The Story of Maryam's Birth
The wife of `Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh. Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant. She said,
﴿ÑóÈøö Åöäøöí äóÐóÑúÊõ áóßó ãóÇ Ýöí ÈóØúäöí ãõÍóÑøóÑðÇ ÝóÊóÞóÈøóáú ãöäøöí Åöäøóßó ÃóäÊó ÇáÓøóãöíÚõ ÇáúÚóáöíãõ﴾
(O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.) meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female.
﴿ÝóáóãøóÇ æóÖóÚóÊúåóÇ ÞóÇáóÊú ÑóÈøö Åöäøöì æóÖóÚúÊõåó ÃõäËóì æóÇááøóåõ ÃóÚúáóãõ ÈöãóÇ æóÖóÚóÊú﴾
(Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, Ü and Allah knew better what she bore.)
﴿æóáóíúÓó ÇáÐøóßóÑõ ßóÇáÇøòäËóì﴾
(And the male is not like the female,) in strength and the commitment to worship Allah and serve the Masjid in Jerusalem.
﴿æóÅöäøöì ÓóãøóíúÊõåóÇ ãóÑúíóãó﴾
(And I have named her Maryam,) thus, testifying to the fact that it is allowed to give a name to the newly born the day it is born, as is apparent from the Ayah, which is also a part of the law of those who were before us. Further, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah mentioned that the Prophet said,
«æõáöÏó áöíó ÇááøóíúáóÉó æóáóÏñ¡ ÓóãøóíúÊõåõ ÈöÇÓúãö ÃóÈöí ÅöÈúÑóÇåöíã»
(This night, a son was born for me and I called him by my father's name, Ibrahim.) Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith.
They also recorded that Anas bin Malik brought his newborn brother to the Messenger of Allah who chewed a piece of date and put it in the child's mouth and called him `Abdullah. Other new born infants were also given names on the day they were born.
Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, that Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«ßõáøõ ÛõáóÇãò Ñóåöíäñ ÈöÚóÞöíÞóÊöåö¡ íõÐúÈóÍõ Úóäúåõ íóæúãó ÓóÇÈöÚöåö¡ æóíõÓóãøóì æóíõÍúáóÞõ ÑóÃóÓõå»
(Every new born boy held in security by his `Aqiqah, until his seventh day, a sacrifice is offered on his behalf, he is given a name, and the hair on his head is shaved.)
This Hadith was collected by Ahmad and the collectors of the Sunan, and was graded Sahih by At-Tirmidhi. We should mention that another narration for this Hadith contained the wording, "and blood is offered on his behalf,'' which is more famous and established than the former narration, and Allah knows best.
Allah's statement that Maryam's mother said,
﴿æöÅöäøöì ÃõÚöíÐõåóÇ Èößó æóÐõÑøöíøóÊóåóÇ ãöäó ÇáÔøóíúØóÜäö ÇáÑøóÌöíãö﴾
("...And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast.'') means, that she sought refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan, for her and her offspring, i.e., `Isa, peace be upon him. Allah accepted her supplication, for `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«ãóÇ ãöäú ãóæúáõæÏò íõæáóÏõ ÅöáøóÇ ãóÓøóåõ ÇáÔøóíúØóÇäõ Íöíäó íõæáóÏõ¡ ÝóíóÓúÊóåöáøõ ÕóÇÑöÎðÇ ãöäú ãóÓøöåö ÅöíøóÇåõ¡ ÅöáøóÇ ãóÑúíóãó æóÇÈúäóåóÇ»
(Every newly born baby is touched by Shaytan when it is born, and the baby starts crying because of this touch, except Maryam and her son.)
Abu Hurayrah then said, "Read if you will,
﴿æöÅöäøöì ÃõÚöíÐõåóÇ Èößó æóÐõÑøöíøóÊóåóÇ ãöäó ÇáÔøóíúØóÜäö ÇáÑøóÌöíãö﴾
(And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast).'' The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.
﴿ÝóÊóÞóÈøóáóåóÇ ÑóÈøõåóÇ ÈöÞóÈõæáò ÍóÓóäò æóÃóäÈóÊóåóÇ äóÈóÇÊðÇ ÍóÓóäðÇ æóßóÝøóáóåóÇ ÒóßóÑöíøóÇ ßõáøóãóÇ ÏóÎóáó ÚóáóíúåóÇ ÒóßóÑöíøóÇ ÇáúãöÍúÑóÇÈó æóÌóÏó ÚöäÏóåóÇ ÑöÒúÞðÇ ÞóÇáó íãóÑúíóãõ Ãóäøóì áóßö åóÜÐóÇ ÞóÇáóÊú åõæó ãöäú ÚöäÏö Çááøóåö Åäøó Çááøóåó íóÑúÒõÞõ ãóä íóÔóÂÁõ ÈöÛóíúÑö ÍöÓóÇÈò ﴾
(37. So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this'' She said, "This is from Allah.'' Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.)