الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله تعالى من شرور أنفسنا، وسيئات أعمالنا، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله ، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه  ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين

Because this talk may be listened to by non-Muslims, I am going to use the English names instead of the Arabic names.  As example Jesus for Isa, Mary for Mariam, Zakariya for Zachariah.  However, I’ll be using Allah, the personal name of God, the Creator of the universe.   When I say the prophet without a name, I am referring to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). 

In the previous talk that I gave on November 8^th, I discussed the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ (Prophet Isa, PBUH).  In today’s talk, I plan inshallah to discuss his birth.  The reason is that the account of Jesus birth in the Quran is more comprehensive and fascinating than what you will ever find in the Bible or any other Christian books. The story of Jesus in the Quran did not start with his birth, but it started with the birth of his mother Mary (Mariam)

Any reader of the Quran will be surprised to note that the first Chapter (Surat) named using a person name is not named using Prophet Mohammad’s name (PBUH) or even names of other well-known prophets such as Noah and Ibrahim.  Instead it was named after Mary’s father, Imran. The title of the 3^rd Chapter in the Quran is Al-Imran (The family of Imran).  The chapter entitled Ibrahim is number 13 and Mary is number 19 while the chapter entitled Mohammad came later, it is chapter 47. The chapter named Noah is number 71. This directly raises the question who is Imran who was so important that Allah honored by using his name as the title of one of the earliest chapters in the Quran.

Honoring Imran was not only by naming an early chapter after him, but it is also by Allah giving special preference to his family above all creations as Allah said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى العَالَمِينَ (آل عمران)

“Verily, Allah chose Adam, Nuh (Noah), the family of Ibrahim, and the family of Imran over all the worlds.” (Al-Imran 3:33) 

When you study the Quran and the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), you will not find anything special about Imran except that he was the father of Mary (Mariam).  This can lead us to the conclusion that his honor was not because of what he did but because he has a daughter.   The special mention of Imran in the Quran should break the mindset of men who need to have sons to carry their name and honor them.   Here, Allah breaks this mindset by saying that one of the people whom I most honored was honored because of his daughter.

The story of Jesus in the Quran started by his grandmother, the wife of Imran, who made a supplication that Allah reported to us as follows:

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ عِمْرَانَ رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيمُ *

“(Recall) when the wife of Imran said: “O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services. So, accept this, from me. Indeed, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.” (Al-Imran 3:35)

The Quran informs us of her disappointment when she delivered a girl instead of what she wished for, a boy to be dedicated for God’s service in the temple. Allah says: 

فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالأُنثَى وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ } ( آل عمران).

“And when she delivered her.  she said: O My Lord, I have delivered a female child – Allah knew best of what she had delivered – and the male is not as the female; and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek Your refuge for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast.” (Al-Imran 3: 36)

The Quran continues to provide more details about Mary upbringing by giving account of her acceptance in the temple and placing her under the guardianship of Prophet Zakariya.  As Mary was growing up, the angels used to visit her in her sanctuary and bring her food.   When Prophet Zakariya noted the food that she has and she told him that the angels bring it to her, he realized that Allah can provide help from sources that one would not even expect. 

This motivated him to supplicate to Allah to grant him a son, though he and his wife were old and based on all accounts she can no longer become pregnant. But Allah accepted his supplication and sent the angels to inform him of the good news that his wife will become pregnant and she will deliver for him a son whose name will be Yahya (John) and described him as master, commander and a prophet. Although he was the one who asked but he still was surprised of the possibility. But the angels assured him that this will happen because Allah can do anything He wants.    These details are provided in the following 4 verses (Al-Imran 3:37-40):

From these revelations, we realize that at that time, the righteous people used to communicate with the angels and this would not make them surprised or scared.    Also, at that time, Allah provided a clear example of His abilities by allowing a couple who passed the child bearing age to have a child and this is to convince people who are materialistic in nature to accept the creational power of Allah.  All these events were introductory to the virgin birth of Jesus to minimize the shock that would obviously occur to both Mary and her community.

