The Qur'an as the Criterion · History Made Coherent
Mary's childhood and the birth of Jesus
In short
- 1.Her mother dedicates the child in her womb to God's service (Q 3:35).
- 2.Zechariah is made her guardian and finds provision with her (Q 3:37).
- 3.At the birth she is told to shake the palm and drink from the stream (Q 19:22-26).
The claim being examined
The gospels say almost nothing about Mary before the annunciation, and nothing about who cared for her.
The Islamic position
The Qur'an gives her mother's vow, her upbringing in the sanctuary under Zechariah's care, and the provision she found there.
Analysis
The canonical gospels introduce Mary with the annunciation and give no account of her childhood; the later apocryphal Protoevangelium of James supplies one, but is not in the canon. The Qur'an narrates it as scripture. Q 3:35-37 records the vow of the wife of Imran to dedicate what is in her womb, her surprise at bearing a daughter, God's acceptance of the child "with good acceptance", her upbringing "in a good manner", and Zechariah's guardianship: "Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said: O Mary, from where is this to you? She said: it is from God. Indeed God provides for whom He wills without account." Q 3:42 records the angels' address: God has chosen you, purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. At the birth (Q 19:22-26) she is alone under a palm tree, in pain, wishing she had died — and is told to shake the trunk for fresh dates, drink from the stream beneath her, and keep a fast of silence. Two things follow. Islam gives Maryam a status no other woman receives in the Qur'an, including a surah in her name. And the difference from the biblical text here is not correction but restoration: an account is supplied where the earlier one is silent.
Side by side
| The Bible | Luke 1:26-27 | Mary appears at the annunciation as a virgin betrothed to Joseph; no account of her childhood or upbringing is given. |
|---|---|---|
| The Qur'an | 3:35-42; 19:22-26 | Her mother dedicates her before birth, she is raised in the sanctuary under Zechariah's care with provision found beside her, and at the birth she is told to shake the palm and drink from the stream. |
From the Qur'an
كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا
Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision.
وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا
And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.
From the Bible
Greek
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.
Read it in their BibleSources
Qur'an 3:35-42; 19:16-33 · Luke 1:26-38 · Qur'an 3:37; 19:22-26
The spoken script for this entry is inside the app.
Members get the word-for-word delivery guide — how to open, what to say, the likely replies and how to close warmly — plus notes, a dawah journal and the study assistant.
Open the app