Selected Exegesis

Remember this historical scene and report when Hannah, the mother of Mary, who had lost her husband ʿImrān during pregnancy, knowing that the servants of the Holy House were chosen from among boys, and moreover, that males were more suitable for service, with expectation, confidence and hope that her future child would be male, made it obligatory upon herself to free her child from her guardianship and management and dedicate them to the service of the temple and sanctuary, saying: I will free my child from every constraint so that they may be completely in the service of Your religion.

With this vow (nadhr), which was different from the conventional vow and was absolute rather than conditional, she relinquished her guardianship and custodianship over her child and entrusted them to God for proper upbringing, leaving the choice and selection of appropriate work to the child themselves; not that she wanted to force them into service.

She, who insisted that her child be dedicated and consecrated for God both in origin and continuation, requested the good acceptance and complete acceptance of the object of the vow one, meaning the essence of the child’s being, although the acceptance of the child accompanies the acceptance of the vow.

In a statement that conveyed the greatness of her vow, she addressed God: You who know the supplicating servants and give effect to their prayers, answer my prayer as well.

Note: The vow of freeing a child in this way (taḥrīr walad) is one of the abrogated rulings.