More about Mary, Qur'an aid in understanding

Surah 19:27-29
And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Marium! surely you have done a strange thing.
O sister of Haroun! your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman.
But she pointed to him. They said: how should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle?

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In this passage of the Qur'an it is related how Marium (Mary) returned to her people with the baby Jesus. The people are surprised and disconcerted at the virgin birth, but they believe and show her great respect because they call her "sister of Haroun," who is Aaron, the brother of Moses and priest.

Yes, you read right. In the Qur'an Mary is hailed by her people as sister to the High Priest of Moses, Aaron. The Qur'an relates more respect toward Mary than do most Protestants. The Qur'an consistently points to Mary as the Mother of Jesus, and as the model of virtue, who was personally chosen and purified by Allah. Muslims believe and understand the immaculate conception of Mary much more than many Protestants, because they recognize that God would have made the purest vessel for Jesus, and that she would be totally without sin. This culminates in this wonderful passage where she is hailed as "sister of Aaron." This is another quality of Mary that Islam understands and reveres more than many Protestants do, because they understand how she is a role model for not only women, but for priests. Catholics give Mary a title of Mother to priests, because in the Catholic faith, she has given birth to the Catholic's first priest, who is Jesus. Muslims are able to view the purity of Mary as being like a sister to the high priest Aaron.

Further, throughout the Qur'an, Jesus is always referenced as "Isa, son of Marium." This is a title that they give Jesus consistently, it is not a chronological or biological reminder. It is true that they are not going to call Jesus "son of God" in the Qur'an, because that is not their faith. But notice that they do not just call him "Isa" or "Isa, a prophet," but they call him "Isa, son of Marium" as part of his title is his birth from her pure vessel. This is explained in this passage:

Surah 3:42
And when the angels said : O Marium! surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the world.

So throughout the Qur'an, you can easily read it into their understanding that they viewed Jesus as "Jesus, born of Mary, the vessel purified by God" or as they would say "Isa, son of Marium" whom "Allah has chosen" and "purified."

Sometimes it helps to read the Qur'an when a non-Catholic Christian is tempted to not believe the validity of honoring Mary (not directing worship to her, but honoring her) because it helps to see the interpretation of the same events and Gospel by a brotherly faith that has no agenda in over-emphasizing Mary's role. The Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly understood and explained that Mary was chosen and purified by Allah and deserves the respect accorded a "sister of Aaron."

Mary Mother of Jesus and Heart of Prayer

Acts 1:12-15

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath's day journey. And when they had entered the city, they mounted to the upper room where were staying Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon the Zealot, and Jude the brother of James. All these with one mind continued steadfastly in prayer with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. In those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (now the number of persons met together was about a hundred and twenty...

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I was reading a blog where some of the usual questions of Mary were raised, so rather than respond there (since it was not a recent posting) I thought to apply some perspective in a posting here. The usual issues raised were the lack of frequency of her mention in the Bible after the nativity of Jesus, and the appropriateness to call her "Mother." Well, after Jesus ascended into heaven, Acts, written by St. Luke, describes the above gathering. Notice that Mary is the only one mentioned by name besides the Apostles, and not even one disciple is mentioned by name. Mary is identified as "the mother of Jesus." Notice also another order of events that is significant. St. Luke lists the Apostles and then said "all these with one mind continued steadfastly in prayer with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." The core of Jesus's family being Mary and the women and Jesus' brethren are joined by the Apostles in "continued steadfast prayer." Mary is the only one mentioned by name as the heart of the ongoing prayer as they await the Holy Spirit. There are a hundred and twenty people and she is the only one mentioned by name beside the Apostles. It is this group then that elects Matthias "to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away to go his own place" (Acts 2:25). And it is this group upon which the Holy Spirit descended as "they were all together in one place" (Acts 3:1). Now, many of the Apostles and most of the disciples are never mentioned again by name in scriptures, leaving some mystery to their specific movements. But Jesus, dying on the cross, gave Mary to St. John as his mother, in some of the few last words the Lord spoke on earth, and in Acts, it is shown that she is by name the heart of the ongoing prayer, and is called "Mary, the mother of Jesus." I think some people miss the profound subtlety of what is described here and how Mary certainly merits the respect that Jesus himself conveyed upon her, and which the Apostles and disciples obediently followed.