The angels were on regular contacts with Mary as she was growing up. Therefore,  them speaking to her was not something strange or scary.   On many occasions, they have informed her that she is a special person; Allah says:

وَإِذۡ قَالَتِ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةُ يَـٰمَرۡيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَٮٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصۡطَفَٮٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٤٢) يَـٰمَرۡيَمُ ٱقۡنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَٱسۡجُدِى وَٱرۡكَعِى مَعَ ٱلرَّٲكِعِينَ (٤٣)

“And when the angels said: O Mary! Allah chose you and purified you, and chose you above the women of all the worlds. (42) O Mary! Be obedient to your Lord, prostrate yourself and bow with those who bow (in worship).” (Al-Imran 3:42-43)

One day, the angels broke strange news to Mary that she will have a child and informed her of his name and the mission that Allah has assigned to him and even told her of the miracles that he will perform.   Obviously, she was shocked and even doubtful about what they are saying because she is not married and no man has ever touched her.  But they told her that this is Allah’s decree and whatever Allah decrees will happen.   This account as reported to us in the Quran went as follows (Al-Imran 3:45-49):

 Because the news was odd, it is likely that Mary did not take them seriously.   Therefore, even though she was foretold, when the holy spirit, the archangel Jibril came to tell her it is now the time that she will have a child, she was shocked and questioned him how can she has a child and no man ever touched her.   He told her what the angels have already told her that this is Allah’s decree.   Allah reports to us this exchange (Maryam 19:16-21) as follows: 

A confusion may be raised by the necessity of having an angel to come to Mary to give her a son.  This should not be surprising because every human being requires an angel to come to his mother to place the spirit (Ruh) in the fetus.  In a famous hadeath, Abdullah ibn Masud said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم -وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ-: “إنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا نُطْفَةً، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ إلَيْهِ الْمَلَكُ فَيَنْفُخُ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ، وَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ: بِكَتْبِ رِزْقِهِ، وَأَجَلِهِ، وَعَمَلِهِ، وَشَقِيٍّ أَمْ سَعِيدٍ؛ [رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ، وَمُسْلِمٌ]

Verily each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a drop of fluid (nutfah), then it is a clinging object (Alaqa) for a similar period. Thereafter, it is like a chewed lump (Mudgha) for a similar period. The angel is then sent (by Allah) to it (the fetus) and he breathes into it the spirit (Ruh). He is also commanded (by Allah) to issue four decrees: his sustenance, his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be unhappy or happy. [Bukhari & Muslim]

This hadeath is the one used by Muslim Jurists in many legal rulings regarding a situation when a fetus is aborted. 

Apparently during the time of pregnancy, Mary did not suffer the normal sickness and her clothing would not allow anyone to notice.   So, When the time of delivery came, she went to a remote place and took shelter by a palm tree.  Even though she was prepared for this event and she knew that it is Allah’s decree, she still wished that she would have been dead.   Allah reports to us this event and told us also how she will face her people with the child (Maryam 19:22-27). 

After she gained her strength by eating the dates and drinking from the water stream that was made for her, she started walking to towards her people.  One can imagine the agony she was feeling regarding how will she face them.  Allah informs us of what happened when she arrived:   

فَأَتَتۡ بِهِۦ قَوۡمَهَا تَحۡمِلُهُ ۥ‌ۖ قَالُواْ يَـٰمَرۡيَمُ لَقَدۡ جِئۡتِ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا فَرِيًّ۬ا (٢٧)

When she returned to her people carrying him (the baby). They said, “O Mary you have committed something grave indeed. (Maryam 19:27)

All she did is to follow the advice that was given to her not to speak.  Allah informs us how she responded and of the people’s reaction:

فَأَشَارَتۡ إِلَيۡهِ‌ۖ قَالُواْ كَيۡفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلۡمَهۡدِ صَبِيًّ۬ا (٢٩)

So, she pointed towards him (the baby). They said, “How can we speak to someone who is still a child in the cradle?” (Maryam 19:29)

Now comes her vindication that stunned her people and overwhelmed them that they no longer accused her but they were in awe of her and her child.  Allah tells us what happened: 

 قَالَ إِنِّى عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَٮٰنِىَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّ۬ا (٣٠) وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيۡنَ مَا ڪُنتُ وَأَوۡصَـٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّڪَوٰةِ مَا دُمۡتُ حَيًّ۬ا (٣١) وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٲلِدَتِى وَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡنِى جَبَّارً۬ا شَقِيًّ۬ا (٣٢) وَٱلسَّلَـٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوۡمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوۡمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ أُبۡعَثُ حَيًّ۬ا (٣٣)

