A Discussion of the Narrations

1. The Secret Behind Mary’s Mother’s Astonishment at the Birth of a Daughter

From Abū ʿAbdallāh (a.s.) regarding God’s words: “I have dedicated what is in my belly to You, in consecration” - he would stay in the temple and not leave it; when she gave birth to a female, “My Lord, I have borne a female [child] - and God knew better what she had borne - and the male is not like the female” - indeed the female menstruates and must leave the mosque, while one consecrated (muḥarrar) does not leave the mosque.(49)

In the narration of Ḥarīz from one of them (a.s.), he said: She vowed what was in her belly to the temple to serve the devotees (ʿubbād), and the male is not like the female in service. He said: So she grew up and would serve them and attend to them until she reached maturity, then Zechariah ordered that a partition be placed between her and the devotees (ʿubbād).(50)

Note: According to these narrations, the reason why Mary’s mother (a.s.) was astonished at Mary’s birth and considered the male different from the female was the nature of her vow, because a female must sometimes leave the mosque due to menstruation, while one who is consecrated (muḥarrar) does not leave the mosque. Therefore, when her child turned out to be female, she said: “the male is not like the female”. Moreover, in serving the mosque and its devotees (ʿubbād), a male can never be compared to a female, which is why when Mary (a.s.) reached the age of youth and maturity, Zechariah (a.s.) ordered that a partition be placed between her and the devotees (ʿubbād) of the mosque.

2. Fulfillment of the Promise to Parents Through Their Progeny

From Abū Baṣīr from Abū ʿAbdallāh (a.s.) who said: If we say something about a man among us and it does not manifest in him, it will manifest in his child or his grandchild; so do not deny this. God revealed to ʿImrān: “I will grant you a blessed male child who will heal the blind and the leper, and will bring the dead to life by My permission, and I will make him a messenger to the Children of Israel.” He told this to his wife Hannah, who was Mary’s mother. When she became pregnant, she thought in herself it would be a boy. When she gave birth to a female, she said: “My Lord, I have given birth to a female, and the male is not like the female” - because a daughter cannot be a messenger. God says: “And God knew better what she had borne”. When God granted Jesus to Mary, he was the one about whom God had given glad tidings to ʿImrān and had promised him. So if we say something about a man among us and it manifests in his child or grandchild, do not deny it.(51)

Note: According to this narration, ʿImrān’s wife was expecting a male child based on her husband’s words, which is why when Mary was born she said: “My Lord! I have given birth to a female and the male is not like the female, and You had promised a male child.” However, in reality, God did give ʿImrān’s wife a male child, but through an intermediary.

Imam al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) concludes that if we say something about ourselves and it is not fulfilled, it will be fulfilled in our child or our grandchild, so do not deny it.

Also from this noble hadith, it becomes clear that the phrase “and the male is not like the female” is the words of Mary’s mother (a.s.), because Imam al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) explains it by saying: “because a daughter cannot be a messenger.” God says: “And God knew better what she had borne”.(52)

When an exegete learns from the school of Imam al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) that ʿImrān’s wife was aware she would become the mother of Mary (a.s.), upon a second look, he understands this from the Qur’an itself. This is because the Qur’an had previously introduced the family of ʿImrān as God’s chosen ones, and those chosen by God do not speak frivolously. Therefore, from the phrase “I commend her and her offspring to Your care against the outcast Satan”, it becomes clear that she knew her daughter would have a child and that this child would live, which is why she entrusts Mary and her child (a.s.) to God.

Yes, ʿImrān’s wife had heard that a male child would be born, but she did not know this would happen through an intermediary. She was unaware that even Jesus son of Mary (a.s.) would never equal the daughter she bore, because as was previously explained based on the assumption that the phrase “the male is not like the female” was God’s words, if ʿImrān’s wife had given birth to a male child like Jesus, the universal miracle of a daughter like Mary becoming a mother without a husband would never have occurred. For Jesus son of Mary (a.s.) was a breach of natural law and could, along with his mother, be a universal miracle and transform the thoughts of all people: “and We made her and her son a sign for all the nations”.(53)

The point is that if someone first hears the message of the Qur’anic verses from the speaker of the Qur’an, meaning the infallible Imam (a.s.), and then approaches the Qur’an, they will better understand the Qur’an’s message.

One who places the traditions alongside the Qur’anic verses and considers these two together - which are one and never separate - moves beyond the surface level of the Qur’an and their understanding of the Qur’an will be correct. They will understand how the Imams (a.s.) derived these meanings from the Qur’an. Of course, where there is no specific tradition, one must seek help from the general principles of the traditions.

3. Protection of Mary and Jesus from Satan’s Touch at Birth

The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) said: “Every child that is born is touched by Satan when it is born, causing it to cry out from Satan’s touch, except for Mary and her son”.(54)

The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) said: “Every child of Adam receives a prick from Satan which causes the infant to cry out, except for Mary daughter of ʿImrān and her son. For when her mother gave birth to her, she said: “I commend her and her offspring to Your care against the outcast Satan.” So a barrier was placed between them, and Satan struck the barrier”.(55)

The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) said: “Every child that is born is squeezed by Satan once or twice, except for Jesus son of Mary and Mary.” Then the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) recited: “I commend her and her offspring to Your care against the outcast Satan”.(56)

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “… And Jesus (a.s.) said in praise of his Lord: ‘He protected me and my mother from the outcast Satan, so he had no way over us’”.(57)

Note: A. The exclusivity mentioned in these traditions is relative, otherwise all infallible prophets and guardians (a.s.) are also protected from Satan’s touch at birth. This is why in a tradition from the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), when the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) married Fāṭima (a.s.) to him, he prayed: “… Then he came to me, took my hand and said: ‘Rise in the name of God and say: Upon the blessing of God and what God wills, there is no power except through God, I trust in God.’ Then he came to me when he seated me beside her and said: ‘O God! These two are the most beloved of Your creation to me, so love them and bless their offspring and place Your protection over them, and I seek Your protection for them and their offspring from the outcast Satan’”.(58)

The exclusivity of such matters can be seen in other examples; for instance, Mary (a.s.) is the leader of the women of the worlds (sayyidat nisāʾ al-ʿālamīn), and the Children of Israel have excellence over all people, all of which applies to their own time and place, not absolutely.

Satan’s whispering and touch has its own specific discussion, whose scope is limited and does not extend to the realm of the purified ones (mukhlasīn), and the prophets of firm resolve (ulū l-ʿazm) and the People of the House of infallibility and purity (a.s.) are among the most prominent elements of that realm.