Mary was given her name by her mother. Her name has been said to mean “the one who does not want, one who departs” or “the servant,” but the opinion that the name Mary means “one who worships” in the Aramaic language1 seems more suitable.

The guardianship of Zachariah

Mary’s honorable family upbringing, the fact that she was a chosen person, and her many outstanding virtues are emphasized frequently in both the Qur’an and hadith. However, the verses of the Qur’an alone are more than sufficient to explain her superiority as a woman. Firstly, she came from an honorable family, a father as noble as Imran and a mother so memorable and devoted that her prayers were accepted by God. Mary was the fruit of a devoted mother’s prayer and because of her oath she was entrusted to a holy sanctuary at a very young age.

When her father Imran died,2 Mary was still only a young girl and many asked for the honorable duty of her guardianship, but this duty was bestowed upon Prophet Zachariah3 in an event that was revealed in the Holy Qur’an: “(O Messenger:) that is of the tidings of the things of the unseen (the things that took place in the past and have remained hidden from people with all their truth), which We reveal to you, for you were not present with them when they drew lots with their pens about who should have charge of Mary; nor were you present with them when they were disputing (about the matter)” (Al Imran 3:44). The Qur’anic verse which describes how Mary’s sustenance comes to her is immediately followed by a supplication from Zachariah that clearly indicates that he was growing old and was slowly becoming incapable of looking after Mary adequately. This is the most likely reason for the weak reports claiming that the person who was blessed with her guardianship was a priest called Juraich4 or a member of her family called Joseph,5 but these reports have no authority, for God revealed in the Qur’an that Mary was living under the education and care of Zachariah.6

Mary was blessed with sustenance from God

Zachariah made Mary a sanctuary7 in the temple so she could be more occupied with daily worship.8 During the period that Mary lived at the temple under the guidance of Zachariah, she was exceptionally blessed with sustenance from God. The Qur’an informs us that every time Zachariah went to see Mary, there would be lovely fruits in her room: “Whenever Zachariah went in to her in the Sanctuary, he found her provided with food. ‘Mary,’ he asked, ‘how does this come to you?’ ‘From God,’ she answered. Truly God provides to whomever He wills without reckoning”(Al Imran 3:37).9 It is also known that after giving birth to baby Jesus, she was miraculously provided with the blessing of fresh dates and water. A similar event is reported for Fatima, the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.10

There is no information about Mary’s life before the angel came giving Mary the glad tidings of Jesus’s birth. But the books of Apocrypha (accounts rejected by the Church) convey the blessing of sustenance bestowed upon Mary. However, the Apocrypha give some information about the earlier period of Mary’s life, including predictions as to where she was born and even estimations regarding the date of her birth. The Protoevangelium, one of the books of Apocrypha, contains some additional information which is not found in the canonical scriptures (those accepted by the Church).

The Sanctuary and sense of servitude

While she increased her worship with every day that passed, the period that Mary was under the care of Zachariah continued with God’s special protection and sustenance. This particular characteristic is mentioned in the Qur’an: “And (in due time came the moment) when the angels said: “Mary, God has chosen you and made you pure, and exalted you above all the women in the world. “Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate and bow (in the Prayer and devotion to Him) with those who bow!”(Al Imran 3:42–43).11

The words of the Creator’s purification of Mary-“God’s purification”-have been interpreted in various ways as referring to spiritual, moral, or physical purification. Some said that this means “purification from disbelief and sin,” while others claim this means “purification from menses following birth, all kinds of physical defect and contact with males,” and most scholars say the words “chosen above women of all nations” refers to all the women of her era,12 and though the physical actions of worship are stressed in this verse, more important is the fact that Mary abided by both the command of worship, “be devoutly obedient to your Lord, prostrate and bow (in the Prayer and devotion to Him) with those who bow!” and the spirit of worship deep in her soul: “And also Mary, the daughter of ‘Imran, who kept herself chaste (body and soul), so We breathed into it out of Our Spirit, and who affirmed the truth of the words of her Lord, and His Books; and she was of those devoutly obedient to God” (At-Tahrim 66:12).

