Mary (; ), the mother of Isa (;) is venerated in Islam. Her parents are mentioned as Imran (عمران) and Hannah (حنا) and her sibling is Harun (هارون). She is one of the most important and righteous women in Islam. She is mentioned in the Quran more than in the New Testament (Bible). She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran. Many Muslim women look up to her as an example. According to the Quran, Allah (God) chose Mary above all women of all nations. The Quran states:
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations. —Quran, sura 3 (Al Imran), ayah 42.
Mary in the Quran
Mary is mentioned in the Quran frequently. Her life narrative occurs in the earliest chapters. The nineteenth chapter is named after her. The chapter is called Maryam.
Family
In the Quran, Mary is believed to be a daughter of (Imran) Amram and (Hanna) Anne. While some confuse the parents of Moses. Aaron and their Sister Miriam to be the same of the Virgin Mary, this is not correct. While Moses and Harun did have a sister named Miriam (Mary,) and while their father was also named Amram (Imran), this does not mean that the parents of both Prophet Moses and The Virgin Mary were the same. However, the outcome of this result is still unknown for certain.
Maryam sister of Aaron and daughter of Imran
the Hebrew name "Merriam" The original name for Mary. In the Qur’an, Mary is called the daughter of Imran, and sister of Aaron. This made some Jews and Christians claim that the Qur’an didn't make a difference between the time of Moses and Jesus but there is a hadith. To clarify this issue Al-Mughira reported:
"When I came to Najran, they (the Christians of Najran) asked me: You read " O sister of Aaron " in the Qur'an, whereas Moses was born much before Jesus. When I came back to the prophet I asked him about that, he said: The (people of the old age) used to give names (to their children) after the names of Apostles and pious persons who had gone before them" Meaning that Aaron here was not Moses' brother but another one. Al-Baghawi also cites a narration from Al-Kalbi that Aaron referred to here was a brother of Maryam through her father, and he was the most righteous man amongst children of Israel in that time.
The Quran states Jesus came after the Jewish prophets of Israel. So, according to the Quran, there is a long distance between Moses and Jesus. "Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him." Surah Al-Ma'idah.
Birth
The birth of Mary is mentioned in the Quran in various chapters. Her father Imran () is also mentioned in the Quran. The Quran says that Hannah and Imran were old and had no children for years. One day Anne saw a bird feeding her young. Seeing this made Anne want a child for herself. She prayed to Allah for a child. She promised that if her prayers were answered, her child's life would be dedicated to the service of Allah. Anne also prayed for her child to be protected from the "touch" of Satan (; ).
Early years
The Quran says that Mary grew up in the temple of prayer and had a special place of her own in the temple. The Quran states that there was a cast of the dice to decide who would become the guardian of Mary. The person chosen through this process was the Prophet Zechariah. Often, when Zechariah would visit the chamber of Mary, he would find her with quantities of food. He always asked her where she had obtained the food, and Mary would always answer: "Allah provides to whom he will." As a prophet, Zechariah would not have questioned this response because he would have known that Allah is the provider of all things in life and, indeed, of life itself.
Annunciation
The birth of Isa and the Annunciation of Mary are very important to Islam. They are considered to be some of the most important miracles of Allah. The first mention of the Annunciation following the Birth of Isa is in sura 19 (Maryam) ayah 20. The Quran tells us that the Angel Gabriel (, al-Ruḥ al-Quds, Jibra'il) came to the Virgin Mary and told her that she would soon be pregnant with a holy child. The Virgin Mary asked how it would be possible for her to become pregnant when no man had touched her. The Angel Gabriel replied that nothing is impossible for Allah, and that the Birth of Jesus would be a sign for all mankind. The birth is mentioned later at sura 66 (At-Tahrim) ayah 12, where the Quran says that the Virgin Mary remained pure while Allah created Isa inside her womb.