Maryam and the Birth of Jesus

Before the Holy Injil Sharif was written, there was a period of 400 years in which the People of the Book did not have a prophet to speak to them. Allah’s people felt despair and hopelessness. It was at this dark moment in the history of the world, Allah did something very unusual. He spoke through the angel Jibrial to a young virgin woman named, Maryam.

3:42 And (remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, and made you pure, and has preferred you above the women of the creation.

3:43 O Maryam! “Be obedient to your Lord and bow with those who bow (in worship).

The angel told her that Allah chose her for a special assignment. But first, Maryam was to reaffirm her calling as a true Muslim. She was told to totally submit herself in obedience to Allah.

3:44 This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto you. You were not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Maryam, nor were you present with them when they quarreled thereupon.

The Quran lets us look into the activities that took place in heaven among the angels. It appears that all of the angels wanted to be given the assignment to be the guardian angel in charge over Maryam. To settle this issue, the angels cast lots to see who would be given the assignment.

In no other place in the Quran do we read of this much excitement taking place in heaven. Allah was about to do something very special for all the people of the world; something that has never been done before or since.

3:45 (And remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam! Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name ‘Isa Masih (Jesus Messiah), the son of Maryam, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to Allâh.”

Ayat 45 is the announcement to Maryam that she had been chosen to give birth to the prophet Isa. Muslims around the world have two names for Isa. We call him “Isa Kalimatullah” (Word of Allah) and “’Isa Ruhullah” (Spirit of Allah). Why do we call Isa by these two names?

The answers are in Sura Al-Imran 3:45 and Sura Ambiyaa 21:91. Allah said that He would put his Word into Maryam. What or who is Allah’s “Word?” To better understand this, read Sura Ambiyaa 21:91

“…and she (Maryam) guarded her chastity, therefore We breathed into her of our Spirit and made her and her son a sign for all people.”

Why do we refer to ‘Isa as “Isa Kalimatullah” and “Isa Ruhullah?”

The Quran makes it clear: ‘Isa is the Word (Kalim) and Spirit (Ruh) of Allah. No other person or prophet carries these titles. Allah’s “Word” and “Spirit” that was placed inside Maryam became flesh in the form of a baby. He told Maryam to name the baby ‘Isa Masih. Masih means “the anointed or promised one.” 758 years before the birth of ‘Isa, the prophet Isaiah wrote,

Isaiah 7:14 “…a virgin will conceive and his name will be called, ‘Immanuel’”

“Immanuel” is a word meaning “Allah with us.”

Isa would be honored by all people in this world and forever in heaven and he would be one of those nearest to Allah Himself. The Quran paints a picture of ‘Isa for us. He is Allah’s Kalim, Ruh, promised anointed one, and “a sign for (all) the nations” (Ambiyaa 21:91).

When we want to go somewhere that we have never gone before, we look for a sign to guide us. Where will we go if we follow ‘Isa?