary”).  It became one of the most important centers for Shi‘a pilgrimage and is now at the center of Iran’s third largest city, to which it gives its name.  

'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida was descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Shi'a Imams. His given name was ‘Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja‘far.
 
On the eleventh of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 148 AH (December 29, 765), 'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida was born in the house of Imam Musa al-Kadim (the seventh Imam of Shi'a Islam) in Medina. He was named 'Ali and was titled al-Rida. He was born one month after the death of his grandfather, Ja'far al-Sādiq. The mother of 'Ali al-Rida was Najmah, a former slave purchased and freed by Hamidah Khatun, wife of the sixth Shi'a Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq.

During his childhood, 'Ali al-Rida accompanied his father, Musa al-Kadim, who repeatedly would tell his friends, " 'Ali al-Rida shall be the Imam after me." Since political pressure prevailed in the period of Musa al-Kadim, he added, "What I said must remain (restricted) to you. Do not repeat it to anybody unless you know that he is one of our friends and companions."

'Ali al-Rida’s father, Musa al-Kadim, was martyred in 799.  It was then that the responsibility of the Imamate was conveyed to 'Ali al-Rida. 

'Ali al-Rida was not looked upon favorably by Harun al-Rashid, and the people of Medina were disallowed from visiting 'Ali al-Rida and learning from him. Harun attempted to kill him but was unsuccessful.

After the death of Harun al-Rashid, Harun's two sons began fighting for control of the Abbasid Empire. One son, Al-Amin, had an Arab mother and thus had the support of Arabs, while his half-brother Al-Ma'mun had a Persian mother and the support of Persia. Al-Ma'mun believed that Persia was sympathetic to the Hashemites and asked for 'Ali al-Rida to meet him in Persia. 'Ali al-Rida left his only son, Muhammad al-Taqi, and his wife and set out for Merv.

After defeating his brother, Caliph al-Ma'mun named 'Ali al-Rida his successor. He hoped to win Shi'a support through this move, but the passage of the caliphate would occur only if 'Ali al-Rida outlived al-Ma'mun (as with all promises of succession). Al-Ma'mun even changed the black Abbasid flags to green, the traditional color of the house of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shi'a imam. 

'Ali al-Rida did not outlive al-Ma'mun.  He was killed in Persia while accompanying al-Ma'mun at Tus. Most scholars agree he was poisoned by al-Ma'mun. 'Ali al-Rida ('Ali Reza) is buried within the Imam Reza Mosque in Mashhad, Iran.

On the eleventh of Dhu al-Qi'dah, 148 AH (c. January 1, 766 CC), a son was born in the house of Musa al-Kadim (the seventh Imam of Twelver Shi'a Islam) in Medina. He was named 'Ali and titled al-Rida, literally meaning in Arabic, "the soothe", since it was believed that Allah was pleased with him. 'Ali's kunya -- 'Ali's alternative name based on the name of his oldest child -- was Abu'l Hasan since 'Ali was the father of al-Hasan. The naming of a father after his son is a common practice in Arab culture. However, in the Shi'a sources, 'Ali is commonly called Abu'l-Ḥasan al-Ṯānī (the second Abu'l Hasan), since his father, Musa al-Kadim, also had the kunya Abu'l Hasan. Musa al-Kadim was known as Abu'l-Ḥasan al-Awwal, meaning the first Abu'l Hasan.

'Ali was born one month after the death of his grandfather, Ja'far al-Sadiq, and was brought up in Medina under the direction of his father, Musa al-Kadim. His mother, Najmah, was a distinguished and pious lady.  Originally a North African slave woman, Najmah was purchased by, and freed by, Bibi Hamidah Khatun, the wife of Ja'far al-Sadiq.  'Ali ibn Musa was said to be shadid ummah or Aswad, meaning he had a very dark-skinned or black complexion.

Disputes exist regarding the number of 'Ali al-Rida's offspring and their names. A group of scholars say that 'Ali had five sons and one daughter, and that they were named Muhammad al- Qani', al-Hasan, Ja'far, Ibrahim, al-Husayn, and 'Ayesha. Sabt ibn al-Jawzi, in his work Tadhkiratul-Khawass, says that the sons were only four, dropping the name of al-Husayn from the list.

