Maryam /Mary and her Son ‘Isa /Jesus the Messiah
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
221 |
| Khutbah Date: |
12/22/06 |
[b]قَالَتِ الْمَلآئِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِذْ[/b][b]وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ[/b][i]"Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, he is of those nearest to Allah."[/i][b] [Quran 3:45] [/b][b]Christmas and the Birth of
‘Isa/Jesus (peace be upon him) [/b]The birth of
‘Isa/Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) is described in twice in the Qur’an; chapter 3 (
Aale ‘Imran) and chapter 19 (Maryam In the Christian world, the birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated in Europe on December 25th since 354 AD, replacing an earlier date of January 6th. The Christians had by then appropriated many pagan mid-winter ancient Babylonian and Egyptian, Germanic and Roman fertility festivals (eg Saturnalia) and traditions of the season, that were practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as a means of stamping them out and replacing them with a Christian one. [b]Status of
Maryam/Mary in the Qur’an[/b]Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a prominent figure in Islam and the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an. The Qur’an upholds Mary as one of the ideal examples of womanhood [Q66:12]. Mary is mentioned more times and more biographical information about her is contained in the Qur’an than in the entire New Testament. The Qur’anic account of Mary includes the pregnancy of her mother, the birth and upbringing of Mary, and the annunciations of the coming birth of Jesus: [i]“Remember how she preserved her chastity, into whom We breathed a life from Us, and made her and her son a token for humankind”[/i] [Q21:91]. The Qur’an teaches that Mary is to be revered because she completely submitted herself to God’s will, even though it meant that her own family would accuse her of impropriety when it was discovered that she was pregnant [Q19:16-21].[list][*]The mother of Jesus (peace be upon them) is accorded highest respect and considered as among the most noble in the estimation of Allah. [Q3:33] [/*][*]Mary is declared (uniquely along with Jesus) to be a
aayah / sign of God to mankind [Q23.50] [/*][*]chosen of her mother and dedicated to Allah whilst still in the womb to the-God [Q3.36]; [/*][*]uniquely (amongst women) accepted into service by Allah; cared for by one of the Prophets – Zakariyya; who in her childhood she resided in the Temple and uniquely had access to
al-mihrab (understood to be the most sacred portion of the temple) where she was provided with “heavenly provisions”[Q3:37] [/*][*]as a Chosen and Purified One; exalted above all women of The Worlds/Universes [Q3.42]. [/*][*]a Truthful one [Q5.75] [/*][*]her child conceived through a “Word from God" [Q3.45]; [/*][*]The entire chapter 19 (titled Maryam/Mary) in the Qur'an and another (ch 3) is titled
aale‘Imran after the family of Mary [/*][*]
Behold! the angels said: O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you,chosen you above the women of all nations." [Q3:42] [/*][*]Mary is considered a
fulfillment of prophecy, virtuous, guardian of her chastity, receiver of God’s spirit, a testimony to the veracity of God’s message and piously obedient [Q66: 12][/*][*]Jesus /
'Isa {referred to 9 times in the Qur'an as
'Isa and 16 times as
'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary)} himself is recorded as saying about his respected mother,
I have been commanded to be righteous to my mother, and not to be haughty nor divisive. [Q 19: 32] [/*][/list] [b]The Messiah, Son of Mary[/b]It is obvious that Jesus holds an exalted place within Islam. Some of the honorable epithets of Jesus (pbuh) mentioned in the Qur'an are … Prophet /
nabi, Messenger of God /
rasul, of the Righteous /
min-as-salihin, word of Allah /
kalimatu-Llah), spirit from God /
ruhun mina' Llah, positive sign/symbol for humanity /
aayatun lin- naas, mercy from God /
rahmatan minna, the son of Mary /
ibne Maryam, eminent in this world and the next /
wajihan fid-dunya wal-aakhirah, and most unique of all … the Messiah /
masih. [b]
‘Isa / Jesus is …[/b]Jesus denied by some as a fictional character, accused of being an illegitimate child by some, misconceived as divine by many; considered as a Prophet and Messiah in Islam. People do have differing perspectives on Jesus’ life and teachings, but his spiritual legacy, as a righteous and principled guide, his mission as a Prince of Peace offers an alternative opportunity for people of faith to recognize their shared religious heritage.Allah bears testimony to the truthfulness of Jesus; his mission, character, status and his very being.[i]“Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: a statement of truth, about which people dispute.”[/i][Q19: 34]. [b]Obedience to Allah and Respect of Loved Ones[/b]In the story of Mary and her son, Jesus (peace be upon them) is reflected …[list][*]the legacy of Prophets [/*][*]the struggle of the righteous [/*][*]the denial of the detractors, [/*][*]the mockery of the unbelievers [/*][*]the triumph of Truth over falsehood and of Good over evil [/*][/list] … but there is also the story of the power of relationships, the care of a loving and pious mother and the respect of a righteous and caring son.[i]“Such was Jesus the son of Mary: a statement of truth, about which people dispute.” [/i] [Q19: 34].
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