Becoming ‘Maryam’, Bearing ‘Isa’

Our body is like Mary.

Each of us has a Jesus inside.

If a pain and yearning shows up inside us,

the Jesus of our soul is born.

If there is no pain, no yearning,

the Jesus of our soul will return to its origin from

the same secret passageway he came from…

If there is no pain, no yearning,

we will remain deprived

not benefiting from that Jesus of the soul.

 

-Hazrat Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (ra) in Mathnawi---Translated by Omid Safi, in Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (Yale, 2018).

 

A true believer becomes like ‘Maryam’ and is infused with the Holy Spirit

 

In Surah Al Tahrim, we read: “And Allah next compares the believers to Maryam, the daughter of Imran, she took care to guard her chastity, so we breathed into him (the believer who is exemplified here) Our inspiration while she declared her faith in the revelations of her Lord and His scriptures and she became of the devoted ones to prayers and obedient to Him”- (Surah Al Tahrim, HQ, 66: 13)

 

In this Qur’anic verse, Maryam is set as an example for righteous servants of Allah. Like Maryam, true believers- though they are not Prophets of Allah- can also be bestowed with Divine revelations. Such a servant is like Maryam and then Allah will infuse His Ruh in him and he will become the like of Jesus, a servant of God and recipient of His Revelations. According to Hazrat Khalifatul Massih Awwal Allama Hakkim Nuruddin (ra), “the verse clearly informs us that in the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), there will be people- both men and women- like Maryam, who will guard their chastity, be devoted to prayers, declare faith in the Scripture and because of being an obedient servant of Allah will receive the blessings of Divine Revelations. This promise has been given in the very first chapter of al-Fatihah in the words, “Show us the path of those whom you bestowed your Mercy”.

Qur'an on the Death of Jesus (as)

Muhammad is only a messenger; Verily, all the messengers have died before him. So, were he to die, or if he was killed, would you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful. (Al-Imran 3: 145).

A false rumour was spread at Uhud, that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had been killed. The verse alludes to this incident and means that even if the rumour was founded, it should not have made the faithful falter in their faith. Muhammad (pbuh) was only a prophet and like other prophets before him were dead, he too would die. Only the God of Islam, the One and Supreme God lives eternally.

First Proof

When seven years after the incident at Uhud (after the battle of Uhud) the Holy Prophet (pbuh) died, Umar (ra) stood in the mosque of Medina, sword in hand, and said, “Whoever says that the prophet of God has died, I will slit his throat. He has not die but went to his Lord just as Moses had gone to his Lord and he shall return to punish the hypocrites.”

At that moment, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), who was not present at the moment when the prophet breathed his last, returned quickly, went straight into the prophet's room and upon realising that he had actually died, kissed his forehead and said, “You are sweet (sacred) in death as you were when alive, and surely God is not going to give you two deaths.”

Then he went out, resolved, and asked the assembly in the mosque: “O people! Whoever worshiped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead; And he who worships God, let him be assured that God is alive, and that He does not die.” 

And he recited to them this verse: “Muhammad is only a messenger; Verily, all the messengers have died before him. So, were he to die, or if he was killed, would you turn back on your heels?” (Al-Imran 3: 145). He meant that it was not surprising under these circumstances that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was also dead. On hearing this very appropriate verse, Umar (ra) and all the others were convinced of the prophet's death and were plunged into great mourning. Thus this verse proves incidentally that the prophets who had preceded our beloved prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had all died because if any one of them was still alive, the verse could not have been cited as evidence of the death of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

Hijab: Affirming Women's Dignity

In many Western nations with Muslim minorities these days, prejudice and suspicion against the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of the Muslims are openly out on display. The 'Hijab' (-a form of dress covering the head and the entire body worn by Muslim women, in its various manifestations in diverse cultural traditions- burqa, niqab, chador, abaya, etc.) – has been made into a volatile political issue, with many in host societies dubbing the veil to represent Muslim women in stereotypical terms.

Islamic teachings on social etiquette and dressing promote decency and propriety, recognizing the need for modesty, privacy and dignity of individuals, especially women. The Islamic rules on lowering of gaze by both men and women, concealing nakedness and not sexualizing one’s appearance, etc. seek to achieve modesty and public chastity. The Qur’anic guidance on ‘Hijab’ can thus be seen as a significant part of a profound framework on ‘garment of piety/raiment of righteousness’ for all believers, men and women (7:27).  

The teachings on ‘Hijab’ seek to liberate women from the male gaze while allowing them to remain socially engaged as active participants with integrity, agency and God consciousness. In our unfortunate era where male weakness and proclivity for sexual lasciviousness is actively promoted through commodification of culture and the consequent objectification of women’s bodies, ‘Hijab’ stands for the anti-thesis of the consumer capitalism and atheistic materialism on offer, pointing to the stark contrast between competing visions of ‘freedom’ in Islam and the 'post-truth' societies. 

Extracted below is a Speech delivered by Hazrat Ummul Mu’mineen Fazli Amena Varsally (International Sadr Saheba-Siraj Makin) on the value of Hijab, delivered at the Siraj Makin Conference in Mauritius in August 2016. Referring to the ongoing, manufactured controversy over the right of Muslim women to wear what they want, Hazrat Saheba points out that the Islamic dressing norms are rooted in modesty and chastity, and that the ethical framework is shared by all religions of the past. The irony of Christian nations ignoring and insulting the dressing choice of Virgin Mary is highlighted. Hazrat Ummul Mu'mineen calls our attention to a latent challenge that lies hidden behind the controversies surrounding the right to wear Hijab in our times: the very identity of Muslim women is under threat of being reconfigured in the western conceptions of freedom and women’s rights. She argues that it is ultimately for Muslim women themselves to assert their human right to fundamental freedoms of choice in dressing up in Hijab so as to profess and practice and propagate the beliefs and convictions they deeply care for.  

Read the Speech below:

'Hijab' in a milieu of anti-Muslim prejudices

Today, we see that the Hijab (veil) of the Muslim woman has become a menace for people who view Islam as a religion of terrorism.