Parents of Mary, Mother of Jesus

This post is supposed to bring to our attentions a relatively short period in history.  It is meant to highlight for us the communication between Imran, Hannah the wife of Imran, peace be upon them, and God.  Although initially this post may not seem to contain any important or interesting points in it, after a better examination, we can infer the following points.

            Firstly, in this post, a few of Jesus’ miracles, which we often hear from Christians and are found in the Bible, are confirmed.  We, as Muslims, can now confirm and be certain that Jesus, peace be upon him, did indeed heal the blind and the leper, and did indeed resurrect the dead with God’s permission. 

            Secondly, we can notice that Imran’s wife’s name is Hannah.  Therefore, Hannah is the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus, peace be upon them all. 

            Thirdly, we can notice that, like Mary, Hannah also communicated with Allah, and Allah did respond to Hannah’s concern about her new-born child.

            Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, we learn from the following tradition that there is a direct connection between a man, his sons and his grandsons.  When God makes a promise to a man, or when an event is prophesized about a man, and it doesn’t happen to him, it could be because it may in fact happen to his sons or even grandsons. 

            Now, we could ask ourselves, is this tradition and the exposition of this family connection meant to hint towards the biological genetic connections between parents and offsprings?  I do not know if this is the case. However, if you are interested to research this matter further, keeping this tradition in mind could certainly come in handy.

            At the end, if there are any other points that you see in this tradition that I missed and did not notice, please do not hesitate to point them out in the comment section.

Now, without any further ado, I present to you the following Authentic tradition.

1)

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى عِمْرَانَ أَنِّي وَاهِبٌ لَكَ ذَكَراً سَوِيّاً مُبَارَكاً يُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَ الْأَبْرَصَ وَ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ جَاعِلُهُ رَسُولًا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَحَدَّثَ عِمْرَانُ امْرَأَتَهُ حَنَّةَ بِذَلِكَ وَ هِيَ أُمُّ مَرْيَمَ فَلَمَّا حَمَلَتْ كَانَ حَمْلُهَا بِهَا عِنْدَ نَفْسِهَا غُلَامٌ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْها قالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُها أُنْثى‏ (آل ‏عمران: 36)... وَ لَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثى‏ (آل‏ عمران: 36) أَيْ لَا يَكُونُ الْبِنْتُ رَسُولًا يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِما وَضَعَتْ (آل ‏عمران: 36) فَلَمَّا وَهَبَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِمَرْيَمَ عِيسَى كَانَ هُوَ الَّذِي بَشَّرَ بِهِ عِمْرَانَ وَ وَعَدَهُ إِيَّاهُ فَإِذَا قُلْنَا فِي الرَّجُلِ مِنَّا شَيْئاً وَ كَانَ فِي وَلَدِهِ أَوْ وَلَدِ وَلَدِهِ فَلَا تُنْكِرُوا ذَلِكَ

Farsi Translation:

ابو بصير گويد: امام صادق عليه السلام فرمود: خداى تعالى بعمران (پدرم مريم مادر عيسى عليه السلام) وحى كرد كه من بتو پسرى ميبخشم، سالم و مبارك كه باذن خدا كور مادر زاد و پيس را درمان كند و مردگان را زنده كند و پيغمبر بنى اسرائيلش قرار دهم، عمران اين مطلب را بهمسرش حنة كه مادر مريم است گزارش داد، چون بمريم حامله گشت، فكر ميكرد كه حملش پسر است، چون او را زائيد (و ديد دختر است) گفت: “پروردگارا من دختر زائيدم ...  و پسر مانند دختر نيست”  (3:36)يعنى دختر كه پيغمبر نميشود. خداى عز و جل (در باره او) ميفرمايد: “خدا بآنچه او زائيده داناتر است (3:36)”، سپس چون خداى تعالى عيسى را بمريم بخشيد، او همان پيغمبرى بود كه بعمران بشارت داده شده بود و باو وعده كرده بودند.

پس هر گاه ما در باره مردى از خاندان خود چيزى گفتيم. و در فرزند يا فرزند زاده او پيدا شد آن را انكار مكنيد.

