CHAPTER 3 : MOTHER AND SON
MARY HONOURED
The second above mentioned topic - "his birth" - are described in two places - Sura 3 and Sura 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, on page 134 of the translation under reference, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the house of Islam before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:
"BEHOLD! THE ANGELS SAID: "O MARY! GOD HATH CHOSEN THEE AND PURIFIED THEE- CHOSEN THEE ABOVE THE WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS."
HOLY QURAN 3:42
"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honour is not be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continue:
"O MARY! WORSHIP THY LORD DEVOUTLY: PROSTRATE THYSELF, AND BOW DOWN (IN PRAYER) WITH THOSE WHO BOW DOWN."
HOLY QURAN 3:43
DIVINE REVELATION
What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original Arabic, moves men to ecstacy and tears? Verse 44 below explains:
"THIS IS PART OF THE TIDINGS OF THE THINGS UNSEEN, WHICH WE REVEAL UNTO THEE (O APOSTLE!) BY INSPIRATION: THOU WAST NOT WITH THEM WHEN THEY CAST LOTS WITH ARROWS, AS TO WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH THE CARE OF MARY: NOR WAST THOU WITH THEM WHEN THEY DISPUTED (THE POINT)."
HOLY QURAN 3:44
MARY'S BIRTH
The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannan,had hitherto been barren. She poured out her heart to God:If only God will grant her child, she would surely dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple.
ANTI-CLIMAX
God granted her prayer and Mary was born. She was disappointed. She was yearning for a son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary to be big enough to fend for herself.
When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for temple services. Every priest was clamouring to be the god father of this lovely child. They cast lots with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail ? Eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute.
THE SOURCE OF HIS MESSAGE
This was the story. But where did Muhummed (pbuh) get this knowledge from? He was an Ummi (unlettered). He did not know how to read or write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by saying that it was all "by divine inspiration". "No!", says the controversialist. "This is Muhummed's own concoction. He copied his revelations from the Jews and Christians. He plagiarised it. He forged it." Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argument, with the enemies of Muhummed (pbuh) for a moment, that he wrote it We can now expect some cooperation from the unbeliever.
Ask him, "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhummed (pbuh) was an Arab?" Only an opinionated fool will hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short the talk. Close the book!
With the man of reason, we proceed. "That this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people--the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most sublime form - words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus - A JEWESS - was chosen above the women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughter would come before any other women.
Why would the Prophet of Islam honour a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that! belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today.
SARAH AND HAGAR
The Jews get their cock-eyed racism from their Holy Bible, where they are told that their father, Abraham, had two wives - Sarah and Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife; that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a "bond- woman", and that as such, the Arabs are an inferior breed. (In fact, Hager was not a bond-woman but an Egyptian princess)
Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhummed (pbuh) (if he is the author) chose this Jewess for such high honour? The answer is sim ple - HE HAD NO CHOICE - he had no right to speak of his own desire. "IT IS NO LESS THAN AN INSPIRATION SENT DOWN TO HIM." (H.Q.53:4)
SURA MARYAM
There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Sura Maryam "Chapter Mary" (XIX) named in honour of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ (pbuh); again, such an honour is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Jesus or Mary!
If Muhummed (pbuh) was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with MARYAM, the mother of Jesus, his own mother - AMINA, his dear wife - KHADIJA, OR HIS BELOVED daughter-FATIMA. But No!No! this can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!