In the Holy Quran Allah, the Exalted mentions the names of two women as perfect examples of faith. God also mentions the names of two women as examples of infidelity. "Allah sets forth, for an example to the unbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lut: They were (respectively) under two of our righteous servants" [The Holy Quran, 66: 10]. These two women exemplify infidelity. That is to say, Allah the Exalted mentions women, not men, as examples of both infidelity and faith. "And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe the wife of Pharaoh" [The Holy Quran, 66: 11]. He mentions the wife of Pharaoh and Mary as two perfect examples of faith. "And Mary the daughter of Imran" [The Holy Quran, 66: 12].
Virgin Mary enlightens the world
Mary is the mother of Jesus and the daughter of Imran. Mary is a young lady who stands strongly like a mountain before the accusations and slandering looks of the people in her town and region, and she holds in high esteem the Word of God-- the Spirit, that God, the Exalted, has put in her pure body-- and offers her child like a source of light to the dark world of that time.
These two women [Mary and Asieh, Pharaoh's wife] enlighten the world. This shows that in the vast realm and big arena where all the people, from the first to the last, are gathered; when God the Exalted wants to choose two humans from among all the humans and introduce them as models and examples, He chooses two women--not two men, or a man and a woman. There are secrets in this.
March 10, 1997
The birth of Jesus Christ is so great that cannot be adequately described, unless through artistic works
Any time I read the Sura "Maryam", I am greatly impressed. This has been the case since my youth. This is because the story of that sura is a truly wonderful story. The story of the birth of Jesus Christ – in that particular place, at that particular time, and under those special circumstances – is so great that it cannot be adequately described, unless through artistic works.
This is an amazing and rare event – the role of the Virgin Mary and Zechariah in this event, the special social conditions of the time, and the teachings of Jesus Christ which were like a shining beacon of guidance that shed light on human life and minds. It should also be noted that the teachings of Jesus were no different than those of Moses – that is, they were a complement to the teachings of Moses. Most of the teachings of Jesus Christ were a repetition of the teachings of Moses. However, when Jesus Christ passed on his teachings, the followers of Moses were so alienated from his teachings that they believed the teachings of Jesus Christ were an innovation and an instance of blasphemy. This was because the teachings of Moses had been distorted. This was while the teachings of Moses and Jesus both originated from the same source. And the teachings of Jesus were based on the same concepts as those of Moses. Both the teachings of Moses and those of Jesus were sent to them through divine revelation. In this story, the role of distortions, the role of the powers of the time, and the selfishness and misunderstandings of some people are clearly mentioned.
October 29, 1999
There is one matter, in the Holy Quran about the Virgin Mary, which has attracted my attention to a great extent. From the viewpoint of Muslims, Virgin Mary is the manifestation of piety and spiritual purity.--"And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration.” [The Holy Quran, 66: 12].--This has been repeated several times in the Holy Quran.
The point about guarding her chastity has been greatly stressed when mentioning the Virgin Mary. What were the circumstances like? This is, in my opinion, a very important point. A girl came to a temple and stayed there until her youth. What factors and motivations caused her to resist all those temptations with such superhuman power? If her power was not superhuman, the issue would not be so greatly emphasized in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran says “guarded her chastity," which means that she remained pure. This is a very important matter and should be a lesson for everyone.
Through guarding her chastity and remaining pure in that critical situation, the Virgin Mary could change history.
