Why Was Mary Blessed Since She Was in Her Mother's Womb?
لماذا كانت السيدة مريم مباركة منذ كانت في بطن أمها؟
Mary's mother, wife of Imran, dedicated the child in her womb, at that time she did not know if the baby was male or female, to her Lord. A mother's most precious thing in the world is her child, and she dedicated it to serve in the house of Allah before it was born. All she wanted was the blessing of Allah, without showing off, so that the child may dedicate itself to worshipping Allah in Bait al-Maqdis, as it was customary for the Children of Israel to vow their sons to worship in the holy house.
("Remember when the wife of Imran said, 'My Lord! I dedicate what is in my womb entirely to Your service, so accept it from me. You alone are truly the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' When she delivered, she said, 'My Lord! I have given birth to a girl,' and Allah fully knew what she had delivered, 'and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek Your protection for her and her offspring from Satan, the accursed.' So her Lord accepted her graciously and blessed her with a pleasant upbringing, entrusting her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He exclaimed, 'O Mary! Where did this come from?' She replied, 'It is from Allah. Surely Allah provides for whoever He wills without limit.'") (Al-Imran 3:35-37)
أم مريم، زوجة عمران، حملت، وقبل أن تعرف جنس الجنين في بطنها، نذرته لله. إن أغلى شيء في حياة الأم هو ولدها، وهي قد نذرت الطفل الذي في بطنها ليخدم في بيت الله قبل أن يولد. كانت تريد بركة الله دون مراءاة، أي أنه يتفرغ للعبادة في بيت المقدس، وكان هذا شائعًا في بني إسرائيل أنهم ينذرون أبناءهم للعبادة في بيت المقدس.
(إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿٣٥﴾ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَىٰ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ﴿٣٦﴾ فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا ۖ قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَـٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٣٧﴾) آل عمران 3: 35- 37
1. A Vow Made Before Knowing What It Would Cost | نذرٌ قبل معرفة ثمنه
Imran's wife made her vow while still pregnant, before she knew whether the child was a boy or a girl. Dedicating a son to lifelong service at Bait al-Maqdis was an established practice among the Children of Israel; dedicating an unborn child sight-unseen was a statement of trust made in advance, not a calculated pledge.
نذرت امرأة عمران وهي لا تزال حاملًا، قبل أن تعرف أكان الجنين ذكرًا أم أنثى. وكان تخصيص الابن لخدمة بيت المقدس عادةً معروفة عند بني إسرائيل، أما نذر جنينٍ لم يُر بعد فكان ثقةً مُقدَّمة، لا تدبيرًا محسوبًا.
2. "The Male Is Not Like the Female," in Context | "وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ" في سياقها
Read on its own, this phrase can sound like it ranks males above females. Commentators explain it in this context as being about service, not worth: a son dedicated to Bait al-Maqdis could grow up to serve there in roles reserved for men at the time, while a daughter could not follow that exact same path, which is why the mother notes the difference as she processes her surprise. What follows is not a lesser outcome but a greater one: Allah accepts Mary "with good acceptance," raises her well, and places her in Zachariah's care personally.
قد تُفهم هذه العبارة للوهلة الأولى على أنها تفضيلٌ للذكر. لكن المفسرين يفسرونها في هذا السياق بأنها تتعلق بالخدمة لا بالقيمة: فالابن المنذور لخدمة بيت المقدس كان يخدم فيه بأدوارٍ خاصة بالرجال آنذاك، بخلاف الأنثى. ومع ذلك، جاء ما بعدها أعظم: فتقبل الله مريم "بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ" وأنبتها نباتًا حسنًا وكفّلها زكريا خصيصًا.
3. The Provisions That Set Up Zachariah's Own Prayer | الرزق الذي مهّد لدعاء زكريا نفسه
Every time Zachariah (peace be upon him) entered Mary's sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions from no visible source, and her answer was simply, "It is from Allah. Surely Allah provides for whoever He wills without limit." This is not a side detail; it directly precedes Zachariah's own prayer for a son in the very same passage. Ibn Kathir explains that when Zachariah saw Allah provide Mary with winter fruit in summer and summer fruit in winter, he hoped for a child, though he was old and his wife was barren. What Allah then granted him is covered in what Allah granted Prophet Zachariah.
كان زكريا كلما دخل على مريم المحراب وجد عندها رزقًا من غير سبب ظاهر، فتجيبه: "هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ". وهذا المشهد يسبق مباشرةً دعاء زكريا نفسه بولدٍ في السياق ذاته، قال ابن كثير: "لما رأى زكريا عليه السلام أن الله تعالى يرزق مريم عليها السلام فاكهة الشتاء في الصيف وفاكهة الصيف في الشتاء، طمع حينئذ في الولد"، وإن كان شيخًا كبيرًا وامرأته عاقرًا.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did Mary's mother vow before Mary was born?
She dedicated her unborn child entirely to Allah's service, before knowing whether the child was male or female.
Did Allah accept Mary despite the vow being meant for a son?
Yes, Allah accepted her graciously, gave her a pleasant upbringing, and placed her personally in Zachariah's care.
What did Zachariah find when he visited Mary's sanctuary?
He found her supplied with provisions from no visible source, and she told him it was from Allah, who provides for whoever He wills without limit.
How does this connect to Zachariah's own story?
Witnessing Allah provide for Mary without visible means leads directly, in the same passage, into Zachariah's own prayer for a son.