'Ali reached the Imamate, after the death of his father, Musa al-Kadim, through Divine Command and the decree of his forefathers, especially his father Imam Musa al-Kadim, who repeatedly told his companions that his son 'Ali would be the Imam after him. Musa al-Kadim preferred 'Ali al-Rida over the rest of his sons, informing them, "This is your brother ‘Ali ibn Musa, who is the scholar of the Household of Muhammad  (Ahl al-Bayt). Question him about your beliefs and memorize what he says to you, for I heard my father, Ja'far al-Sadiq say: ‘The scholar of the Household of Muhammad (Ahl al-Bayt), may Allah bless him and his Household, is in your loins. Would that I met him, for he is the namesake of (Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib) the commander of the faithful (amir al-mu'minin).' "

Even in his youth, 'Ali al-Rida would transmit hadith from his father and his uncles and gave fatawa -- legal rulings -- in the mosque of Medina.  'Ali al-Rida was not looked upon favorably by Harun al-Rashid and the people of Medina were discouraged from visiting and learning from him. Nevertheless, after 'Ali succeeded his father as Imam in Medina, the new Caliph al-Ma'mun ingratiated himself with the numerous Shi'a parties by designating 'Ali al-Rida as his successor to the Caliphate.

After the death of Harun al-Rashid in 809, Harun's two sons began fighting for control of the Abbasid Empire. One son, al-Amin, had an Arab mother and thus had the support of Arabs, while his half-brother al-Ma'mun had a Persian mother and the support of Persians.  Ultimately, al-Ma'mun prevailed over al-Amin.  However, after defeating his brother, al-Ma'mun faced many insurrections from the followers of Muhammad's family.

The Shi'a of al-Ma'mun's era made up a large population of al-Ma'mun's Iran and regarded the Imams as their leaders.  As their leaders, the Imams were to be obeyed in all aspects of life, spiritual and secular, as the Shi'a believed the Imams to be the real caliphs -- the real successors -- of the Prophet Muhammad.  The Abbasids, like the Umayyads before them, realized this was a big threat to their own caliphate, since the Shi'as saw Abbasids as usurpers to the rightful heirs of Muhammad.  For the Shi'a, the spiritual status of al-Ma'mun was far from the sacred status of their Imams. 

In order to quiet the many Shi'a rebellions, Caliph al-Ma'mun summoned Imam 'Ali al-Rida to Khorasan and offered 'Ali al-Rida the role of Crown Prince -- the royal successor -- to prevent the Shi'as and the relatives of 'Ali al-Rida from rebelling.  From al-Ma'mun's perspective the promise of royal succession helped to prevent the Shi'a from rebelling against his government since in doing so the Shi'a would then be fighting against their own Imam. Al-Ma'mun also wanted to cause the people to lose their spiritual belief and inner attachment to the Imams, because, once associated with the government, the Imam would also be associated with its corruption. Thirdly, al-Ma'mun, by bringing 'Ali al-Rida into the government, intended to fool other Shi'as into believing that his government was not so bad after all, especially since 'Ali al-Rida would one day come into power after al-Ma'mun. Finally, al-Ma'mun wanted to keep a close watch over 'Ali al-Rida, the Imam of the Shi'as, so that nothing could happen without al-Ma'mun's knowledge.

However, word quickly spread among al-Ma'mun's circles that al-Ma'mun was not sincere in his offer to make 'Ali al-Rida the Crown Prince, and that it was simply a political move. Al-Ma'mun also became paranoid and thought that 'Ali al-Rida would see through the political ruse as well, and so would 'Ali's Shi'as. In order to quiet the doubts of the people, al-Ma'mun first offered 'Ali al-Rida the caliphate itself. 

'Ali al-Rida, who knew the real reason for this offer, politely refused it.  Nevertheless, al-Ma'mun continued trying to make his offer seem sincere and kept re-offering the caliphate, and finally moved on to his plan to make his Crown Prince be 'Ali al-Rida. 

When Imam al-Rida also declined this position, al-Ma'mun threatened him. Al-Rida said he would accept, under the condition that none of the affairs of government would be his. He would neither appoint anyone, nor dismiss. He would not rule, or pass laws. He would only be Crown Prince in name. 

Al-Ma'mun was pleased that 'Ali al-Rida had accepted and would stay out of his way in governing.  Al-Ma'mun even changed the black Abbasid flags to green, the traditional color of the Shi'a, Muhammad's flag and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib's cloak. He also ordered the minting of coins with the names of both Al-Ma'mun and 'Ali al-Rida.

When 'Ali al-Rida was summoned to Khorasan and reluctantly accepted the role of successor to al-Ma'mun, al-Ma'mun  also summoned the Imam's brother, Zayd, who had revolted and brought about a riot in Medina to his court in Khorasan. Al-Ma'mun kept Zayd free as an honor to 'Ali al-Rida.