English Translation:

Narrated by Mohamed Ibn Yehya from Ahmed Ibn Mohamed and Ali bin Ibrahim, from his father, narrated by all of these from Ibn Mahboub from Ibn Re’ab, from Abu Baseer from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him). He said:

“Allah the Almighty revealed to Imran, ‘I shall bestow upon you a pleasing, blessed male child who shall heal the blind and the leper and raise the dead in the name of Allah. We shall make him a prophet to the children of Israel.’ Imran notified his wife Hannah, the mother of Maryam. And when she became with a child she imagined the child would be a boy. When she gave birth to her (Maryam) she said, “O Lord, I have given birth to a girl child… A male is not the same as a female.” (3 :36) for a female cannot be a messenger [of Allah].   Allah the almighty said, “I know best what you have given birth to.” (3:36) When God the Almighty bestowed Jesus upon Maryam, he was the child foretold by Him to Imran and bestowed upon him.

Thus, when a thing is foretold about a man and it appears in his sons or grandsons [instead], do not deny it.”

 Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 535, Tradition #1

God Almighty's Counsel to Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon him) ... Part III

O Jesus, humble yourself before those who do good deeds; become one of them and bear witness to them. Tell the transgressors among the children of Israel, committers and companions of evil, to desist or I shall transform them into apes and swine. O Jesus, tell the transgressors from amongst the children of Israel, at my wisdom the multitudes weep yet you laugh and forsake Me. I have shown you My evidence or do you have a safeguard against My torture or do you forsake Me to punish Me? I have created you to make of you an example to others.

O son of Maryam the virgin maiden, I commend to you My revered messenger and My beloved Ahmed of the red camel; he of the beautiful face radiant with pure light, he of the courageous heart, the venerable one, for he is a mercy to the worlds and a prince amongst the children of Adam on the day of our meeting; the most blessed of the harbingers and the messenger most beloved by Me. The honest Arab, the believer in My religion, the steadfast for My sake; he battles the pagans with his own hands for the sake of My religion. Enlighten the Children of Israel about him. Command them to believe in him and have faith in him, to follow him and champion him. 

Jesus said, “My Lord, who is he that I may seek his utmost favour?” 

God said, “He is Mohammed, the messenger of God to all the people of the world, the dearest to Me and the foremost intercessor. Blessings upon the prophet and upon his people that come to Me through him. He is praised by the people of the earth, blessed by the inhabitants of the heavens. Trustworthy, auspicious, good and pleasing, the most favoured by Me from amongst the rest. He will come at the end of times. When he goes out the heavens bow to his glory, the earth brings forth its flowers that all may see its blessings, and My blessings upon all he touches. He of the many wives and few children, he resides in Mecca the founding place of Abraham. 

O Jesus, his religion is the Abrahamic faith, his tribe is Yemeni. He walks in My company and I am with him. Blessings upon him, blessings upon him. He holds the highest rank in the gardens of Eden. He is the most generous amongst the living and he shall die a martyr. His dominion stretches from Mecca to the place where the sun rises, like basins of fragrant nectar more numerous than the stars in the sky, a sweet cup as wide as the earth filled with all nature of drink and fruits of the earth. He who sips from it shall never thirst. This is My bequest to him and such is My preference for him.

You and he are in accord; in secret, in public, in word and in deed; he commands people to follow his religion, to practice Jihad in good times and in bad. He will lead nations; the king of the Romans he will conquer in the name of the religion of Abraham. He will bless food in My name before eating it; he will spread peace; he will pray through the night while people sleep. He will uphold five daily prayers. The call to prayer will be like a call to arms; prayers will commence with My name and end with the salutation. He positions his feet in prayer as the angels position theirs, with reverence in his heart, his radiant head bowed upon his chest, his tongue uttering the word of truth. 

Truthful he has always been since he was a lost orphan for a period of time. His eyes slumber but his heart never sleeps. He is the intercessor and for his people will the Day of Judgment be held. My hand will be upon their hands. Whomsoever transgresses, transgresses against himself. Whosoever keeps the covenant, I shall keep My covenant and reward him with paradise. Command the transgressors from amongst the children of Israel to study his book and to not falsify his ways for he is the prophet of peace and holds a place of high regard.

O Jesus, all that would bring you closer to Me I have shown you; all that would distance you from Me I have forbidden. Reflect within yourself, O Jesus; worldly life is sweet and I have bestowed upon you some parts of it and forbidden others, so take what I have bestowed and allowed you. O Jesus, look at your deeds as a sinner and wrongdoer; look not at the deeds of others as a lord. Be frugal, do not desire life excessively or you shall become corrupt.

O Jesus, use your reason [Aql], think, observe throughout the ages the fate of transgressors. O Jesus, all I have described is for your guidance; My words are the truth for I am the ultimate truth. Do not disobey Me after I have informed you of your obligations to Me, for without Me you have no better champion.

O Jesus, make you heart humble with fear. Look to those who are beneath you and look not to those above you. Know that the seed of every sin and transgression is the love of worldly life; therefore, do not love it for I do not love it.