“He (baby Jesus) spoke and said: “I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the scripture and appointed me a prophet, (30) And He has made me blessed wherever I be, and has enjoined upon me prayers and charity as long as I remain alive, (31) And (He has made me) kind to my mother, and He did not make me arrogant or ill-fated. (32) Peace is on me the day I was born, the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised alive again.” (Maryam 19:29-33)

Allah ends this account by settling any dispute regarding Jesus by saying:

ذَٲلِكَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ‌ۚ قَوۡلَ ٱلۡحَقِّ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ يَمۡتَرُونَ (٣٤) مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ۬‌ۖ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمۡرً۬ا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ ۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ (٣٥)

“That is Jesus, son of Mary. (it is) a statement of truth, about which they are disputing (34) It is not befitting for Allah to have a son. Exalted is He. when He decrees a thing, He only says to it, “Be” and it becomes.” (Maryam 19:34-35)

This unique birth of Jesus created confusion because people ignored the fact that Allah is the One who established the rule that a child is normally conceived thru a union of a man and a woman.  People failed to realize that Allah who created the rule, can change the rule to demonstrate His ultimate power to make people believers.  It is perplexing that the same people who are confused about the virgin birth of Jesus and consider him as god or son of god, believe that Allah created Adam from neither a man nor woman, and created Eve (Hawa) from a man without a woman.  So, what creation is more miraculous, a creation of a person from no man and no women and a creation of a person from a man and no woman or the creation of a person form a woman and no man.   Obviously, the creation of a person from a woman and no man is the easiest and  less miraculous.  

It is even more perplexing that even today people consider the unique of Jesus birth without a father justify unique relationship with God to even claim that he is god, when it has been shown that the reproduction by females without the need for males in nature is more common than we think.  The females of several large and complex animals, such as lizards and sharks, can reproduce without males, a process called parthenogenesis.

In addition, the advancement of the cloning technology by mankind should not make the birth of Jesus without a father as complicated when we consider that it was Allah, the creator and controller of the universe, who made this happens.  

Keep in mind that Dolly the cloned sheep was produced form one cell from breast tissues of a female sheep with no male involvement in the process.   The breast cell was not combined with a male cell/sperm in order to clone Dolly.  If humans can do this, why does anyone consider it is strange that God can do it and justify attributing this creation as being God’s son.  Should we consider Dolly as the begotten daughter of the British developmental biologist Ian Wilmut who created it!   

The uniqueness of Jesus creation at that time was intended to be a sign for the Jews to break their materialistic nature and move them towards spirituality and true belief in the infinite power and authority of God. 

The Quran reveals to us an additional information to diffuse any wonder about the birth of Jesus by telling us that Allah can easily do something far more challenging to us and thus refute any thought regarding whether Jesus is god or son of god due to his unique birth. 

When the people of Quraysh heard the revelations about Jesus, they were amused and Allah informed us on their position by saying:

وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوۡمُكَ مِنۡهُ يَصِدُّونَ (٥٧)

“And when the son of Mary was quoted as an example, your people laugh out,” (Al-Zukhruf 43:57)

But Allah responded to them with a very amazing response by saying:

إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبۡدٌ أَنۡعَمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ وَجَعَلۡنَـٰهُ مَثَلاً۬ لِّبَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ (٥٩) وَلَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلۡنَا مِنكُم مَّلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةً۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَخۡلُفُونَ (٦٠)

“He (Jesus) is nothing but a slave on whom We favored, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. (59) And had We willed We could have made of you angels to succeed each other (i.e. to have children).” (Al-Zukhruf 43:59-60)

The amazing part is that Allah is saying, you are so amazed that Jesus was produced from a mother and no father, this is nothing relative to my ability to make of you angels who roam the earth and even reproduce.    Can Allah transform anyone of us to be an angel whom we know is created from light as the Prophet (PBUH) informed us,

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ “‏خلقت الملائكة من نور، وخلق الجان من مارج من نار، وخلق آدم مما وصف لكم‏”‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.

“Angels were created from light, jinns were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and ‘Adam was created from that which you have been told (i.e. in the Qur’an).” [Muslim].