The Qur’an also bears witness to Mary being a woman of “truth”13 in many verses.

Mary’s superiority to all women

The verse in the Qur’an about Mary being superior to all other women (Al Imran 3:42–43) has been referred to in most commentaries as well as various reports of hadith found in the Tisa Qutubi. About the many virtues of Mary, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

1. “The best of the women in the world is Mary (in her lifetime),14 and the best of the women in the world is Khadijah (in her lifetime).” (Bukhari, Muslim)

2. “Many among men attained perfection, but among women none attained perfection except Mary the daughter of Imran, and Asiya the wife of Pharaoh; and the superiority of Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (an Arabic dish) to other meals.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

3. “There is no new-born except that (at the moment of birth) Satan disturbs him, so he begins to cry from Satan’s disturbance with the exception of the son of Mary and his mother.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

4. “Of all the women in the universe, four would suffice (as an example for others): Mary, Asiya, Khadija, and Fatima.” (Tirmidhi, Ahmad b. Hanbal)

5. “The best of the women of Paradise are Khadijah, Fatima, Asiya and Mary.” (Ahmad b. Hanbal)

6. “Fatima is the leader of the women of Paradise after Mary.” (Tirmidhi, Ahmad b. Hanbal)

7. “The best women among the camel riders, are the women of Quraish.” (Another narrator said) The Prophet said, “The righteous among the women of Quraish are those who are kind to their young ones and who look after their husband’s property,” (Bukhari, Muslim) and this hadith is followed up in many cases by a report from Abu Hurairah who said, “Mary the daughter of Imran never rode a camel,” stressing the virtues of Mary. According to Imam Nawawi and Ibn Hajar, Abu Hurairah’s aim was not actually to stress the fact that Mary never rode a camel but was just an expression of his praise of Mary’s virtues,15 or another explanation of these words could be, “It does not mean that a woman who rides a camel is righteous because Mary was a righteous woman even though she never rode a camel.”

As we see from these hadith the interpreters and scholars have varying opinions on the order of arrangement of the superiority of these women, but the most interesting aspect of these hadith is that although the other names may change, Mary is the only person who is mentioned in all the given examples of these hadith, and this should be sufficient to show her unmatched excellence.

Mary’s being among the Prophets

The narrations stated above have led some scholars to believe that there is a possibility of the existence of female prophets. There has been various opinions supporting the idea that female prophets may have been sent and asking whether Mary the mother of Jesus was a Prophet or not. The opinion of scholars who believe Mary may have been a Prophet is based on the fact that Mary’s name is mentioned in the Qur’an among the Prophets: “Those were some of the Prophets on whom God did bestow his grace of the posterity of Adam and of those whom we carried (in the Ark) with Noah and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel-of those we guided and chose”(Mary 19:58), and also on the angel bringing the revelation of tidings and the benevolence provided to Mary from the creator, and the fact that she was a chosen person above all women purified through the grace of God as a “woman of perfection,” and “leader in Paradise”16 all led these scholars to believe that Mary could possibly be a messenger. However, the general opinion accepted by most scholars is that women were not sent to the world as prophets.17

There are some Christian theologians who claim that Mary was a prophet. The Christian opinion in general is that she was superior to other women and saints but not superior to Jesus. Mary has been widely praised in Christian literature for her obedience, patience, modesty, piety, faith, hope, compassion, dignity and many other virtues.

Mary: the monument of chastity

The Qur’an clearly explains in this verse how Mary conceived Jesus:

And (remember) when the angels said: “Mary, God gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, to be called the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary” highly honored in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those near-stationed to God. He will speak to people in the cradle and in manhood, and he is of the righteous. “Lord,” said Mary, “how shall I have a son seeing no mortal has ever touched me?” “That is how it is,” he (the Spirit who appeared before her) said, (quoting God): “God creates whatever He wills; when He decrees a thing, He does but say to it ‘Be!’ and it is.”(Al Imran 3:45–47)

The chapter Mary (19:16–33) of the Qur’an gives an extensive version of the conception, the birth and the events that followed the birth of baby Jesus. Furthermore, God the Almighty reveals how He located Mary and her son Jesus, whom He sent as an example to humans, in a prosperous place on high land with flowing streams and bestowed upon Jesus the divine benevolence He had bestowed upon his mother: “O Jesus son of Mary! O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favor upon you and upon your mother” (Al-Maeda 5:110).