One day, however, when 'Ali al-Rida was delivering a speech in a grand assembly, he heard Zayd praising himself before the people, saying I am so and so. 'Ali al-Rida rebuked Zayd saying:

O Zayd, have you trusted upon the words of the grocers of Kufa and are conveying them to the people? What kind of things are you talking about? The sons of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah Zahra are worthy and outstanding only when they obey the command of Allah, and keep themselves away from sin and blunder. You think you are like Musa al-Kadim, 'Ali ibn Husayn, and other Imams?  Whereas, they took pains and bore hardships on the way to Allah and prayed to Allah day and night. Do you think you will gain without pain? Be aware, that if a person out of us the Ahl al-Bayt performs a good deed, he gets twice the reward.  Because not only he performed good deeds like others but also that he has maintained the honor of Muhammad. If he practices something bad and does a sin, he has performed two sins. One is that he performed a bad act like the rest of the people and the other one is that he has negated the honor of Muhammad. O brother! The one who obeys Allah is from us the Ahl al-Bayt  and the one who is a sinner is not ours. Allah said about the son of Noah who cut the spiritual bondage with his father, "He is not out of your lineage; if he was out of your lineage, I would have granted him salvation."

Al-Ma'mun was very interested in working on various sciences translated into Arabic. Al-Ma'mun arranged debates between the Imam and Muslim scholars and the leaders of the religious sects who came into al-Ma'mun's presence. One of the discussions was on Divine Unity with Sulaiman al-Mervi, a scholar from Khorasan.  Another discussion was with 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jahm was devoted to the sinlessness of the Prophets, which led to still another debate on the same subject in which al-Ma'mun took a great part himself. Many of these debates are recorded in the collections of Shi'a hadiths, like Oyoun Akhbar al-Rida.  

According to some accounts, al-Ma'mun's main objective of holding the meetings was a hope to render the Imam incapable of answering questions in order to undermine his popularity. It is related from al-Nawfali who quoted the Imam as saying

Would you (al-Nawfali) like to know when al-Ma'mūn will feel remorseful? ...When he hears me argue with the people of the Torah quoting their own Torah, with the people of the Gospel quoting their own Gospel, with the people of the Psalms quoting their own Psalms, with the Zoroastrians arguing in their Persian language, with the Romans in their own Latin... then al-Ma'mūn will realize that he will not achieve what he aspires...

Al-Ma'mun thought he would solve the problems of Shi'a revolts by naming 'Ali al-Rida as his successor. After finally being able to persuade 'Ali al-Rida to accept this position, al-Ma'mun realized his mistake, for the Shi'a began to gain even more popularity. Moreover, the Arab party in Baghdad were furious when they heard that al-Ma'mun not only appointed the imam as his successor, but sent out commands that the Abbasid's black flag should be changed to green in honor of the Imam. They were afraid that the empire would be taken from them. They got together, therefore, to depose al-Ma'mun and give allegiance to Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, who was the uncle of al-Ma'mun. When al-Ma'mun heard this, the Imam, 'Ali al-Rida, advised al-Ma'mun to solve the problem by dismissing 'Ali al-Rida from his position but al-Ma'mun did not heed 'Ali al-Rida's advice and decided to return to Baghdad and assert his rights.  However, when they reached the town of Sarakhs, al-Ma'mun's vizier was assassinated, and when they reached Tus, al-Ma'mūn poisoned the Imam. Then, Muhammad al-Taqi, 'Ali al-Rida's  son came. 

Al-Ma'mūn ordered that 'Ali al-Rida be buried next to the tomb of al-Ma'mun's own father, Harun al-Rashid, and showed extreme sorrow in the funeral ritual. Al-Ma'mun stayed for three days at the burial site.  The unexpected death of both the vizier and the successor (the successor whose presence would have made any reconciliation with the powerful ʿAbbasid opposition in Baghdad virtually impossible) aroused strong suspicion that al-Ma'mun had a hand in the deaths. 

The traditional Kutbeh Khani (sermon reciting) ritual is held every year on the anniversary of the death of Imam Reza ('Ali al-Rida).  The ritual, based on the order of governor 'Ali Shah of Khorasan in 1160 AH, involves the shrine's servants walking from the nearest street around the shrine to Inqilab yard with candles in their hands. When they arrive, they stand around the yard and begin reciting the sermon, worship Allah and praise the Ahl al-Bayt. This ritual is also held on the night of Ashura. 

