Jews, Christians, Muslims..What your religion say about Mary?

Question

According to your faith, what is Mary? How do you define her?
I will appreciate details and it would be good to mention quotes from your holy book.

Unbelievers, please do not give answers please... Thank you!

Answer 1

I begin with the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind, peace and blessing be upon beloved Prophet (S.A.W) All praise is for Allah.

Mariam (Mary) was the mother of Prophet Isa (PBUH). Her name is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an 34 times and also one full Surah is named after her.

Her father's name was Imran. Surah Al-e-Imran is named after him. Mariam's birth is explained in the Holy Qur'an: when the wife of Imran said "O' my Lord! I do dedicate unto thee what is in my womb. Accept this from me. Thou, only Thou, art the hearer, the knower!" (Surah Al-e-Imran verse 35-37)

The wife of Imran made the above prayer (dua) and she passed a big part of her life waiting for a son. She was very anxious so Allah gave her hope that she would have a child. She also addressed Allah begging him for a son. The Qur'an said: "When she was delivered of a child, she said O' my Lord behold. I have delivered of a female child, and Allah knew best what she brought forth. And no wise is the male like the female" This Aayat committed that she was not an ordinary female child.

Normally only males were allowed to have services in Baith-ul-Quds. Qur'an says: "She said I have named her Mariam and command her and her offspring to your protection from the evil one rejected" (Al-e-Imran verse 36)

Allah accepted her graciously and she grows in purity and beauty under the care of her uncle Zakariyya (PBUH) because she was chosen to be looked after by him. Qur'an said, "Whenever Hazrat Zakariyya entered her chamber (Mehrab) to see her, he found Allah had supplied sustenance for her" (vii) He said: "O Mary whence comes to you this"? She said, " from Allah, for He provides sustenance to whom he pleases without measure"

In other ayat of the Holy Qur'an Allah said: Angels addressed to Mary "O' Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you above the women of all the nations" "O Mary, worship your Lord devoutly and prostrate yourself and bow down in prayers with those who bow down".

Once she went to a place called Baith-ul-Lahm when a miracle happened. Qur'an says: "She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them. Then we sent to her our angel. He appeared before her as a man in all respect. She said I seek refuge from you to Allah, the most gracious, even if you do fear Allah". He said, "Nay, I am only messenger of your Lord to announce to you, the gift of a son". She said, "How shall I have a son seeing that no man has touched me. I am not unchaste evil" He said, "So it will be, your Lord says. That is easy for me and we wish him appoint him as a sign unto men and mercy from us. It is a matter so decreed"

So she conceived him (Isa pbuh) and she retired with him to a remote place and the pain of childbirth drove her to trunk of a palm tree. She cried because of embarrassment and said would that I had died before this, would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight. She heard someone saying don't grieve. Your Lord has provided you a fountain beneath you and shake the trunk of palm tree the fresh ripe dates will fall upon you. So eat, drink and cool your eyes. Say nothing to anybody. Just say I am fasting, I don't talk today.

When she came to her people holding a baby. People started saying to Mariam you have done a very wrong thing. Your father and mother were very pious. She pointed to her baby. They said do we talk to a baby in cradle. So ISA (Jesus) talked and said, I am the servant of Allah. He gave me the book and sent me as a messenger. (Surah Mariam)

Sayeda Mariam never got married to Joseph, a Christian believer, nor to anyone else.

She was a virgin and Prophet Isa's birth from her was Allah's miracle.

Answer 2

Christian faith (and the Bible) say that Mary is the woman God used to bring His Son into the world.

Mary is not part of the Jewish faith at all.

Islam believes that Mary gave birth to the prophet, Jesus.

Answer 3

Humm..I'm Jewish, first of all. Of course Mary isn't mentioned in our Bible at all so there aren't any references there. I've never heard this question asked before but, to the best of my ability, my answer would be that, according to the Christian Bible she is the mother of Jesus; however, we don't believe in the Virgin Birth, the divinity of Jesus, etc., so it's not really a question to which we can give much of an answer.

Answer 4

Alma 7:10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yes, even the Son of God.

1 Nephi 11:14-15 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou? And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

1 Nephi 11:18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

Mary's visical features aren't really defined in The Book of Mormon, it just says that she is a very beautiful virgin that is the mother of Jesus Christ.

Answer 5

Muslim here.
We believe in Mary, The mother of Jesus. In fact, chapter 19 of the Quran is entitled MARY and tells the story of MARY and the birth of Jesus. God has repeatedly addressed Jesus in the Quran as son of Mary. The name Mary is mentioned in the Quran 34 times.

Peace!

Answer 6

My belief is that Mary consented to carry the son of God in her virgin womb (which, during those days put her at substantial risk of being killed) and raised Him to the best of her ability until Jesus was old enough to go about the task given to him by our Father. She is a blessed woman who loves all of man kind. I hope my thoughts have been of some assistance to you.

Answer 7

I'm Jewish... and my religion has nothing whatsoever to say on the topic. She isn't relevant to our religion, period.
Most Jews that do think about it assume she had an affair. By the way, why was she so confidant that the baby wasn't her husband's? Did they have a really bad marriage, or something? I'd like to know.

Answer 8

Orthodox Jewish POV:

Like her son, she is meaningless. She is not mentioned, discussed or seen as anything more than just another Jewish woman.

And thats it, she is not discussed anywhere- not in the Torah, the Talmud or by by the Rabbis of the time. So, no quotes from our holy books as she does not feature at all.

Answer 9

Mary the mother of Jesus was a woman who was described by God as “highly favored” (Luke 1:28). The phrase “highly favored” comes from a single Greek word, which essentially means “much grace.” Mary received God’s grace. Grace is “unmerited favor,” meaning that it something we receive despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mary needed grace from God, just as the rest of us do. Mary herself understood this fact, as she declared in Luke 1:47, “…and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” Mary recognized that she needed to be saved, that she needed God as her Savior. The Bible never says that Mary was anyone but an ordinary human female whom God chose to use in a extraordinary way. Yes, Mary was a righteous woman and favored (graced) by God (Luke 1:27-28). At the same time, Mary was also a sinful human being just like everyone else – who needed Jesus Christ as her Savior, just like everyone else (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 6:23 1 John 1:8).

Mary did not have an “immaculate conception” – there is no Biblical reason to believe Mary’s birth was anything but a normal human birth. Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-38), but the idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is unbiblical. Matthew 1:25, speaking of Joseph, declares, “But he had no union with her UNTIL she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.” The word “until” clearly indicates that Joseph and Mary did have sexual union after Jesus was born. Joseph and Mary had several children together after Jesus was born. Jesus had four half-brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). Jesus also had half-sisters but they are not named or numbered (Matthew 13:55-56). God blessed and graced Mary by giving her several children, which in that culture, was the clearest indication of God’s blessing on a woman.

Once when Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd proclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed” (Luke 11:27). There was never a better opportunity for Jesus to declare that Mary was indeed worthy of praise and adoration. What was Jesus’ response? “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). To Jesus, obedience to God’s Word was MORE IMPORTANT than being the woman who gave birth to Him. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus, or anyone else, direct any praise, glory, or adoration towards Mary. Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, praised Mary in Luke 1:42-44, but her praise is based on the fact that Mary would give birth to Jesus. It was not based on any inherent glory in Mary.

Answer 10

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the immaculate conception (she was born sinless), She is ever-virgin, and the mother of the Son of God!

Answer 11

Being raised a Lutheran, Mary was the mother of Jesus (not a saint).