Quran Garden

Session 373

Chapter 3

Verse 36

But when she gave birth, she said, "My Lord! I have given birth to a girl."  God knew best what she had given birth to; the male is not like the female. "I name her Mary, and I commend her and her descendants to Your protection from the rejected Satan."

(Chapter 3: Verse 36)

The wife of Imran had pledged her unborn child to the service of the House of God and, at the time, this task was exclusive to males.  So, when she gave birth to a girl, she was surprised.  How could she fulfill the vow now? "She said, 'My Lord! I have given birth to a girl.'" This doesn't mean that she was informing God; rather, she wanted to express her sorrow that her vow would go unfulfilled.    

The verse continues with "the male is not like the female." Whose words were these?  Did God answer Imran's wife with "the male is not like the female"? Or did Imran's wife say, "My Lord! I have given birth to a girl; the male is not like the female"? Let's explore both possibilities. 

Imran's wife may have said, "My Lord! I have given birth to a girl….The male is not like the female" because she was disappointed that a female couldn't serve at the Holy House as she hoped for her newborn.  In this case, God's words "God knew best what she had given birth to" would be an exclamation affirming His knowledge. 

The second possibility is that Imran's wife said, "My Lord! I have given birth to a girl," and then Allah answered with "God knew best what she had given birth to; the male is not like the female." In this case, Allah wanted her to know that the male, which she had wished for, could never reach this female's rank.  Her newborn girl would have a significant task and an exceptional stature till the end of time.  We find this meaning preferable.  God heard Imran's wife's prayers and respected her vow to deliver a servant of the Holy House, but He answered those prayers with something far better than a male.  Allah granted her a blessed female with a task superior to service at the Temple.  How? We answer that serving at the House of God is limited to a few rituals performed over a few decades, but Mary would serve as a sign of the absoluteness of God's ability for the entire humanity.  No one else could fulfill this role. 

Let's look into God's limitless power.  Our abilities as humans come from utilizing materials and the laws that underpin them to produce results.  But where do these materials and laws come from? Allah is the Creator!  Thus, if He wanted to create without these materials and laws, then that is His will!  Allah gave us a look into His absolute power because this matter should be front and center in our faith. 

Let's take the four logical possibilities of creating a human being.  The first possibility is that Allah creates a new individual through the normal reproduction between a male and a female, as he created the vast majority of us.  He says:

And all things We have created in pairs, so that you may reflect and be mindful. (51:49)

The second possibility is that Allah creates a new individual in the absence of both the male and female elements: this is how He created Adam from nothing.  The third possibility is that Allah creates a human from the male element alone, just as Eve was created from Adam.  The last logical option is the creation of a human from a female alone, without a male.  Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, was that creation and Mary, may God be pleased with her, was that female.  God says:

Verily, the case of Jesus in the sight of Allah is as the case of Adam. He fashioned him out of dust, then He said to him, "Be," and he came to be. (3:59)

Allah's blessings were far higher than what Imran's wife had asked for, and this is a reminder to all of us.  God says, "God knew best what she had given birth to: the male is not like the female." 

The verse continues with the words of Imran's wife: "I name her Mary, and I commend her and her descendants to Your protection from the rejected Satan." The name Mary or Miriam reflects what was in the heart of her mother.  When Imran's wife saw that she gave birth to a girl and missed the opportunity that her child could serve at the House of God, she prayed for an obedient and devoted worshipper.  And this is what the name Miriam means: "the devoted worshipper."

Another insight into the heart of Imran's wife lies in her supplication, "I commend her and her descendants to Your protection from the rejected Satan."  Satan is the main obstacle on the way to devotion.  If you want to dedicate some of your time to worship, Satan comes to beautify sin for you.  Imran's wife wanted to protect her daughter from Satan because she knew from experience that most sins start with one of his whispers.

Here the story of Abu Hanifa, a famous Muslim scholar, comes to mind.  A very distraught man came to him and said, "O Abu Hanifa, I really need your help.  You are our scholar!" Abu Hanifa welcomed the man and asked about his troubles.  The man said, "I had a small treasure that I buried in the desert.  I had marked the place with a few shrubs and rocks, but everything scattered after last week's flood.  I cannot find my coins anymore.  Please help me!" Abu Hanifa replied, "My son, I am a man of knowledge, and there is no knowledge in this.  But come back to me later today; maybe I can figure out a trick for you."

The man returned in the afternoon for Abu Hanifa's instruction.  The scholar said, "When the night comes, stand and pray to God.  Remain in your prayers all night.  The Messenger, peace be upon him, used to spend his nights in prayer when a matter bothered him." The man was unhappy with Abu Hanifa's solution; nonetheless, he did as he was told.  The next morning, the man came rushing to Abu Hanifa with a big smile on his face.  He said, "I found it! I found it!  As soon as I began my prayer, I remembered to take twenty steps east of the large palm tree and dig there.  I collected my coins and went back to sleep." Abu Hanifa smiled and said, "My son, that was the devil that guided you.  By God, I knew that Satan would not let you complete a night with your Lord in worship.  So make sure you go back home tonight to spend a night in worship and thank God for the bounties He blessed you with." 

This brings us back to the verse. Imran's wife understood Satan's ways, and she also understood how to stop him in his tracks.  She prayed, "I commend her and her descendants to Your protection from the rejected Satan."

When the devil whispers to you to adorn sin, it is you against him.  This is a fight that Satan can win.  But he cannot enter into a battle with the Almighty.  That is why, as soon as Satan hears the name of God, he backs off.  The Quran described him as the "retreating whisperer" because he only secludes himself with you when your heart is away from God.  As soon as you seek God, Satan retreats.  Take the example of a child being bullied in a playground.  She may feel overwhelmed and overpowered but, as soon as she turns around and calls her father, the bullies run away.  Now, this little girl feels strong and can better stand up for herself against all the bigger kids.  If a child feels invincible in her father's company, how should a person in the company of his or her Lord feel? When you are in God's company, you are safe and tranquil under all circumstances.  God says:

If Satan should prompt you to do something, seek refuge with God -He is all-hearing, all-knowing.  (7:200)

The devil trembles when you seek refuge in God, but he does not abandon the battle: he comes back again and again.  However, if he finds you always turning to your Lord, he realizes that you are a lost cause and a waste of his time.  Our beloved Muhammad taught us to supplicate, "O God, protect me from Satan and protect my descendants from Satan" before engaging in sexual relations.  It is an added layer of defense for your future child. 

Likewise, the wife of Imran extended her supplication to future generations.  She said, "I name her Mary, and I commend her and her descendants to Your protection from the rejected Satan."  The descendant of Miriam was no other than our beloved Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him.