Today the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad occupies a total area of 598,657 square meters (147.931 acres) — the shrine area occupies 267,079 square meters (65.997 acres) while the seven courtyards surrounding it cover an area of 331,578 square meters (81.935 acres), together having an area larger than Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi (which have areas of 356,800 square meters (88.2 acres) and 400,500 square meters (99.0 acres) respectively). Based on this acreage, some sources describe the Imam Reza shrine as the largest mosque in the world.

One of 'Ali al-Rida's most important works is Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah (The Golden Treatise).  Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah is a treatise on medical cures and the maintenance of good health which is said to have been written in accordance with the demand of al-Ma'mun.  It is regarded as the most precious Islamic literature in the science of medicine, and was entitled "the golden treatise" as al-Ma'mun had ordered it to be written in gold ink. It was explained in this treatise that one's health is threatened when his blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm are unbalanced; and that nutrition and traditional medicine may be used to cure imbalances. 

Another important work by 'Ali al-Rida is Sahifah.  Sahifah is a collection of hadith attributed to 'Ali al-Rida which was transmitted by Abdallah ibn Aḥmad ibn Amer, who heard them from his father Aḥmad, who was said to have heard it from 'Ali al-Rida in 194 AH (809–10 CE) at Medina.  It contains hadiths on various topics like the invocation of Allah, the importance of praying five times a day and of saying the prayer for the dead, the excellence of Muhammad's household, of the believer, of good manners, of strengthening the bonds of kinship, and the danger of cheating, of backbiting, and of tattling. It discusses each member of the household.

Uyun al Akhbar ar Reda is a book in which is gathered together everything that has been related about Imam 'Ali al-Rida from debates on religious questions and the sayings which have been recorded from him, to the explanations of the reason his name was chosen, and traditions concerning his death and the miracles which have occurred at his tomb. It was collected by Ibn Babawayh who is also known as Al-Shaykh al-Saduq.

Feqh al-Reżā (Al-Rida's Jurisprudence), also called al-Fiqh al-Radawi, is also attributed to Imam 'Ali al-Rida. It was not known until the 10th AH/16th century CC when it was judged to be authentic by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi. However, most Imami scholars doubted its authenticity.

It has been commonly held that Maruf al-Karkhi who was converted to Islam through 'Ali al-Rida is one of the foremost figures in the golden chain of most Sufi orders. He was a devoted student of 'Ali al-Rida and is an important figure for Sufism and Shi'ism. 

At the end of the Safavid period, a Ni'mat Allahi Sufi from India named Ma'sum was sent by his spiritual master, Shaykh Shah 'Ali Rida Dakhani, to Iran to restore the Ni'mat Allahi order in Iran.  However, while the Sufi order owes its name to Shah Ni'mat Allah Wali, it actually owes its origin to the Eighth Shi'a Imam, the Imam 'Ali al-Rida, through his conversion of Ma'ruf al-Karkhi.

Some of the noted sayings of 'Ali al-Rida are:

• "Everyone's friend is his reason; his enemy is his ignorance."
• "Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather it is abundant reflecting on the affair of Allah, the Great and Almighty."
• "Man is not worshipful unless he is clement."
• "Faith is a degree above Islam; fear of Allah is a degree above faith; and nothing less than fear of Allah has been divided among men."
• "Faith is four pillars: trust in Allah, satisfaction with Allah's decree, submission to Allah's command, and entrusting (affairs) to Allah."
• "If one lacks five attributes, do not expect to gain anything good out of him for your life in this world or your life to come: if his lineage is known to be untrustworthy, if his nature lacks generosity, if his temper lacks balance, if he lacks a noble conduct, and if he lacks fear of his Lord."
• "If only three years of a person's span of life has remained and he tightens the bond of kin, Allah will make them thirty years, and Allah does whatever He wills."
• "Adhere to the weapon of the prophets!" They asked, "What is the weapon of prophets?" He replied, "Supplication."
• "A believer's secret supplication is equal to seventy open supplications."

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A Partial Bibliography:

A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles (2004). Qom, Iran: Ansariyan Publications.

Allan, James W. (2012).  The Art and Architecture of Twelver Shi'ism: Iraq, Iran, and the Indian Sub-Continent.  Oxford, England: Azimuth Editions.

Betteridge, Anne H. (2002). "Muslim Women and Shrines in Shiraz".  In Donna Lee Bowen and Evelyn A. Early (ed.). Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East (Second Edition).  Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.