There are various reports and comments specifically referring to Mary’s conception of Jesus and the miraculous birth in the interpretations and explanations of hadith which exceed the limits of this article. The embryologic phase of Mary’s pregnancy was just like any other pregnant woman: she conceived, the baby grew in her womb, and when the contractions began she made her way to the vicinity of the date tree behind a flowing stream and then gave birth. But how did the pregnancy and this embryological process actually begin? This question resembles a parcel holding the mysteries of this miraculous event.

So in brief, Mary was a true monument of chastity and, even though she was a virgin, conceived in a miraculous way. The fact that Mary guarded both her dignity and chastity is emphasized in the following verses of the Qur’an:

“And (mention) that blessed woman who set the best example in guarding her chastity. We breathed into her out of Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a miraculous sign (of Our Power and matchless way of doing things) for all the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya 21–91), “And also Mary, the daughter of Imran, who kept herself chaste (body and soul), so We breathed into it out of Our Spirit, and who affirmed the truth of the words of her Lord, and His Books; and she was of those devoutly obedient to God.” (At-Tahrim 66:12).

As a matter of fact, the Qur’an tells us that great disaster and punishment await those who speak unfavorably about Mary, for whatever they say against her chastity and dignity is slander, and their hearts are sealed to faith.

Mary’s death and burial

There is no account in the Qur’an or hadith of Mary’s death or burial, so details and information related to the topic are generally based on Christian sources or historical literature. Not included in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), Mary’s attending the miracle of Cana (John 2:11) and the event of the crucifix (John 19:25–27) were only reported in the book of John; she prayed with Jesus and his disciples in the Acts (1:14) following his resurrection, but there is no mention of the remaining period of her life, her death, age, or appearance in any of the gospels.

It is estimated that Mary must have been around fifty years old at the time of Jesus’ passing and there are varying reports regarding her own death; some say she was fifty-six, while there are other reports of her being seventy or even seventy-two. The questions of where and how she died have been topics of discussion and dispute for centuries, but the fact that she carried on throughout her life in sincere devotion and worship of God is much more suitable for her general profile.

Although there is no information on Mary’s place of burial in Christian sources, there are different views. Some say she was buried in Jerusalem, whereas others say it could have been in Ephesus or Antioch. Although there is no specific grave associated with Mary in Ephesus, there are graves said to be that of Mary which are in churches, one in the Jehosaphat valley between the Mount of Olives and Mount Temple and another in Gethsemani. There are some claims that her grave is on the mountain of Sion, and a Syrian history writer claims that her grave is situated in Al-Faradis in Damascus.18

Notes

1. Zamahshari, I, 142; Bagawi, I, 295; Baydawi, II, 31.

2. Hakim, Mustadrak II, 646; Tabari, III, 235; Zamahshari, I, 142.

3. See Al Imran 3:37, 44. Also Ibn Hisham, III, 121; Tabari, III, 242-244.

4. Ibn Hisham, III, 121.

5. Ibn Kathir, Bidayah II, 68; Alusi, III, 165, XVI, 80.

6. See Al Imran 3:37. Also see: Tabari, III, 242-244; Qurtubi, IV, 71-86.

7. Mihrab is the original Qur’anic word. A bit different than its meaning today, mihrab in this context refers to a place “where one lives and prays, a most honorable place, where one strives against the carnal self.”

