The Story of Jesus and Mary in the Holy Quran (part 1 of 3): Mary   
      
   Description: The following three part series consists entirely of verses from   
   the Holy Quran about Mary (Mother of Jesus) including her birth, childhood,   
   personal qualities, and the miraculous birth of Jesus.    
      
   The Birth of Mary   
      
   ndeed God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over   
   the worlds.  An offspring, like one another (in righteousness).  And God is   
   All-Hearing, All-Knowing.  (And mention) when the wife of Imran said, 'O my   
   Lord, I have vowed to    
   You what is in my womb, to be dedicated (to Your service), so accept this from   
   me.  Indeed, You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing.'  Then when she delivered her   
   (Mary), she said, 'O my Lord, I have delivered a female,' and God knew best   
   what she delivered, '   
   And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek   
   refuge with You for her and for her children from Satan, the expelled (from   
   the mercy of God).'" (Quran 3:33-36)   
      
   The Childhood of Mary   
      
   "So her Lord fully accepted her, and gave her a good upbringing, and put her   
   under the care of Zechariah.  Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the   
   prayer room, he found her supplied with food.  He said, 'O Mary, where do you   
   get this from?'  She    
   said, 'This is from God.  Indeed, God provides for whom He wills, without   
   limit.'" (Quran 3:37)   
      
   Mary, the Devout   
      
   "And (mention) when the angels said, 'O Mary, indeed God has chosen you,   
   purified you, and chosen you above the women of the worlds.'  'O Mary, be   
   devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down along those who bow   
   down (in prayer).'  This is a    
   part of the news of the unseen, which We reveal to you (O Muhammad).  You were   
   not with them when they cast lots with their pens to (decide) which of them   
   should take care of Mary, nor were you with them when they disputed." (Quran   
   3:42-44)   
      
   The Good news of a new-born child   
      
   "(And mention) when the angels said, 'O Mary, indeed God gives you the good   
   news of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah Jesus, the son of   
   Mary, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and of those who are   
   near to God.'  'He will    
   speak to the people in the cradle, and in old age, and he will be of the   
   righteous.'  She said, 'My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched   
   me.'  He said, 'So (it will be,) for God creates what He wants.  When He   
   decides something, He only    
   says to it, 'Be,' and it is.  And He will teach him the Book and wisdom and   
   the Torah and the Gospel.  And (will make him) a messenger to the Children of   
   Israel (saying), 'Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord.  I   
   make for you out of clay    
   the likeness of a bird, then breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by the   
   permission of God.  And I heal the blind and the leper, and I bring the dead   
   to life by the permission of God.  And I inform you of what you eat and what   
   you store in your houses.    
    Surely, there is a sign for you in that, if you are believers.  And (I have   
   come) confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before me, and to allow you   
   some of what was forbidden to you.  And I have come to you with a proof from   
   your Lord, so fear God    
   and obey me.  Indeed, God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him.  This is   
   the straight path." (Quran 3:45-51)   
      
   "And mention in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her   
   family to an eastern place.  And she placed a screen to seclude herself from   
   them.  Then We sent to her Our angel (Gabriel), and he took the form of a   
   well-created man before her.     
   She said, "Indeed I seek refuge with the Most Merciful from you, if you do   
   fear God."[1]  (The angel) said, 'I am only the messenger of your Lord to give   
   to you (the news of) a pure boy.'  She said, 'How can I have a son, when no   
   man has touched me (in    
   marriage), and I am not a prostitute?'  He said, So your Lord said, 'It is   
   easy for Me.  And We will make him a sign to people and a mercy from Us.  And   
   it is a matter (already) decided.'"[2](Quran 19:16-21)   
      
   The Immaculate Conception   
      
   "And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed (a spirit) into her through   
   Our angel, and We made her and her son (Jesus) a sign for the worlds."[3]   
   (Quran 21:91)   
      
   The Birth of Jesus   
      
   "So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.  And the   
   pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree.  She said, 'I wish   
   I had died before this, and had been long forgotten.  [Mary was worried that   
   people would think    
   badly of her as she was not married.]  Then (baby Jesus) called her from below   
   her, saying, 'Don't be sad.  Your Lord has provided a stream under you.'    
   Shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you, and it will drop on you fresh   
   ripe dates.  So eat and    
   drink and be happy.  And if you see any human, then say, 'Indeed I have vowed   
   a fast to the Most Merciful so I will not speak to any human today.'  Then she   
   carried him and brought him to her people.  They said, 'O Mary, indeed you   
   have done a great evil.   
   '  'O sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, and your mother was   
   not a fornicator.'  So she pointed to him.  They said, 'How can we speak to a   
   child in the cradle?'  (Jesus) said, 'Indeed, I am a slave of God.  He has   
   given me the Scripture    
   and made me a prophet.[4]  And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and   
   He has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I remain alive.  And (has   
   made) me kind to my mother, and did not make me arrogant or miserable.  And   
   peace be upon me the    
   day I was born, and the day I will die, and the day I will be raised alive.'"   
   (Quran 19:22-33)   
      
   "Indeed, Jesus is like Adam in front of God.  He created him from dust, then   
   said to him, 'Be,' and he was."[5] (Quran 3:59)   
      
   "And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign, And We gave them refuge   
   and rest on a high ground with flowing water."[6] (Quran 23:50)   
      
   The Excellence of Mary   
      
   "And God gives as an example for those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, when   
   she said, 'My Lord, build for me a home near You in paradise, and save me from   
   Pharaoh and his deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people.'  And (the   
   example of) Mary, the    
   daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew (the spirit of Jesus)   
   into her through Our angel (Gabriel).  And she believed in the words of her   
   Lord, and His scriptures, and she was of the devout ones." (Quran 66:11-12)   
      
      
   Footnotes:   
   [1] The Most Merciful is one of the names of God in the Quran.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)