Bobrick, Benson (2012).  The Caliph's Splendor: Islam and the West in the Golden Age of Baghdad.  Simon and Schuster.

Canby, Sheila R. (2009). Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.  London, England: The British Museum Press.

Donaldson, Dwight M. (1933).  The Shi'ite Religion: A History of Islam in Persia and Irak. Burleigh Press.

Dungersi, Mohammed Raza (1996). A Brief Biography of Imam Ali bin Musa (a.s.): al-Ridha.  Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.

Esposito, John L. (1998).  The Oxford History of Islam.  Oxford University Press.

Hattstein, Markus and Delius, Peter (ed.) (2001). Islam: Art and Architecture.  Cologne, Germany: Konemann Verlagsgellschaft.

Jaffer, Masuma (2003). Lady Fatima Masuma (a) of Qom. Qom, Iran: Jami'at al-Zahra: Islamic Seminary for Women.

Khaldun, Ibn (1958). The Muqaddimah: an introduction to history, in three volumes.  Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Lewis, B. "Ali al-Rida". Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. BrillOnline Reference Works.

Meri, Josef W.; Bacharach, Jere L. (2006).  Medieval Islamic Civilization: A-K Index.  Taylor & Francis.

Qarashi, Baqir Sharif al-.  The Life of Imam 'Ali Bin Musa al-Rida.  Translated by Jasim al-Rasheed from the original on January 5, 2011. 

Saduq, Al-Shaykh al- (2006).  Uyun Akhbar al-Reza: The Source of Traditions on Imam Reza (a.s.) (Vol. 2). Qom, Iran: Ansariyan Publications.

Sykes, Percy (2013).  A History of Persia.  Routledge.

Tabari (1987).  Translated by C. E. Bosworth (ed.). The History of al-Tabari: The Reunification of the 'Abassid Caliphate: Volume 32.  New York, New York: State University of New York Press.

Tabatabaei, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn (1975).  Translated by Sayyid Hossein Nasr.  Shi'ite Islam.  New York, New York: State University of New York Press.

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Partial Listing of Related Wikipedia Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_al-Ridha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_caliphs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimah_bint_Musa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fourteen_Infallibles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imam_Reza_Shrine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Imams

A01172 - Maryam bint Imran

 Maryam bint Imran (Arabic: مريم بنت عمران, lit. 'Mary, daughter of Imran') is revered in Islam as the only woman named in the Quran, which refers to her seventy times and explicitly identifies her as the greatest woman to have ever lived.^[1][2][3] In the Quran, her story is related in three Meccan surahs (19, 21, 23) and four Medinan surahs (3, 4, 5, 66), and the nineteenth Surah titled Maryam, is named after her. The Quran refers to Mary more often than the Bible.^[

According to the Quran, Mary's parents had been praying for a child. Their request was eventually accepted by God, and Mary's mother became pregnant. Her father Imran had died before the child was born. After her birth, she was taken care by her maternal uncle Zechariah. According to the Quran, Mary received messages from God through the archangel Gabriel. God informs Mary to be miraculously conceived by her through the intervention of the divine spirit, though she was still a virgin. The name of her child is chosen by God, being Isa (Jesus) and who would be the "anointed one," the Promised Messiah. As such, orthodox Islamic belief "has upheld the tenet of the virgin birth of Jesus,"^[6] and although the classical Islamic thinkers never dwelt on the question of the perpetual virginity of Mary at any great length,^[6] it was generally agreed in traditional Islam that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life, with the Quran's mention of Mary's purification “from the touch of men” implying perpetual virginity in the minds of many of the most prominent Islamic fathers.^[7]

Mary is believed to have been chosen by God, above all 'the women of the worlds' in Islam.^[6] She is referred to by various titles in the Quran, with the most prominent being al-Qānitah.

The Quran calls Mary "the daughter of Imran"^[8] and it mentions that people called her a "sister of Aaron (Harun)".^[9] This is possibly due to the Author of the Quran confusing Mary with Miriam. Her mother, mentioned in the Quran only as the wife of Imran, prayed for a child and eventually conceived.^[10] According to al-Tabari, Mary's mother was named Hannah (Arabic: هنا), and Imran (Arabic: عمران), her husband, died before the child was born.^[11] Expecting the child to be male, Hannah vowed to dedicate him to isolation and service in the Temple.^[10] However, Hannah bore a daughter instead, and named her Maryam.^[12][13][14]

In the Quran[edit]

Main article: Maryam (surah)

Mary is mentioned frequently in the Quran,^[15] and her narrative occurs consistently from the earliest chapters, revealed in Mecca, to the latest verses, revealed in Medina.

