We have previously published an article discussing some little-known facts about Prophet ‘Isa (as). In this article, we’d like to talk about his noble mother, Maryam (as), known as ‘Virgin Mary’ in the West.
Since Maryam (as) is literally one of the best women who ever lived, there are undoubtedly many lessons we can draw from her life! But in this article, we’d like to focus on one thing in particular: her Tawakkul in Allah.
As we head into 2021, this is a good time for us to reflect on the tests of 2020, and remind ourselves to trust in Allah’s plan for us.
Without further ado, let us delve into the story of Maryam (as), one of the best women Allah created:
Lesson 1: Allah (swt) answers du’as in the best way
Maryam (as) was the answer to a du’a made by ‘Imran’s wife, Hannah. According to Muhammad bin Ishaq (rh), the famous Prophetic biographer, Hannah could not have children, but one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick and she asked Allah for a child. When she fell pregnant, she vowed that she would raise her child to concentrate on worshipping Allah and serving the Blessed Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. [Tafseer ibn Katheer]
‘[Mention, O Prophet (saw),] when the wife of ‘Imran said, “My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me…”’ [The Noble Qur’an, 3:35]
Let’s take a look at how generously and beautifully Allah answered Hannah’s du’a:
Firstly, Allah gave her a baby, though Hannah thought she couldn’t have a child.
Secondly, Hannah was surprised when Allah granted her a girl. She had pledged her child to serving the Blessed Masjid, and she assumed a boy would be stronger and better-suited to this task [Tafseer ibn Katheer]. But she renewed her intention, saying:
