Lessons from the unblemished life of Maryam

Maryam (Mary) the daughter of ‘Imraan (Amram), may Allaah exalt her mention, is a bright image of chastity and purity. She guarded her chastity and the result was {…so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel} [Quran 66:12] Why did Allaah The Almighty choose her from among all other women? That is because she{…believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.} [Quran 66:12]

Dear Muslim sisters, please do not say, “I am not Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, nor do I belong to the family of ‘Imraan, nor have I descended from the Messengers that I will be as chaste and pure as Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention. I am not the recipient of miracles like the supernatural miracles she witnessed.” Instead, you can say, “Why do I not take Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, as an example?” Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {There was certainly in their stories a lesson.} [Quran 12:111]

Dear Muslim sisters, we are living in the age of science and technology that has no room for supernatural events. However, through our minds we can deduce and understand why Allaah The Almighty selected Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, to be the recipient of that supernatural and lasting miracle, to be the mother of ‘Eesaa (Jesus), the Messenger of Allaah.

Come with me to trace back the threads of this story – the story of the chastity of Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, the daughter of ‘Imraan:

·The mother of Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, Hannah (Anne) the wife of ‘Imraan (Amram), was pious and grateful. When Allaah The Almighty blessed her with pregnancy, she thanked Him in a special way. She pledged her unborn baby to the service of the Sacred House to worship Allaah The Almighty therein. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Mention, O Muhammad], when the wife of ‘Imraan said, “My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”} [Quran 3:35]

This indicates that choosing a righteous wife is the prerequisite for having righteous children as manifested by the mother of Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, who was a righteous wife and, therefore, Allaah The Almighty blessed her with a righteous daughter, Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention.

·When Hannah gave birth, she discovered that it was a female baby although she had desired it to be male to serve the House of Allaah and worship Allaah The Almighty therein. It was, however, the will of Allaah The Almighty that it would be a female. Hannah took the baby in the cradle to the mosque in fulfillment of her promise that she had made when the baby was still a fetus in her womb. The result was: {So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zakariyya (Zechariah). Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, “O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?” She said, “It is from Allaah. Indeed, Allaah provides for whom He wills without account.”} [Quran 3:37]

Exalted You Are, my Lord. How merciful You Are! You Are more Merciful to the baby than her mother is to her.

Sisters, do not say, “How can I find a husband when I am wearing the Hijaab (Islamic covering)? Who will propose to me if I do not apply make-up?”

No, by Allaah. Be truthful and sincere to Allaah The Almighty and He will provide you from where you did not imagine. Your chastity, Hijaab, and modesty will definitely bring you the righteous husband you deserve. Wearing scanty clothes, applying make-up, being immodest, and imitating "liberated" Eastern or Western women does not serve your purpose.

This is not a supernatural fact. Rather, it is the experience of many girls other than Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, the daughter of ‘Imraan. Consequently, maintaining your chastity, Hijaab and modesty is the reason for being blessed with marriage, attaining a state of tranquility, and acquiring real, pure, and clean enjoyment.

·What was Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, like when she became mature?

She kept to a corner in her chamber praying, supplicating Allaah The Almighty, serving the House of Allaah The Almighty, adhering to her Hijaab and maintaining her modesty. Therefore, she received consecutive calls from the angels directing her to increase her devotions by kneeling and prostrating in prayer to Allaah The Almighty, and telling her that Allaah The Almighty had selected her above the women of the worlds. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And [mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allaah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer].”} [Quran 3:42-43]

Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, was worthy of being selected by Allaah The Almighty. Why? Because:

·She was pledged to the service of the House of Allaah The Almighty from the time she was a fetus, and such sincere intention from her mother was sufficient for her to be accepted.

·She was pure, chaste, and modest.

·She was a devout worshipper and a dweller in the mosque.

·She was not inclined to having friends and male admirers like other women. She did not know what sins were. She only knew her chamber of prayer and the Hijaab she adhered to.

·She is a timeless example of a woman who deserves to be selected over the women of the worlds.

Let us identify the reasons for the elevated rank of Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, which are neither extraordinary nor exclusive to Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, but can be attained by all Muslim women, so that Allaah The Almighty will select you from among all girls and bless you with a good husband, a beautiful residence, and true love. These reasons are: prayer, chastity, and Hijaab. You do not have to search for a mosque to be like Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, but you can do righteous deeds, which are varied and many. Allaah The Almighty accepts from the sincere person even an atom’s weight of deeds, and our chief aim is chastity.

Here is a scene of chastity embodied in the words of the Quran. Although the scene is very old, the words of the Quran make it come alive as if it were taking place right before our eyes:

While Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, is in her private apartment, the Angel enters upon her in the form of a well-proportioned man, so she feels disturbed and trembles and seeks refuge in Allaah The Almighty. {She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allaah.”} [Quran 19:18] The Angel explains to her the task he has to undertake, and she rejects the idea that she may bear a child. {She said, “How can I have a child when no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?”} [Quran 19:20] The Angel tells her that it is a Divine decree and no one can repel it.

It is a natural disposition in girls that they guard their chastity, and this is in no way exclusive to Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imraan, may Allaah exalt her mention.

When she felt the fetus moving inside her womb, she would suffer anguish; and when she was in labor, she regretted her situation bitterly, saying {Oh, I wish I had died before this and was oblivion, forgotten.} [Quran 19:23] As chaste and pure as she was, she wished she were dead owing to the allegation of a sin that she did not commit, although she knew that it was the will of Allaah The Almighty.

Conversely, modern girls surrender their chastity without a sense of shame, some of them even boast about their "liberation" from social and religious norms, pride themselves on their impudence, and imitate Western girls in everything -- even in losing their virginity. In the eyes of some misguided Muslim girls, "liberation" becomes synonymous with having several boyfriends and with the freedom to indulge in fornication. Thus, chastity and modesty are removed and replaced with shamelessness and guarding one's chastity becomes a form of "backwardness". Contrast this with Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, who wished for death to overtake her for something she did not commit other than complying with the will of her Lord, motivated by her sense of purity and chastity.

The characteristics of chastity and purity are not exclusive to Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imraan, may Allaah exalt her mention. Chastity is the most precious asset of a Muslim woman, and honor is the most valuable thing owned by her. Women who preserve their chastity are dignified, proud, tranquil, and self-confident. In addition, Allaah The Almighty will bless them with righteous husbands and give them the best reward for their good deeds. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Is the reward for good [anything] but good?} [Quran 55:60]

On the contrary, girls who lose their chastity have no sense of stability or a tranquil life. They are neither self-confident nor do they have self-respect. Rather, they are distracted, lost, and displeased with life. They deserve what Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And whoever turns away from My remembrance -- indeed, he will have a depressed life.}[Quran 20:124]