Birth[edit]

The birth of Mary is narrated in the Quran with references to her father as well as her mother. Mary's father is called Imran. He is the equivalent of Joachim in Christian tradition. Her mother, according to al-Tabari, is called Hannah,^[11] which is the same name as in Christian tradition (Saint Anne). Muslim literature narrates that Imran and his wife were old and childless and that, one day, the sight of a bird in a tree feeding her young aroused Anne's desire for a child. She prayed to God to fulfill her desire^[16] and vowed, if her prayer was accepted, that her child would be dedicated to the service of God.

According to Iraqi scholar and translator, N.J. Dawood, the Quran confuses Mary mother of Jesus with Mary the sister of Moses, by referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus' father as Imran, which is the Arabic version of Amram, who in Exodus 6:20, is shown to be the father of Moses.^[17] Dawood, in a note to Quran 19:28, where Mary the Mother of Jesus is referred to as the "Sister of Aaron", and Aaron was the brother of Mary sister of Moses, states: "It Appears that Miriam, Aaron's sister, and Maryam (Mary), mother of Jesus, were according to the Koran, one and the same person."^[18] Although Islamic studies of the beginning of the 20th century tended to see this as a mistake in genealogy, in more recent Islamic Studies of the 21st century the general consensus is, according to Angelika Neuwirth, Nicolai Sinai & Michael Marx, that the Quran does not make a genealogical error but instead makes use of Typology.^[19] This is, following Wensincks conclusion, supported by the figurative speech of the Quran and the Islamic tradition:

Maryam is called a sister of Hārūn and the use of these three names Imrān, Hārūn and Maryam, has led to the supposition that the Kur'ān does not clearly distinguish between the two Maryams of the Old and the New Testaments. It is not necessary to assume that these kinship links are to be interpreted in modern terms. The words "sister" and "daughter", like their male counterparts, in Arabic usage can indicate extended kinship, descendance or spiritual affinity. Muslim tradition is clear that there are eighteen centuries between the Biblical Amram and the father of Maryam.^[20][21]

Similarly, Stowasser concludes that "to confuse Mary the mother of Jesus with Mary the sister of Moses and Aaron in Torah is completely wrong and in contradiction to the sound Hadith and the Qur'anic text as we have established".^[22][23]

The quranic account of Mary's birth does not affirm an Immaculate Conception for Mary as Islam does not accept the doctrine of original sin, or an inherited fault in humans, as it is found in Christianity. No such doctrine exists in Islam.^[24][25]

A descendant of Caliph Ali, Shia Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq, describes the birth of Mary in detail. According to one narration, God informs Imran that he will grant him with a boy that will heal the blind and the leper and raise the dead by God's permission. When Imran relays the information to his wife, Hannah, she thought that she would conceive a boy. When she delivered Mary, she said "Oh my Lord! Verily I have delivered a female, and the male is not like the female, for a girl will not be a prophet" to which Allah replies "And God knows better what has been delivered[3:36]". When he granted Jesus to Mary, the promise to Imran was fulfilled.^[26]

Early years[edit]

The Quran does not, specifically, point to the fact that Mary lived and grew up in a temple as the word miḥ'rāb in Quran 3:36 in its literal meaning refers to a private chamber^[27][28] or a public/private prayer chamber.^[29] The definitive idea of Mary growing up in a temple derived via external literature (i.e. see the narration below by Ja'far al-Sadiq). She was placed under the care of the prophet Zakariya, the husband of Hannah's sister and Mary's maternal uncle and caretaker.^[26]: 16 As often as Zechariah entered Mary's prayer chamber, he found her provided with food^[30] and he would ask her where she received it from, to which she would reply that God provides to whom He wills. Scholars have debated as to whether this refers to miraculous food that Mary received from God or whether it was normal food. Those in favor of the former view state that it had to be miraculous food, as Zechariah being a prophet, would have known that God is the provider of all sustenance and thus would not have questioned Mary, if it was normal food.

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq narrates that when Maryam was grown, she would go into the mihrab and put on a covering so no one saw her. Zechariah went into the mihrab and found that she had summer fruit in the winter and winter fruit in the summer. He asked "From whence is this?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account"[3:37].^{[26]: 16–17}

Annunciation[edit]

Annunciation in The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries, folio 162v. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Arabe 1489.