8. Tabari, III, 245; Wahidi, I, 208; Baydawi, II, 34.

9. See also Tabari, III, 244-246; Baqawi, I, 297; Fahruddin ar-Razi, VI, 283.

10. Zamahshari, I, 143; Ibn Kathir, I, 361.

11. See also New Testament, Luke 1:26–28; 41–42.

12. Tabari, III, 262-264; Vahidi, I, 210.

13. Al- Maidah 5:75. The word “Truth” means trustworthy, of truthful speech pious in faith and religion. Ibn Manzur, “s-d-k” (X, 193)

14. Scholars like Qadi Iyaz and Qurtubi understood the meaning of these words as “superior to all women on the earth.”

15. Navawi, XVI, 80; Ibn Hajar, VI, 473-474, IX, 125.

16. Navawi, XV, 198; Ayni, XV, 308.

17. Navawi, XV, 198; Baydawi, II, 38; Ibn Kathir, II, 82; Ayni, XV, 308. Those who support this view usually refer to this verse: “We did not send before you as Messengers any but men to whom We revealed, from amongst the people of the townships (where We raised them)” (Yusuf 12:109).

18. Ibn Asakir, Tarih al-Dimashk II, 337, 411.

Mary, the mother of Jesus belonged to the family of ‘Imran, one of the noble lineages mentioned in the Qur’an. Her father was from the line of the Prophets David and Solomon.

Mary’s father died before she was born. Her mother dedicated her child-to-be to the service of God:

I dedicate to You what is in my womb for Your special service: so accept this of me: for You hear and know all things. (Al ‘Imran, 3.35)

She had expected a son:

O my Lord! I am delivered of a female child!’-And God knew best what she brought forth-the male is not like the female. ‘I have named her Mary, and I beg Your protection for her and her offspring from Satan the accursed.’ (Al ‘Imran, 3.36)

Mary was favoured by God with nobility and virtue. A sura (chapter) of the Qur’an is named after her. Her motherhood to Prophet Jesus raises her rank. She was constant in prayer and remembrance of God, guarded her chastity, kept company with the righteous, and so attained moral perfection.

God protected Mary through her uncle, Prophet Zakariya, as He always protected His beloved slaves, albeit orphaned or poor:

Most graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: she was assigned to the care of Zakariya. (Al Imran, 3.37)

Moreover, God provided her with sustenance:

Whenever he [Zakariya] entered the sanctuary to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. ‘O Mary! Whence [comes] this to you?’ She said: ‘From God…’(Al ‘Imran, 3.37)

Mary’s answer inspired Zakariya to pray to God for the child he had so long desired (3.38). His prayer was answered with the promise of the birth of John (Yahya). In view of Zakariya’s being very old and his wife hitherto infertile, the birth of a son was a miracle of Divine power. There is a close parallel (not identity) in the words of the Our’an about the births of John and Jesus:

He said: ‘My Lord! How can I have a son when age has quite overtaken me and my wife is barren?’ He [the angel] said: ‘Just so. God does what He wills. (Al ‘Imran, 3.40)

She said: ‘My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has touched me? ‘He [the angel] said: ‘Just so. God creates what he wills….’ (Al ‘Imran. 3.47)

The announcement to Mary of Prophet Jesus

The angels reminded Mary of God’s favour to her and called her to obedient worship:

And when the angels said: ‘0 Mary! God has chosen you and purified you, and preferred you above the women of all nations.

O Mary! worship your Lord devoutly: prostrate yourself, and bow down [in worship] with those who how down.’…

And when the angels said: ‘O Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name is the Messiah [Christ] Jesus son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the Hereafter, and among those nearest [to God]. (Al ‘Imran, 3.42-45)

All the descendants of Prophet Adam, who was created from dust (3.59), were created from male and female spouses (49.13). The birth of a child without a father, as announced to Mary, was an event never yet witnessed. Therefore she exclaimed:

‘….O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?’

The answer was short and absolute:

‘Just so. God creates what He wills. When He has decreed a matter, He but says to it, “Be!” and it is.’

