Virgin Mary (mother of Jesus, sister of Aaron) and Miriam (sister of Moses)

[Ruhi_Rose]

 


Here is a clarification of a simple fact which some non-Muslim writers, who know little or nothing about the Quran, have confusedly misinterpreted. 

I take the commentary to from the writings of Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall to simply and briefly unravel this unnecessary befuddlement.

Surah 4 ... "the family of Imran."  In Pickthall's commentary 'Imran' refers to the father of Prophet Moses (pbuh).  But its mention in the title of Surah 4 is in the generic sense for all Hebrew Prophets from Moses to John the Baptist and Jesus son of Virgin Mary.  This, with the mention of the mother of Mary as "the wife of Imran" in Verse 3:35 and words "sister of Aaron" addressed to Virgin Mary in Surah 19:28 have given rise to a charge of anachronism by critics like Muir and few other non-Muslim authors who claim that the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) confused Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Miriam, the sister of Moses.

"(Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: My Rab! I have vowed unto You that which is in my belly as a consecrated (offering). Accept it from me.  Indeed,  You, only You, are the Hearer, the Knower!"  (3:35)

"Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! You have come with an amazing thing.  O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man nor was your mother a harlot."  (19:27-28).

This claim by those ignorant writers is thoroughly absurd because the whole of the Quran is against it.  Well-read and perceptive Muslims believe in the authority of the Quran, that the grandfather of Jesus son of Virgin Mary was named Imran, which may also have been the name of the father of Moses.  In Surah 19:28 where Virgin Mary is addressed as "sister of Aaron," they hold the ancestral sense t be the most probable one, while denying that there is any reason to suppose that the Virgin Mary had not a brother or cousin named Aaron.

[Zainab_M]

.... This, with the mention of the mother of Mary as "the wife of Imran" in Verse 3:35 and words "sister of Aaron" addressed to Virgin Mary in Surah 19:28 have given rise to a charge of anachronism by critics like Muir and few other non-Muslim authors who claim that the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) confused Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Miriam, the sister of Moses.

......

This claim by those ignorant writers is thoroughly absurd because the whole of the Quran is against it. 

Actually these non-Muslims writers just don't reflect before speaking and accusing.  That's why they talk such heavy duty nonsense.

As we know, the Quran does not mention the name of Prophet Moses' (pbuh) sister, Miriam.  The Quran only mentions Virgin Maryam by name. The notion of Prophet Moses' sister called Miriam came from the altered Hebrew Bible - Exodus.  The traditional Muslims might have picked it from Hadith because the Hadith is largely copied from the altered Bibles. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had never read the altered Jewish and Christian Scriptures.  He didn't know how to read, and neither did he ever  consult those altered Jewish and Christian scriptures, never.  The Prophet (pbuh) could only know that the sister of Moses was named Miriam if Allah Almighty had mentioned it in the Quran.  But He has not.  So the Prophet (pbuh) could never have known about it and therefore, how could he confuse something with another information when he did not even know about that other information?

Thanks a lot for this information Sister Ruhi.  Important piece. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

Thanks sisters.  It's relevant to know what all comes from the altered Bibles so those can be kept separate from Quranic contents.   Bible info can be mixed with Hadith because they're both the same stuff.  But both altered Bibles and Hadith must be kept separate from the Quran. 

That argument of Sister Zeynab is spot on.  There was absolutely no way for the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) to know such information as the name of Moses' (pbuh) sister or his wife or mother etc.  The Quran only mentions the name of Prophet Moses' brother, Aaron. 

The name "Imran" as in the Quran is written as "Amram" in the Hebrew bibles.  The wife of Imran is not named in the Quran.  In these altered bibles she is named as Yocheved.  Only Allah knows how far this is accurate.  Yocheved is mentioned as the descendent of Levi from Egypt.  I think the hint is on one of Prophet Yusuf's (Josef) brothers who is named Levi in some version of the altered Bible.  Again, only Allah Almighty know how far all this is correct.

[Zainab_M]

Thank you brother TS.  I didn't know about the Hebrew version of Imran as 'Amram' and of course there's no mention of any 'Yocheved' in the Quran. 

In Surah Al-Imran starting from Verse 33, "wife of Imran" is referred to as the mother of Virgin Mary.   According to Pickthall's commentary as quoted by Sister Ruhi, the name "Imran" in the Quran is likely used in the generic sense, Moses' family being taken as the ancestors of the family of Essa son of Virgin Maryam.

"Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. They were descendants one of another. Allah is Hearer, Knower."  (3:33-34)

So the Noble Quran mentions that they were descendents of one another.  And thus it's possible that "wife of Imran" means a descendent or member of the same family.  The name of Virgin Mary's father is not mentioned.  Zachariah who was Virgin Mary's guardian was most likely a relative of her family. And Zachariah was the father of John (a Prophet confirmed in the Quran, Verse 3:39), whom the Christians call John the Baptist.  Thus, you will also hear John being referred as the uncle of Prophet Essa son of Virgin Maryam.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Yeah sis.  It's very possible that the references in the Quran is as you suggested.

But the altered Bibles always says plenty which are not in the Quran.  According to it, Virgin Maryam (or probably her family) were related to a lady called Elizabeth who was the wife of Zachariah, Virgin Maryam's guardian and both Elizabeth and Zachariah were John's father.   However, we don't know if Zachariah's wife was really named Elizabeth or something else.  Since the Quran does not contain the name of his wife, we cannot confirm it.  So according to this bit, Zackariah was related to Virgin Maryam (or her family) through Elizabeth.  But again, only Allah knows best.  These tampered man-written "bibles" are too full of errors and doubts.

[Zainab_M]

Absolutely correct.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Very correctly suggested Sister Zeynab!

Besides, the Yahudis also believe that Miriam was a prophet.  They have made a song over her.   They have hatched all kinds of stories that include Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because they didn't approve of his wife Zipporah (also an altered Biblical name).  A long story follows that Miriam received Divine punishment for being rudely critical to Moses regarding his wife and she got leprosy.  Aaron then approached Moses to plead with Allah Almighty to heal their sister.  Moses tearfully implored Allah to heal Miriam and eventually she was healed.

Check this link.  Filled with strange information that smells of falsehood all the way through.   Such contents must never be mixed with the Quran.

http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/Who-Was-Miriam-Women-in-the-Bible.htm

[Zainab_M]

Went through this link you posted Sister Heba.  Really weird!  Don't know why misguided minds are always so fond of inventions and fabrications.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Very correct Sis.

This accusation of a mix-up between Miriam and Virgin Mary hurled those crazy non-Muslim critics has more holes in it than a colander. They are saying that the Prophet (pbuh) got "confused."  Their presumption implies that the Prophet (pbuh) did not know the relationship between Aaron and Moses whereas in the Quran itself, both Aaron and Moses have been mentioned and depicted as brothers all along.  So there comes the contradiction of their own presumption. To further prove the discrepancy of this presumption, it implies that the Prophet (pbuh) thought Moses and Aaron were the uncles of Jesus son of Virgin Mary.  Does the Quran ever say anywhere that Moses and Jesus were separated by only a single generation and were contemporaries living in the same historical era?  The answer is NO, not at all.  The Quran makes it crystal clear Moses and Aaron lived in the ancient Egyptian period of the Pharaoh's era, at least 2,000 years before the first century in Palestine where and when Jesus son of Virgin Mary was born.

[N. Truth Seeker]

That too is a very valid point Sister Heba.  The criticism is itself a contradiction suggesting that the Prophet (pbuh) got "confused" only in this  specific verse but not in others.  So, doesn't such a view actually expose the confusion of the critics themselves?

This is a very old and needless confusion which has been rejected even by non-Muslim writers and scholars of modern times.  The words "sister", "brother" "daughter" or "son" in Arabic usage have very wide connotations.  It doesn't necessarily refer only to immediate biological relationships as in English.  Arabic and English have not just very different grammatical rules but also different forms of expressions and different uses of similar words.  Translations of the original Quran to other languages do not cater to these rules and characteristics of Arabic.  Expressions with references to peoples' lineage or bloodline are a part of Arabic language.  In the Quran such references are to the noble families of Prophets.  Quoting A. J. Wensinck in the Encyclopedia of Islam "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. This second ‘Imrān, together with Harun, can be taken as purely Kur'ānic... Muslim tradition is clear that there are eighteen centuries between the Biblical ‘Amram and the father of Maryam."
 
The Quran has already referred in several verses on Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus being descendents of one another.  Whether or not the descendency has a precisely biological significance is only known to Allah.  But it certainly does imply to moral and ethical lineage of chosen families based on the noble conduct of all Prophets.  It's this particular style and usage that refers to Virgin Maryam as "sister of Aaron."