The virgin birth of Jesus is supremely important in Islam, as one of the most important miracles of God. The first explicit mention of an annunciation foreshadowing the birth of Jesus is in Quran 19:20 where Mary asks Gabriel (Jibril) how she will be able to conceive, when no man has touched her. Gabriel's reply assures Mary that for God all things are easy and that Jesus's virgin birth will be a sign for mankind.^[31] The birth is later referred in Quran 66:12,^[32] where the Quran states that Mary remained "pure", while God allowed a life to shape itself in Mary's womb. A third mention of the annunciation is in Q3:42–43, where Mary is also given the glad tidings that she has been chosen above all the women of creation.^[33]

Commentators on the Quran remark on the last verse that Mary was as close to a perfect woman as there could be, and she was devoid of almost all failings.^[34] Although Islam honors numerous women, including Hawwa, Hagar, Sarah, Asiya, Khadijah, Fatimah, Ayesha, Hafsa many commentators^[35] followed this verse in the absolute sense, and agreed that Mary was the greatest woman of all time.^[34] Other commentators, however, while maintaining that Mary was the "queen of the saints", interpreted this verse to mean that Mary was the greatest woman of that time and that Fatimah, Khadijah and Asiya were equally great.^[34][36] According to exegesis and literature, Gabriel appeared to Mary, who was still young in age, in the form of a well-made man with a "shining face" and announced to her the birth of Jesus. After her immediate astonishment, she was reassured by the angel's answer that God has the power to do anything.^[34] The details of the conception are not discussed during these angelic visits, but elsewhere the Quran states (Quran 21:91)^[37] and 66:12^[32]) that God breathed "His Spirit" into Mary while she was chaste.^[38][39]

Virgin birth[edit]

Mary shaking the palm tree for dates, a legend derived from the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.^[40]

According to the Quran, Mary was chosen twice by the Lord: "O Mary! Verily Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds" (Quran 3:42); and the first choosing was her selection with glad tidings given to Imran. The second was that she became pregnant without a man, so in this regard, she was chosen over all other women in the world.^[26]: 16

The Quran narrates the virgin birth of Jesus numerous times. In chapter 19 (Maryam), verses (ayat) 17–21,^[41] the annunciation is given, followed by the virgin birth in due course. In Islam, Jesus is called the "spirit of God" because he was through the action of the spirit, but that belief does not include the doctrine of his pre-existence, as it does in Christianity.^[42] Quran 3:47 also supports the virginity of Mary, revealing that "no man has touched [her]".^[43] Quran 66:12^[32] states that Jesus was born when the spirit of God breathed upon Mary, whose body was chaste.^[44]

According to the Quran, the following conversation transpired between the angel Gabriel and Mary when he appeared to her in the form of a man:

And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] 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 spirit, 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 a pure boy." 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.'[19:16-21]

The Quran's narrative of the virgin birth is somewhat different from that in the New Testament. The Quran states that when the pains of childbirth came upon Mary, she held onto a nearby palm tree, at which point a voice came from "beneath the (palm-tree)" or "beneath her", which said " "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee."^[45] The Quran goes on to describe that Mary vowed not to speak to any man on that day,^[46] as God was to make Jesus, who Muslims believe spoke in the cradle, perform his first miracle. The Quran goes on to narrate that Mary then brought Jesus to the temple, where immediately she began to be taunted by all the men, excluding Zechariah, who believed in the virgin birth. The Israelites questioned Mary how she came to be with child whilst unmarried, to which Mary pointed to the baby Jesus. It was then that, according to the Quran, the infant Jesus began to speak in the cradle, and spoke of his prophecy for the first time.^[47]

According to Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Jesus the son of Mary used to cry intensely as a child, so that Mary was at wits end regarding his profuse crying. He said to her, "Get some of the bark of that tree, make a tonic from it and feed me with it." When he drank it, he cried intensely. Mary said, "What sort of prescription did you give me?" He said, "Oh my mother! Knowledge of prophet-hood and weakness of childhood."^[26]: 23

The Fatimid Ismaili jurist Qadi al-Nu’man holds that the virgin birth of Jesus is meant to be interpreted symbolically. In his interpretation, Mary was the follower (lāḥiq), of the Imam Joachim (‘Imran). However, when Joachim realized that she was not suited for the Imamah, he passed it to Zechariah, who then passed it to John the Baptist. Meanwhile, Mary received spiritual inspiration (mādda) from God, revealing that he would invite a man [to the faith] who would become an exalted Speaker (nāṭiq) of a revealed religion (sharīʿa). According to al-Nu’man, the verses “She said: Lord! How can I have a child when no man has touched me?” (Quran 3:47) and “neither have I been unchaste” (Quran 19:20) are symbolic of Mary's saying, “How can I conduct the invitation (daʿwa) when the Imam of the Time has not given me permission to do so?” and “Nor shall I be unfaithful by acting against his command”, respectively. To this, a celestial hierarch replies “Such is God. He creates [i.e., causes to pass] what he wills” (Quran 3:47).^[48]