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary: he appeared to her in the form of a man (Maryam, 19.17). She said:

‘1 seek refuge from you in the Most Gracious: [Do not come near] if you fear God.’ He said: ‘No. I am only a messenger from your Lord, [to announce] to you the gift of a holy son.’ (Maryam, 19.18-19)

The Qur’an continues the narrative:

So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She cried out [in her pain]:‘Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight.’ But [a voice] called to her from below [the palm-tree]: ‘Do not grieve! For your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you; and shake towards yourself the trunk of the palm-tree: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you. (Maryam, 19.22-5)

When Mary came back to her people with the baby in her arms, she was met with words that accused her by implication of the gravest misconduct. She pointed to the child as if he would speak in her defence. They were amazed to be asked to converse with an infant in a cradle. But by Divine Power the infant did speak to them and silenced their calumny:

Then she brought him to her people carrying him. They said: O Mary! truly, you have brought an amazing thing! O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an evil man, nor was your mother unchaste!’ Then she pointed to him [the infant]. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, an infant boy?’ He [the infant] spoke: ‘Surely I am a servant of God: He has given me Revelation and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. And [He has made me] dutiful to my mother who carried me, and neither overbearing nor wretched. Peace is on me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life!’ Such [was] Jesus the son of Mary: [this is] a statement of truth about that of which they are in doubt. (Maryam, 19.30-4)

The Qur’an makes a comparison between Jesus and Adam, one born without a father and the other without father or mother:

The similitude of Jesus with God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: ‘Be!’ and he was. (Al ‘Imran, 3.59)

The general principle of sound faith is that every human being is individuality the creature of God and that every person’s being human is dependent upon his being God’s creature. The fact that Adam had no father or mother does not make him God nor the son of God. The same is true for Jesus as well. God is not his father but his Creator, as he himself said (3.51, quoted below).

Prophet Jesus was supported with the Holy Spirit (ruh al-quds) (2.87). He knew the Scriptures and was literate (3.48). He was a most righteous and pious man (6.85) and blessed by God (5.113). In the Qur’an he is referred to as ‘the Messiah [Christ] son of Mary’, as ‘a Messenger from God and His word’, and as ‘a spirit from God’ (e.g. 4.171), but he is never referred to as ‘the son of God’.

The Prophethood of Jesus

Jesus announced his Prophethood to the Israelites after it had been revealed to him (3.48):

[I have come to you] to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what used to be forbidden to you with a sign from your Lord. So fear God, and obey me. It is God who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight. (Al ‘Imran, 3.50-1)

However, the Israelities, against this invitation to faith, tried to defend the Torah which they had distorted and disregarded (3.93). They would not believe him. Then Jesus showed them some miracles and said:

I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s leave: and I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by God’s leave; and I declare to you what you have eaten, and what you store in your houses. Surely therein is a sign for you if you believe. (Al ‘Imran, 3.49)

The Israelites rejected the miracles as sorcery or illusion (5.113).

The miracles of Prophet Jesus, like his creation, were different from those of other Prophets. They can be regarded as reflections in his prophethood of his extraordinary creation. If one believes in the miracles of Jesus such as reviving the dead-which were related by many trustworthy sources-then it is not reasonable for one to doubt the manner of his birth without a father.

His Disciples

In the face of the Israelites’ obstinacy and recalcitrance, Jesus called for helpers. Those who stepped forward were his disciples and, as they committed themselves to serve, they declared their submission to God:

When Jesus found unbelief on their part, he said: ‘Who will be my helpers toward God?’ Said the disciples: ‘We are God’s helpers. We believe in God, and bear you witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! we believe in what You have revealed, and we follow the Messenger. Then, write us down among those who bear witness.’ (Al ‘Imran, 3.52)

The faith and support of the Apostles was a gift of God to Jesus as stated in the following verse:

I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and My Apostle. They said: ‘We have faith, and do you bear witness that we surrender to God as Muslims.’ (Ma’ida, 5.114)

The disciples believed in Jesus and asked for a miracle from God:

The disciples said: ‘0 Jesus, son of Mary! Can your Lord send down to us from heaven a table set?’ Said Jesus: ‘Fear God if you have faith.’ They said: ‘We only wish to eat thereof and content our hearts, and to know that you have indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle.’ Said Jesus, son of Mary: ‘0 God our Lord! Send us from heaven a table set, that there may be for us-for the first and the last of us – a solemn festival and a sign from You; and provide for our sustenance, for You are the best Sustainer.’ God said: ‘I will send it down to you but if any of you afterwards refuses faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples.’ (Ma’ida, 5.115-8)

It is not clear weather the table came or not.

