33Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ‘Imran above all people of their time. 34They are descendants of one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
35Remember when the wife of ‘Imran said, “My Lord! I dedicate what is in my womb entirely to Your service, so accept it from me. You alone are truly the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
36When she delivered, she said, “My Lord! I have given birth to a girl,” — and Allah fully knew what she had delivered — “and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek Your protection for her and her offspring from Satan, the accursed.”
37So her Lord accepted her graciously and blessed her with a pleasant upbringing—entrusting her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He exclaimed, “O Mary! Where did this come from?”
She replied, “It is from Allah. Surely Allah provides for whoever He wills without limit.” ...
42And remember when the angels said, “O Mary! Surely Allah has selected you, purified you, and chosen you over all women of the world. 43O Mary! Be devout to your Lord, prostrate yourself in prayer and bow along with those who bow down.”
44This is news of the unseen that We reveal to you O Prophet. You were not with them when they cast lots to decide who would be Mary’s guardian, nor were you there when they argued about it.
45Remember when the angels proclaimed, “O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, his name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; honoured in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be one of those nearest to Allah. 46And he will speak to people in his infancy and adulthood and will be one of the righteous.”
47Mary wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has ever touched me?”
An angel replied, “So will it be. Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, ‘Be!’ And it is! 48And Allah will teach him writing and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel...”
16And mention in the Book O Prophet, the story of Mary when she withdrew from her family to a place in the east, 17screening herself off from them. Then We sent to her Our angel, Gabriel, appearing before her as a man, perfectly formed.
18She appealed, “I truly seek refuge in the Most Compassionate from you! So leave me alone if you are God-fearing.”
19He responded, “I am only a messenger from your Lord, sent to bless you with a pure son.”
20She wondered, “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?”
21He replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me. And so will We make him a sign for humanity and a mercy from Us.’ It is a matter already decreed.”
22So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a remote place. 23Then the pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried, “Alas! I wish I had died before this, and was a thing long forgotten!”
24So a voice reassured her from below her, “Do not grieve! Your Lord has provided a stream at your feet. 25And shake the trunk of this palm tree towards you, it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon you. 26So eat and drink, and put your heart at ease. But if you see any of the people, say, ‘I have vowed silence to the Most Compassionate, so I am not talking to anyone today.’”
27Then she returned to her people, carrying him. They said in shock, “O Mary! You have certainly done a horrible thing! 28O sister of Aaron! Your father was not an indecent man, nor was your mother unchaste.”
29So she pointed to the baby.
They exclaimed, “How can we talk to someone who is an infant in the cradle?”
30Jesus declared, “I am truly a servant of Allah. He has destined me to be given the Scripture and to be a prophet. 31He has made me a blessing wherever I go, and bid me to establish prayer and give alms-tax as long as I live, 32and to be kind to my mother. He has not made me arrogant or defiant. 33Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I will be raised back to life!”
34That is Jesus, son of Mary. And this is a word of truth, about which they dispute.
In this activity we are again practicing close reading of primary sources and practicing principled dialogue. For both of those purposes, it is very important to focus on the text in front of you and be very careful about what you think you know about Islam, Islamic history, or Muslims. Focus on what the text says. You are not expected to do additional research, but if you choose to do so, be aware of your sources.
One important piece of context explains why Mary’s mother is surprised that a child dedicated to serve God in the temple is female. Women were not allowed inside the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Bible when a child is dedicated to serve God, especially in the temple, it is a male child. It will be helpful if you or others in your group have some knowledge of Mary in the Christian Bible and Catholic tradition beyond what is in the textbook, but no new research on that is expected.