Islamic tradition[edit]

Mary is one of the most honored figures in Islamic theology, with Muslims viewing her as one of the most righteous women to have lived as per the Quranic verse, with reference to the angelic salutation during the annunciation, "O Mary, God has chosen you, and purified you; He has chosen you above all the women of creation."^[49]. A minority of Muslims also view her as a prophet.^[50] Muslim women look upon her as an example and are known to visit both Muslim and Christian shrines. Muslim tradition, like Christian, honors her memory at Matariyyah near Cairo, and in Jerusalem. Muslims also visit the Bath of Mary in Jerusalem, where Muslim tradition recounts Mary once bathed, and this location was visited at times by women who were seeking a cure for barrenness.^[51] Some plants have also been named after Mary, such as Maryammiah, which, as tradition recounts, acquired its sweet scent when Mary wiped her forehead with its leaves. Another plant is Kaff Maryam (Anastatica), which was used by some Muslim women to help in pregnancy, and the water of this plant was given to women to drink while praying.

Islamic literature does not recount many instances from Mary's later life, and her assumption is not present in any Muslim records. Nevertheless, some contemporary Muslim scholars, an example being Martin Lings, accepted the assumption as being a historical event from Mary's life.^[52] One of the lesser-known events which are recorded in Muslim literature is that of Mary visiting Rome with John and Thaddeus (Jude), the disciples (al-Hawāriyūn) of Jesus, during the reign of Nero.^[53]

Qadi al-Nu'man, the twelfth century Ismaili Muslim jurist and luminary, in his book on the esoteric interpretation of faith, Asās al-Ta'wīl, talks about the spiritual birth (milad al-bātin) of Jesus, as an interpretation of his story of physical birth (milad al-zāhir). He says that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a metaphor for someone who nurtured and instructed Jesus, rather than physically giving birth to him. He also pointed out that Zachariah (The Imam of the Time) appointed Mary as one of his proofs (sing. hujja).^[48]

Titles[edit]

• Qānitah: Mary is so called in Quran 66:12.^[32] The Arabic term implies the meaning, not only of constant submission to God, but also absorption in prayer and invocation, meanings that coincides with the image of Mary spending her childhood in the temple of prayer. In this way, Mary personifies prayer and contemplation in Islam.
• Siddiqah: She who confirms the truth or She who has faith. Mary is called Siddiqah twice in the Quran (Q5:73–75 and Q66:12).^[32][54] The term has also been translated, She who believes sincerely completely.
• Sājidah: She who prostrates to God in worship. The Quran states: "O Mary! Worship your Lord devoutly: prostrate yourself".^[55] While in Sujud, a Muslim is to praise God and glorify Him. In this motion, which Muslims believe to be derived from Marian nature, hands, knees and the forehead touch the ground together.
• Rāki’ah: She who bows down to God in worship. The Quran states: "O Mary! Bow down in prayer with those men, who bow down." The command was repeated by angels only to Mary, according to the Muslim view. Ruku' in Muslim prayer during prayer has been derived from Mary's practice.
• Tāhirah: She who was purified.^[56]
• Mustafia: She who was chosen. The Quran states: "O Mary! God has chosen you and purified you and again he has chosen you above all women of all nations of the worlds".^[56]
• Sa’imah: She who fasts. Mary is reported to fast one-half of a year in some Muslim traditions.

Many other names of Mary can be found in various other books and religious collections. In Hadith, she has been referred to by names such as Batul, Adhraa (Ascetic Virgin), and Marhumah (Enveloped in God's Mercy).^[57]

Legacy[edit]

Mosques named after Mary:

1. Mary Mother of Jesus Mosque in Hoppers Crossing, Victoria, Australia.^[58]
2. Mosque Maryam (Mary), the Nation of Islam National Center, Chicago, IL
3. Qal'bu Maryam Women's Mosque (Heart of Mary), Berkeley, CA
4. Maryam Umm Eisa (Mary Mother of Jesus), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates^[59]
5. Mariam Al-Batool Mosque (Virgin Mary) in Paola, Malta
6. Mary (Ahmadiyyah) Mosque in Galway, Ireland.