The ascension

The Israelites were resolute in their unbelief in Jesus and planned to have him assassinated. But God prevented their plans (3.54-5). Though they announced: ‘We killed the Messiah [Christ] Jesus the son of Mary’ (4.157), it was not the truth, which the Qur’an affirms as follows:

But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are frill of doubts with no [certain] knowledge but only conjecture to follow. For a certainty they killed him not. No! God raised him up to Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise. (Nisa’,4.157-8)

As the verse clarifies, Prophet Jesus was raised up without being killed. Prophet Muhammad, during the night of his ascension, saw him (see the hadith recorded in al-Bukhari, Anbiya’, 48).

Distortions about the message

Only a few believed in Jesus during his lifetime. Many of those who believed in him afterwards were caught in misconceptions and distortions. The most widespread distortion was the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’ which accords to Jesus and Mary a form of divinity beside God. Some said: ‘Jesus, the son of Mary, is God’ (5.75); others said: ‘he is the son of God’ (9.30); others said: he is ‘one of three’ (5.76).

It is stated most explicitly and emphatically in the Qur’an that all such doctrines are without foundation in truth and amount to blasphemy and unbelief (kufr):

O People of the Book! Do not commit excesses in your religion: nor say of God anything but the truth. The Messiah [Christ] Jesus son of Mary was [no more than] a Messenger of God, and His word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him…. (4.171)

The Messiah [Christ] son of Mary was no more than a Messenger…. (Ma’ida, 5.78)

Once Prophet Jesus said to the Israelites:

‘O Children of Israel! Worship my Lord and your Lord’. Whoever joins other gods with God, God will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will be for the wrong-doers none to help. They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no god except One God. (Ma’ida, 5.75-6)

The questioning of Jesus on the Day of Judgement and his reply

Prophet Jesus had no part in nor carries any responsibility for the doctrine of the ‘Trinity’ believed by some Christians. This becomes clear from the following verses of the Qur’an:

And God will say: ‘O Jesus son of Mary! Did you say unto men: Worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God’? He will say: ‘Glory be to You! Never could I say what I had no right [to say]. Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I do not know what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to say: ‘Worship God, my Lord and your Lord’. And I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them. When You took me up You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things.’ (Ma’ida, 5.119-20)

The Messenger foretold by Prophet Jesus

Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, completed his mission of proclaiming the true religion despite the Israelites’ efforts to prevent him. Before he was raised up, he announced the Messenger of God to come after him:

‘O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Law before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.’ (Saff, 61.6)

Also, the Prophet Muhammad said about Jesus: ‘I am the closest person to Jesus, the son of Mary, both on earth and in the Hereafter’ (Tajrid, IX.180). ‘There is no Prophet between me and Jesus’ (Tajrid, IX.179).

That, in brief, is what the Qur’an and other Islamic sources tell us about Mary and Jesus, upon them be peace. In the light of these sources, we know that there is no relation between Jesus and Mary and God other than as His beloved and distinguished servants. Though Jesus brought in essence the same message as other Prophets, there is a parallel, as taught in the Islamic sources, between the creation of Adam and that of Jesus. The special feature of his Prophethood, different from all Prophets, is that the whole life of Jesus represents Divine Power to us in the form of extraordinary, supernatural miracle. The extraordinariness begins in his mother womb, continues through his birth and life and the miracles he did, and goes beyond the limitation of a lifetime with his ascension to God. However, despite all of that, Jesus was a creature of God, a man; in the words of the Qur’an, he was the Messenger and the servant of God.