Vrigin Maryam's family, and having no knowledge of her having married anyone or being unchaste, exclaimed using the phrase yā ukhta harūn or "O sister of Aaron" when they saw her coming with a newborn baby.  It was to remind her of her similarity to Prophet Aaron and his family in her piety and worship of Allah Almighty. Thus the phrase was a reprimand to her having borne a child without being married, a huge sin considering her piety and the well-known righteousness of her ancestors.  Therefore, even if the Virgin Maryam did have a biological brother named Aaron, I don't think the reference here is to him.  Much more likely the reference is to Prophet Aaron, brother of Prophet Moses.

Hence, if you look a bit closely reflecting on the contents of the entire Quran and the rules of Arabic language, the accusation of this so-called confusion is absolutely insupportable and unsustainable.  It's based purely on superficial reading of the Quran with no effort to reflect upon the accurate details of the phrase "sister of Aaron."

[Ruhi_Rose]

All of your inputs were so very illuminating for me.  Pickthall's commentaries are often quite brief and need more detailing. 

Okay, so .. it comes to my mind that Virgin Maryam's father's name is not stated in the Noble Quran, right?

But I suppose the Christians must have come up with something in their changed books.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Well the Quran only confirms in Verses 19:27-29 of the existence of Virgin Maryam's parents.

"Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing.  O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot.  Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy ?"  19:27-29.

However, since the male guardian of Virgin Maryam was not her father but a relative, Zackariah, it obviously implies that during her birth she didn't have a father.  Apparently her father must have passed prior to her birth.  According to Quranic contents, this is as far as we can go.  However, our Muslim ulemas, who often borrow specific info from the altered Bibles,, go a bit further.  Quoting the Islamic view of scholars on Virgin Maryam from Wikipedia:  "The Quran calls Mary "the daughter of 'Imran". Sometimes confused with Amram, the father of Moses, Imran in Islamic tradition is also another name for Joachim the husband of Hannah, the sister of Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.  In the Quran, Hannah prayed for a child and eventually conceived; but her husband Imran, died before the child was born. Expecting the child to be male, Hannah vowed to dedicate him to isolation and service in the Temple. However, Hannah bore a daughter instead, and named her Mary."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_in_Islam

The information that Virgin Maryam's father died before her birth is apparently right if we see it in the light of the Quran which I've already clarified.   And John was Zackariah's son is also confirmed information.

Other than that, as you can see, the Wikipedia paragraph contains a bunch of data from extra-Quranic sources - the altered Bibles - Virgin Maryam's mother named Hannah who was Elizabeth's sister and Zackariah's brother-in-law and therefore John being Zackariah's son was Virgin's Maryam's cousin and Zachariah was her uncle.  I'm not saying all of this information is unreliable or wrong.  However, I cannot confirm whatever is not in the Quran.  Only God Almighty can confirm.

Therefore yes, the name of Virgin Maryam's father is not mentioned in the Quran just as the name of her mother is also not mentioned. 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

A version of the altered Bible (Gospel of Luke, Luke 3:23) mentions the name "Heli" as the father of Virgin Maryam and the "father-in-law" of Joseph.  According to the altered Bibles, though its various versions do accept that Maryam was a virgin mother, they also claim that she had a husband called Joseph.  According to those altered versions, Virgin Maryam conceived Prophet Essa before she became the spouse of Joseph. However, this view must be completely rejected as it's totally against Quranic information.  The Quran describes Prophet Essa's virgin birth in detail and nowhere is there any mention of Joseph nor any other man who may have been Virgin Maryam's husband.  None at all. 

Here is the evidence of the altered Bible's false information from Matthew, Chapter 1, where Joseph is referred to as her husband:

“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (16).

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” (18-19).

I repeat this information blatantly clashes with the Quran and as Muslims we must absolutely ignore it.

[N. Truth Seeker]

Yes I knew that bit about Joseph portrayed as Virgin Maryam's husband is completely un-Quranic and cannot be accepted by us. 

I didn't know the name "Heli" given to Virgin Maryam's father in altered bibles.  We cannot confirm this either as it isn't Quranic information.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

O yes, both info about Joseph as Virgin Maryam's spouse and Heli as her father are from the contents of altered bibles.  It's the belief of the Christians, NOT ours.