Our physical body is formed of matter while the angels are formed of light which is energy.  So, for Allah to change us to angels, the matter needs to convert into energy.     Obviously, this conversion from matter to energy would have been unconceivable to the people of Quraysh or anyone else over 1400 years ago.  

But now we know that this is possible based on Einstein formula E=mc², where c is the speed of light.  This shows that mass (m) and energy (E) are intimately related. This formula was the basis for developing the atom bombs and nuclear reactors by turning matter into energy.

So, Allah is practically saying: if you consider the virgin birth of Jesus is so amazing that some of you want to consider him as my begotten son or as god with Me, what would you say if I convert one of you into an angel by transforming your physical body from matter into energy.   This is a fascinating concept because it makes us think about how much energy any of us can be converted to.  This calculation is simple:

The speed of light is 300,000 km/sec (186,000 miles/sec), so

1 kg of mass can produce energy equal to 9 x10¹⁶ joules

Let us relate this number to something that makes a little bit more sense

United States energy production capacity is 1.1 million MW which is 3.5×10¹⁹ Joules/year

This means that if Allah converts 5 of us with each 170 lb into energy, we will suffice the US for a whole year.

Let us look at what will the size of a person that is needed to satisfy Pakistan energy needs for a year.    This will just a boy whose weight is only 30 lb. 

Do you now have a feel for how energy Allah is storing is each one of us?   All Allah needs is to say to anyone of us: Be energy and he becomes energy like the angels.

If relating the energy that Allah has stored in you to the energy consumption does not impress you, let us consider conversions to something else.   If your weight is 170 lb, you can be converted to energy equivalent to the energy in 110,000 Hiroshima size atomic bombs.   

Now, you realize how a much energy Allah has in any of us, so it is so easy for Allah to transform us to angels.  This should illustrate Allah’s infinite power and should make us realize why Allah considers us so important to subjugate the whole universe to our service. 

The problem is that many people have no appreciation of Allah’s power and thus attribute to Him partners even though He presented a very logical argument to refute any claim of equivalence, human or otherwise, He said:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ لَهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخۡلُقُواْ ذُبَابً۬ا وَلَوِ ٱجۡتَمَعُواْ لَهُ ۥ‌ۖ وَإِن يَسۡلُبۡہُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا لَّا يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ مِنۡهُ‌ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلۡمَطۡلُوبُ (٧٣) مَا قَدَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهِۦۤ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ (٧٤)

“O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): All those on whom you call besides Allah can never create (even) a fly, even though they all join together for that. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought. (73) They have not given Allah His Rightful Estimate; Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.” (Al-Hajj 22:73-74)

It is interesting that Allah selected the fly specifically because as biologists now know, the fly is the only animal that breaks the food outside the body using enzymes before taking it. So, you will never recover from the fly what it took because it is already changed. 

Unfortunately, we still see people who do not appreciate who is Allah by believing that a man whom Allah produced in a special way that is not even as challenging as what Allah has previously produced is considered as god.   Allah informs those people to rethink their beliefs and realize whom they are considering when they relate others to Him.  Allah says to those people:

وَمَا قَدَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهِۦ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ جَمِيعً۬ا قَبۡضَتُهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ وَٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتُ مَطۡوِيَّـٰتُۢ بِيَمِينِهِۦ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ وَتَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ (الزُّمَر)

“They have not given Allah His Rightful Estimate. The whole of the earth is in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be folded in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate with Him! (Al-Zumur 39: 67).

Attempting to create an image of Allah is a grave sin and a futile exercise because there will nothing anyone can imagine be like Him.  Allah made this point very clear:

فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا‌ۖ يَذۡرَؤُكُمۡ فِيهِ‌ۚ لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَىۡءٌ۬‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ (١١)

“He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs from the cattle whereby He multiplies you. Nothing is like Him. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (Al-Shura 42:11)

قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (١) ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ (٢) لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ (٣) وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (٤)

“Say: He is Allah, the One (1) Allah is Besought of all, needing none. (2) He neither begets anyone nor was He begotten/ (3) And there is none comparable unto Him.” (Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

We pray to Allah to grant us the wisdom to recognize the power of Allah and to demonstrate His due honor and Esteem thru all our actions.  

DUA