Maryam (Mary)

Maryam bint Imran (Mary) is one of the most revered figures in Islam. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran, which devotes an entire surah (Surah Maryam, Chapter 19) to her story. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly named her as one of the four greatest women of all time, alongside Asiyah bint Muzahim, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, and Fatimah al-Zahra. Her mother Hannah (Anne) dedicated the child she was carrying to the service of the Temple: 'My Lord, I have dedicated what is in my womb entirely to You, so accept this from me' (Surah Ali Imran 3:35). When Maryam was born, Hannah named her Maryam — meaning 'the worshipper of Allah' in the language of the Israelites — and placed her under the care of Zakariya AS. Maryam grew in the Temple under special divine provision. Every time Zakariya visited her chamber, he found provisions she had not been given: 'He found with her provision. He said: O Maryam, from where is this? She said: It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account' (Surah Ali Imran 3:37). When the angel Jibril appeared to her in the form of a man, she sought refuge from him, and he announced: 'I am only a messenger of your Lord to give you the news of a pure son.' She asked how she could have a son when no man had touched her. He replied: 'Your Lord says: It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us.' She gave birth to Isa AS alone in a remote place, and returned to her people carrying him, ready to face their accusations with complete trust in Allah. The Quran honored her in ways unmatched for any woman: her name appears 34 times in the Quran, and Surah Ali Imran (Chapter 3) is named after her family.