Prophet Isa ibn Maryam
Introduction:
A son without a father
Muslim students learn in our courses that Prophet Isa ibn Maryam was one of the five prophets with determination. Muslims know that he was a great prophet of Allah. Bani Israel used to have a lot of prophets and messengers appearing in their country. Maybe, for this reason, they no longer respected the prophets or the divine revelation. At the same time, they also advanced in medicine. Allah decided to test them with the appearance of the prophet Isa ibn Maryam. Isa’s mother was Maryan, daughter of Imran. Maryam’s mother had wished to dedicate her baby to serve Allah in the house of worship, if the baby had been a boy. Maryam gave birth to Prophet Isa ibn Maryam 2024 years ago.
The birth of Maryam, isa’s mother:
The wife of Imran gave birth to a girl. Therefore, she was rather unhappy . However, the mother dedicated Maryam to serve in the house of worship. God Almighty said
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًۭا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ 35 فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّىٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
Maryam lived in the custody of Zakaria, another respected prophet of Allah. Maryam loved worship and praying. Our courses state that Maryam dedicated her life to worship Allah Alone. Zakaria kept an eye on Maryam while she stayed in her worship place. He used to let her worship Allah for many days. Whenever Zakaria visited Maryam, he found food and fruit by her side. When he asked her where she got it, she said it was from Allah.God Almighty said:
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَـٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
The great birth, the great test:
Maryam grew physically robust. She was healthy. One day, when she was alone in her place of worship, angel Jibril appeared to her in the form of a whole human. She asked for refuge with Allah. Angel Jibril pacified her and assured her that Allah sent him to her to make her have a baby. She denied it saying she was single and not a harlot. Angel Jibril said that that was the command of Allah so that the baby would be a sign and a miracle for people to believe in Allah . Jibril blew into her womb from the soul of Allah; therefore, she got pregnant.God Almighty said:
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًۭا شَرْقِيًّۭا16 فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًۭا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًۭا سَوِيًّۭا 17 قَالَتْ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّۭا 18 قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَـٰمًۭا زَكِيًّۭا 19 قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَـٰمٌۭ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌۭ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّۭا 20 قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌۭ ۖ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرًۭا مَّقْضِيًّۭا
Maryam’s struggle and suffering:
Mariam’s pregnancy began to grow and appear. Therefore, she kept herself away from people. She felt ashamed and wished she had died before that. again, angel Jibril appeared to her and told her that he would escort her and be at her side. Also, he advised her to say that she was fasting so that she would not talk to people. He added that she had better shake the palm tree trunk for food. She began to suffer from the pains of labor. Finally, she gave birth to a baby who spoke in his cradle. Maryam held the baby in her arms and went to her folks who denied what she had done.God Almighty said
۞ فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتْ بِهِۦ مَكَانًۭا قَصِيًّۭا 22 فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًۭا مَّنسِيًّۭا 23 فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحْتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّۭا 24 وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًۭا جَنِيًّۭا 25 فَكُلِى وَٱشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْنًۭا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْبَشَرِ أَحَدًۭا فَقُولِىٓ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ صَوْمًۭا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّۭا 26
The baby who spoke in his cradle:
When Maryam’s folks saw the baby, millions of questions were asked. Suddenly, the baby spoke in its cradle. He said that he was the servant of Allah who gave him the book and wisdom. The baby said that he was grateful to his mother and that he was not harsh or hard-hearted. Finally the baby said: ((“peace be upon me the day when I was born, the day I would die and on the day when I would be resurrected alive again.”)) However, people have disagreed about the nature of Jesus Christ till today. They could not accept the fact that he was born without a father. Unfortunately, they claimed that he was either the son of Allah or a bastard who was born outside marriage.God Almighty said
فَأَتَتْ بِهِۦ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُۥ ۖ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْـًۭٔا فَرِيًّۭا 27 يَـٰٓأُخْتَ هَـٰرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ ٱمْرَأَ سَوْءٍۢ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّۭا 28 فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّۭا 29 قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّۭا 30وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَـٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّۭا 31 وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّارًۭا شَقِيًّۭا 32 وَٱلسَّلَـٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّۭا 33
Issa a prophet with determination:
Isa was really a great prophet of Allah. He was only a human being of flesh and blood, no more, no less. His mission was to call for the worship of Allah alone. Isa came with the Bible or the Gospel. He never asked people to worship himself or his mother. It was his followers who went astray. Allah gave Issa a lot of signs and miracles. This was to challenge people so that they might be guided to the straight path of Allah. However, the arrogant people of Bani Israel who had given Musa the hardest time, insisted on falsifying Isa. Isa was prosecuted by both his folks and the Roman rulers who chased him.
The miracles and signs of issa ibn maryam:
1- his birth without a father
2- speaking in his cradle
3- telling them what food in their houses
4- blowing life into statues
5-curing the desperately ill people
6- curing the lepers people
7- curing the dumb people
8- restoring the eyesight of the blind
9- restoring the dead to life with the permission of Allah
10- his ascension into heaven before his death.
Isa ibn Maryam’s birth was a miracle. In addition, Allah challenged the Bani Israel who were medically advanced at that time. Isa could cure impossible illnesses. He could restore the eyesight of the blind with the permission of Allah. Isa could cure the lepers with the permission of Allah. Moreover, the dumb could restore the ability to speak at isa’s hands with the permission of allah. Furthermore, Isa would make statues of animals and birds. later on Isa would blow into them. They would change into birds and animals of flesh and blood. Dead people would also be restored to life at the hands of Isa ibn Mariam. Finally, Isa would tell them what they ate and stored in their houses.
وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
The end of Isa’s existence of earth:
The jews plotted against Isa’s life. They reported him to the ruling Romans who wanted to arrest him. They planned to crucify him. When they went to capture him, Allah cast resemblance on another man whom they arrested and crucified instead of isa. This way, Isa escaped their plot. Allah raised Isa in the sky and he lives in heaven till today. At the end of this worldly life, he will descend to earth again. He will fill earth with justice before the day of judgment.
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
