Reconciling about Mary in Qur'an, Bible tradition

Surah 19 has beautiful description of the Annunciation to Mary and the birth of Jesus. Christians are often puzzled by the passage that seems to indicate Mary had a painful childbirth, since Biblical tradition and the visions of Church approved mystics state otherwise. Here is the passage:

And the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten!

Then (the child) called out to her from beneath her: Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you.

Christians, notice that Mary and baby are in dialogue as he is being born! And remember, this is Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation, who gave this dialogue to the Prophet (PBUH). So what is the meaning?

The Qur'an is not a repeat of the Gospels, and so details of the Gospels are not repeated here, but given in imagery by Gabriel to the Prophet. The birth pain refers to the prophecy that Mary's heart will be pierced by a sword, due to what will happen to her child, Jesus. Gabriel explained it through dialogue in the communion between Mary and Jesus during his birth, the mutual knowledge that there will be a great pain and suffering to come, but Jesus assures Mary that from her God "has made a stream to flow."

So this is another place where the Qur'an is truly supportive of the events, rather than contradicting the Gospels. The purpose was not to say that Mary had physical pains or regrets at the birth of Jesus, far from it. It shows that at the moment of his birth they were in total mutual dialogue of the enormous pain to come, but that she would lean on a palm (the sign of martyrs) and God will make the stream, the Messiah and Savior, flow from her.

I hope this is helpful. I love what the Qur'an says about Mary and remember, Gabriel would not give the Prophet misinformation. It just has to be understood in its context. As I've blogged before, the Qur'an provides detail the Gospel does not, such as the speech between Mary and Jesus at birth, since Jesus could speak at birth. The Gospel was not much for "baby Jesus details," and so the Qur'an must be prized for when such precious insight is included.

Remember, Jesus was born under conditions where Mary and Joseph had profound silence about him for many years. Even after Jesus had ascended to heaven, Mary would not have spoken of the interior dialogue that she and Jesus shared, so the Apostles would not have had this information to record, even if they were inclined to (they would not, because the Gospels were of bearing witness to Jesus public ministry, and not a 'biography'). That is why the reunion between Mary and the resurrected Jesus is never mentioned or explained in the Gospel. Their profound and lifelong shared communion through the Holy Spirit was entirely private and never shared. And that is appropriate, because only the public ministry of the adult Jesus needed to be witnessed and proclaimed. So the Church tradition and revelation of approved mystics is entirely correct that Mary had complete obedience, a pain free birth, and no regrets at all, being full of obedience and grace. The Qur'an correctly explains in dialogue form the profound awareness of the dire pain (the piercing of Mary's heart, the crucifixion of Jesus) that both would share and the anguish both would feel.