O Jesus, make your heart pleasing to Me. Make remembrance of Me in your solitude and know that I delight in your closeness to Me, and do so with eagerness and not with inattention. O Jesus, worship none other than Me and beware of Me. Be not vain about your health or become arrogant for life is but a passing shadow and as you arrive into it so do you depart. Vie to do good deeds and defend truth wherever it may be. Do not denounce Me after you have known Me, even should you be cut or burned with fire and do not be like the ignorant. For everything there is a reason. 

O Jesus, let your eyes pour tears for Me; worship Me devoutly with your heart. O Jesus, in times of hardship I succour those who are in distress and assist the oppressed for I am the Most Merciful.”

 Source:

Al-Kafi, Volume 8, Page 131, Tradition #103

God Almighty's Counsel to Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon him) ... Part II

O Jesus, no creature have I blessed with such a faith nor graced with such clemency.

O Jesus, with water cleanse your outer self and with good deeds cleanse your inner self for you shall return unto Me. O Jesus, with blessings have I inundated you in abundance and without meagreness. I have requested a measure of your soul in return. Should you be miserly with it you shall be of the damned.

O Jesus, adorn yourself with faith and love for the poor. Walk in humility, pray in all parts of the earth thereof for they are all untainted. Rejoice, O Jesus for the time is nigh. Read My book in purity and raise your voice to Me in supplication.

O Jesus, there is no virtue in delights that do not endure nor a mortal life that does not last. O son of Maryam, if your eyes could glimpse what I have prepared for My righteous followers, your heart would melt and your life would expire with longing for it. For there is no place such as the hereafter; an abode where the righteous dwell as neighbors, visited by our closest angels. To this refuge they come, safe from the horrors of The Judgement Day, an unchanging paradise, everlasting for its dwellers.

O son of Maryam, vie for it amongst the competitors for this is the highest and best of aspirations.  Blessed indeed are you, son of Maryam, that you would join your forefathers Adam and Abraham in gardens of delight from which you could desire nothing more.

Hence, join the righteous, O Jesus. Flee with those who flee the fire of roaring flames, a hellfire of shackles and chains, into which no good soul enters, and no despair exists, dark as the darkest night. He who is spared from it is saved; for the damned will not be spared, neither the toughest or most ruthless tyrants nor every coarse ruffian, nor the arrogant and vain.

O Jesus, such is the abode of those who seek it through evil intentions, the abode of transgressors. Be warned O Jesus, be knowledgeable and observant of Me and bear witness that I have created you. You are My servant; I formed you in your image and put you upon the earth. 

O Jesus, two tongues cannot fit into one mouth nor two hearts within one breast. Likewise, O Jesus, the minds of men; they awaken not the disobedient nor do they alert the forgetful. Wean yourself from the lusts of mortal sins; abstain from every desire that distances you from Me. Know that you are My trustworthy herald; be warned and know that your worldly life is your path to Me. I have given you knowledge of Me. Speak of Me with humbleness and humility, and keep vigilance to Me while others sleep.

O Jesus, this is My counsel to you. Heed My guidance: I am the Lord of the worlds, O Jesus. If My servant is patient in My name, his righteous deed is rewarded and I shall heed his prayers. Likewise will I take retribution on those who disobey Me – where shall the transgressors flee from Me?

O Jesus, speak in virtuous words and be always knowing and knowledgeable. O Jesus, be generous with your good deeds that I may observe them; adhere to My counsel for it is a cure for the hearts of men. O Jesus, beware of My cunning; do not forget to utter My name in your solitude. O Jesus reward yourself by returning to Me that you may receive the recompense of the faithful who receive their just rewards, for I am the best of benefactors.

O Jesus, with My word you were created. Maryam gave birth to you at My command, revealed by My trusted herald, the angel Gabriel. Thus you stood upright and walked the earth; all of this known to Me beforehand. O Jesus, Zakariya [Zachariah], your mother’s guardian is like a father to you; he entered her sanctuary to find we had provided sustenance for her. Likewise your counterpart Yahya [John]; I created him and bestowed him upon his mother in her old age that I may demonstrate My power to her and in you demonstrate My supremacy to those who love Me the most, the most obedient and fearful of My wrath.

O Jesus, be vigilant; lose not faith in Me; praise Me with goodly words as others praise Me and make My name hallowed. O Jesus, how can My servants disbelieve in Me when their souls are in My grip? They are ignorant of My blessings and call Me an enemy; thus the disbelievers will perish. O Jesus, the world is but a fetid [rotten] prison; yet you see in it things so becoming that titans will battle each other for them. Beware of the worldly life for all of its delights are not eternal.

