From the series: When the Solution Is the Impossible
Prof Dr. Faid Mohammed Said
1. The Beginning of the Story: The Purity Chosen by God
The story of Mary (peace be upon her) is not the story of an ordinary woman.
It is, rather, the story of a double divine election:
“Indeed, Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of all worlds.” (Qur’an 3:42)
An election to purity,
an election to mission,
and an election to a trial that elevates the human soul beyond ordinary human capacity.
Mary was a young woman living in a sanctuary of worship—
her heart pure,
her soul bound to God,
to the extent that provision would come to her without apparent cause:
“It is from Allah.” (Qur’an 3:37)
This was but a prelude to a greater miracle:
the One who provides sustenance without means today
is the same One who will grant a child without means tomorrow.
2. The Moment of the Call: “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you glad tidings”
Gabriel came to her in the form of a human being and entered her sanctuary.
Startled, she cried:
“Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you.” (Qur’an 19:18)
She neither expected a visitor
nor imagined a glad tiding.
Gabriel replied:
“I am only a messenger of your Lord.” (Qur’an 19:19)
Then came the words that would shake the course of history:
“That I may grant you a pure son.” (Qur’an 19:19)
A son?
How could that be?
Mary knew herself well:
“How can I have a son when no man has touched me?” (Qur’an 19:20)
Here lay the unquestionable impossibility:
no husband,
no marriage,
no relationship,
no precedent.
Yet Gabriel had not come to explain—
he had come to proclaim:
“Thus said your Lord: it is easy for Me.” (Qur’an 19:21)
What is impossible in human terms
is effortless for God.
3. The Miracle: “So We breathed into her of Our Spirit”
No pregnancy through human means,
no relationship,
no biological preliminaries.
Only:
“So We breathed into her of Our Spirit.” (Qur’an 21:91)
The spirit was the beginning,
and divine will was the first thread weaving the life of a prophet.
It was the birth of life from the unseen—
not merely from the body,
but from the command of God:
“When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Qur’an 2:117)
Thus began Jesus (peace be upon him):
a Word from God
and a Spirit from Him.
4. Pain: The Onset of Labor… and the Beginning of Mercy
Mary withdrew from her sanctuary to a distant place—
far from fear,
far from people,
far from accusation.
Then labor pains came upon her—alone.
No mother, no sister, no midwife, no companion.
Pain and fear spoke together, and she uttered words that pierce the heart:
“Oh, I wish I had died before this and been forgotten, utterly forgotten.” (Qur’an 19:23)
She did not wish for death out of ingratitude,
but from the crushing weight of the ordeal:
What would people say?
How would they judge her?
How could she explain the impossible to hearts that do not believe in the unseen?
But divine mercy preceded pain, and the voice came:
“Do not grieve.” (Qur’an 19:24)
Just as God had said to the mother of Moses:
“Do not fear, nor grieve.”
As though God were saying:
O Mary, when the matter is yours, there is pain;
but when the matter is Mine, there is serenity.
5. The Withered Trunk… and the Divine Outpouring
Amid labor and solitude,
God commanded her:
“Shake toward yourself the trunk of the palm tree.” (Qur’an 19:25)
Astonishing indeed—
a woman in labor,
exhausted,
physically broken,
asked to shake the trunk of a palm tree.
Yet the Qur’an teaches us:
exert effort—even if symbolic—
and provision will descend from the heavens.
Fresh ripe dates fell upon her.
A miracle in a barren place,
a miracle at the moment of need,
a miracle preceding accusation.
6. Silence: The Most Astonishing Form of Defense
After childbirth comes the most surprising command:
“Say: I have vowed to the Most Merciful a fast, so I will not speak today to any human being.” (Qur’an 19:26)
That is:
if people accuse you—do not respond.
Leave speech to the newborn.
How could a newborn defend his mother?
Yet this was the impossible solution.