O Jesus, yearn for Me in your slumber and you shall find Me; call upon Me with love for I am the best Listener; I respond to the supplicant. O Jesus, fear Me and enjoin My servants to fear Me that the sinners may desist from what they do and be spared damnation. Let your terror of Me be as your terror of the wild beast and death, which you will surely face. I am the creator of all that, so fear none other than Me. O Jesus, dominion is mine. I am The King. Obey Me and you shall enter My paradise in the company of the righteous.

O Jesus, beware My wrath, for My favour and none other will benefit you. Should you win My favour no other’s wrath shall harm you. O Jesus, keep remembrance of Me and of you shall I keep remembrance of you. Keep remembrance of Me throughout the realm and so shall I make remembrance of you in a realm better than the realm of mortals. O Jesus, supplicate Me like the drowning man who has no succour.

O Jesus, do not swear on My name in vain for My throne will shake with anger. This world is short-lived while hope is eternal, and My abode is far better. O Jesus, what shall you do on the day when I reveal to you a book which utters the truth, and you yourselves bear witness to secrets you have concealed and deeds you have committed?

O Jesus, say to the transgressors amongst the children of Israel, “You have washed your faces and defiled your hearts.” Would you dare think to deceive Me? You scent yourselves with fragrance for mortals of this world while behold, your souls are like rotting carrion, as if you were a people long-dead. O Jesus, say to them, “Trim your nails of forbidden gains, stop your ears against the voices of evil and come to me with your hearts for I do not want your empty bodies.”

O Jesus, rejoice at good deeds for they are pleasing to Me and weep for sins for they are odious. Do not unto others what you would not want done unto you. Should one strike you on the right cheek give him your left. Seek closeness to Me with loving deeds and distance yourself from the ignorant.

God Almighty's Counsel to Jesus Son of Mary (Peace be upon him) ... Part I

As Muslims, we must know and very openly acknowledge the significance of Jesus and his closeness to God Almighty.   As a beloved prophet of God, Jesus would receive the commands of God, and convey them to his people.

We, as Muslims, are often quite aware about the communication between God and His beloved prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him and his holy family, however, not many of us may be aware of the communication between God and His other beloved prophet, Jesus. 

In this post, I will present to you, a reliable tradition from our beloved Imams, peace be upon them, which informs us about what God said and commanded to Jesus. 

It is a very long tradition, but it is beautiful and lovely to read.  

I will post this wonderful tradition in multiple posts, instead of one very long post. 

Lastly, since this tradition is quite long, I will only post the English version of it.  I will post its source, so you could find the Arabic texts, if you are interested, and if you would prefer to read its Farsi translation, you would need to leave me your e-mail to which I could send you its Farsi translation.

I hope you enjoy reading this tradition as much as I did, and if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to post a comment. 

It is narrated by Ali Bin Ibrahim from his father from Ali Bin Asbat from them (peace be upon them), regarding God Almighty’s counsel to Jesus (peace be upon him): 

“O Jesus! I am your Lord and the Lord of your forebears. My name is The One; I am the One God, the inimitable, the creator of all. All things are of My creation and to Me all things return. O Jesus, you are The Christ by My command. With My sanction you form living birds from clay. With My decree you raise the dead. Seek My favour and fear My wrath and in Me you shall find no better succour. 

O Jesus I enjoin you, show mercy that you may be worthy of mine, and of the mandate I grant you, My favour and blessings big and small. I bear witness that you are My servant and the son of My people; take Me upon yourself as your sole concern; make My name your iteration; draw near to Me with superlative deeds; trust in Me and you shall not want [anything else]. Trust in none other and verily, I shall reward you.

O Jesus, have forbearance in the face of affliction and accept My will; strive to earn My pleasure in you, and it is My pleasure that I be obeyed and not defied. O Jesus, keep My name alive upon your tongue and love for Me in your heart.

O Jesus, be alert in times of forgetfulness and judge benevolently in My name. O Jesus, Seek My favour and fear My wrath. Fill your heart with fear of Me. O Jesus, keep vigil in the night and seek My favour; thirst in the daytime with your need for Me.

O Jesus put your effort into striving for good that you may be known for your righteousness everywhere you go. O Jesus, judge amongst My servants with My counsel; establish justice in My name. In you I have revealed a cure for the devil’s disease that lurks in the hearts of men.

O Jesus, take not as companions those who are infatuated with life [of this world]. O Jesus, verily I say to you, none in all of creation believes in Me and does not come to revere Me, none can revere Me and not crave My reward; bear witness that the likes of these are safe from My punishment for they have not changed or altered My decrees.

O Jesus, son of the virgin maiden, shed for yourself the tears of one who departs from his kinsmen and the hardships of this world, leaving it to its inhabitants; one who seeks what is with his Lord. O Jesus let this be your way, soft-spoken, an advocate of peace, ever vigilant, should the eyes of the righteous slumber, [so that] you may warn of the appointed time, of violent earthquakes and the horrors of Judgement Day when no kin, offspring or wealth will benefit.

O Jesus, darken your eyes with the shadow of grief, when the idle ones laugh. O Jesus, be steadfast and devout, for yours will be the blessed reward of the steadfast. O Jesus, detach yourself from worldly life; do not relish that from which the flavour has gone. Verily I say, you are but an hour, a day; depart this world in slippers [in comfort], make do [in this world] with coarse robes for everything is written; I see all that you have taken and used.

O Jesus, you are accountable; let your mercy for the weak be as My mercy. Beware of  oppression of orphans. O Jesus, weep for yourself in solitude; direct your footsteps to the times of prayer; delight Me with remembrance of Me, for you shall earn My favour.

O Jesus, how many nations have perished by their sins, sins from which I have made you invulnerable. O Jesus, be lenient with the weak; raise your revered head to the heavens and call upon Me, for I am near. Call not upon Me except in supplication and absolute distress, for when you call on Me thus, I shall heed your prayer.

O Jesus, We would not be content to reward those who came before you nor mete out punishment upon them as revenge. O Jesus, you are mortal and I am eternal. I am the source of your sustenance, I hold the hour of your death; to Me you shall return and by Me you will be judged; call upon Me and no other; pray to Me well and I shall respond.

O Jesus, how numerous are men yet so few are patient. How abundant are the trees yet so few are fragrant. Be not tempted by the beauty of a tree until you have tasted its fruit. O Jesus, be not fooled by those who rebel against Me in defiance, eat of My sustenance and worship other gods than Me; they call to Me in times of distress and I heed their prayers, yet they revert to their previous ways, and of My wrath they shall taste, for I have vowed upon them a punishment from which they shall not be spared nor will they find refuge except in Me. Where shall they flee in My heavens or upon My earth?

O Jesus, inform the transgressors amongst the children of Israel, do not call upon Me when misfortune overwhelms you while idols fill your homes, for I have vowed to respond to their prayers with a curse and they shall be dispersed. O Jesus, long have I extended My leniency and benevolent regard yet in their ignorance they do not desist. Their mouths utter words which their hearts do not comprehend. They incur My wrath for they seek favour with the believers by feigning devoutness to Me.

O Jesus let your word be one in secret and in public, likewise your eyes and your heart. Guard your heart and tongue against what is prohibited; turn your eyes from that in which there is no goodness, for many are those who have gazed at things which planted lust in their hearts and drove them to the ranks of the damned.

O Jesus, be merciful and pray for mercy; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Keep remembrance of death and of parting from your kinfolk. Be not frivolous for frivolity corrupts; be not negligent for he who neglects Me becomes distant from Me. Remember Me with good deeds that I may remember you.

O Jesus, repent to Me when you sin and remember Me to the penitent. Believe in Me and seek closeness to Me amongst the faithful and command them to pray to Me. Heed the supplication of the oppressed for I have pledged to open the doors of heaven to their prayers, and to respond, even if after a time.

O Jesus, know that the wrongdoer’s deeds are contagious; the evil consort corrupts; be wary of whom you consort with and choose for yourself brethren from amongst the believers. O Jesus, repent to Me; there is no sin greater than My forgiveness for I am the Most Merciful. Strive for your salvation first and foremost for no other shall strive for you. Worship Me in anticipation of a day like a thousand years in your reckoning. Verily do I reward good deeds two-fold; vie to do good works for many are the assemblies that have been spared hellfire.

O Jesus, renounce that which is perishable and non-lasting. Step through the ruins of the homes of those who lived before you, and call to them. Do you find one amongst them who replies? Take your moral from this and know that you shall follow them.

O Jesus, say to those who have rebelled against Me in defiance and committed hypocrisy, to expect My punishment and My destruction as those who have been doomed before them.  Blessed are you, O son of Maryam, for you have upheld the ethics of your Lord who has graced you with His mercy and honoured you with His generous blessings. Disobey Him not in times of hardship, O Jesus, for it is not permissible for you to disobey Him. I have made My pledge to you as I have pledged those before you and I bear witness to that.