From the heart of accusation came the shock:
“Indeed, I am the servant of Allah.” (Qur’an 19:30)
A child speaks.
A message is proclaimed.
A truth is uttered that adults could never articulate.
Accusation turned into miracle,
weakness into strength,
silence into eloquence.
7. Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him): A Miracle That Begins Before the Cradle
The very first words of Jesus (peace be upon him) redefine the limits of possibility:
“He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.” (Qur’an 19:30)
He vindicates his mother,
declares his identity,
and affirms that a child born without a father is not the product of sin,
but a sign of God.
Then comes his profound declaration:
“And dutiful to my mother.” (Qur’an 19:32)
As though the first proclamation after prophethood
is the exalted status of the mother—
Mary, who bore accusation, silence, fear, and solitude.
He does not merely absolve her;
he honors her publicly,
as if God were declaring to the entire world:
This woman is not condemned—she is honored.
Not guilty—she is chosen.
Her pregnancy is not a doubt—but a miracle.
He concludes his first address:
“And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive.” (Qur’an 19:33)
A peace that begins with birth,
extends through death,
and culminates in resurrection—
a peace not granted by society,
but sent from heaven to the heart of a mother who stood alone,
only to have her story become light among humanity.
8. Why Did God Choose This Extraordinary Path?
One may ask:
Why did God not grant Mary a husband?
Why did He not allow her to defend herself verbally?
Why was the most painful path the only path?
The answer lies in a divine law:
a miracle is only a miracle when it comes from where minds do not expect.
God willed Mary’s vindication to be divine, not human.
Had she spoken, they would have said it was self-defense.
Had a man defended her, they would have said it was collusion.
Had witnesses appeared, they would have cried falsehood.
So God made the witness a child in the cradle—
one who knows no lies,
masters no deception,
and learns no rhetoric.
The greatest testimony
is the testimony of untainted truth.
And the greatest defense
is the defense of heaven.
9. Mary: Between Human Fragility and Divine Power
Mary’s story is a lesson for the modern human being,
living amid pressure, accusation, judgment, and words that can suffocate the soul.
Mary teaches us:
• That weakness is not the end of the road, but its beginning.
• That solitude is not abandonment, but connection with God.
• That pain is not punishment, but preparation for relief.
• That the greatest acts of giving follow the greatest moments of brokenness.
• That silence may at times speak louder than all words.
When Mary said:
“I wish I had died before this.”
She was not rejecting God’s decree,
but acknowledging human frailty before an unbearable trial.
Yet God—who entrusted her—also took care of her.
He did not leave her alone before people,
nor alone in tears,
nor alone in pain.
Provision descended from the sky,
water flowed beneath her feet,
speech came from her child,
and defense came from God.
10. The Deeper Meaning: When God Writes a Miracle Through a Woman
Mary’s story is not a passing event.
It is a Qur’anic declaration that a woman may carry within her the miracle of an entire nation.
Not because she was the mother of Jesus,
but because she embodied purity, patience, trust, and steadfastness.
Through Mary, God made:
• the beginning of a prophet,
• a sign for all worlds,
• a model of pure faith,
• and a story recited in the Qur’an until the Day of Judgment.
To proclaim to humanity:
God elevates whom He wills—
not by lineage,
nor tribe,
nor power,
nor wealth,
but by purity, closeness, and supplication.
11. What Does Mary Say to Humanity Today?
To the heart overwhelmed:
Be patient—God sees.
To the soul that fears:
Do not fear—God is with you.
To the one wronged by people:
Leave your defense to God—He knows what hearts conceal.
To the one burdened beyond capacity:
The miracle begins where your strength ends.
To the one who has lost every supporter:
Whoever has God has lost nothing.
To the one who sees only darkness ahead:
From the womb of the desert, light was born.
12. Conclusion: Mary—A Voice That Came from Heaven
When we revisit the story of Mary, we see that it is not merely a story of pregnancy, defense, or pain.
It is a story of certainty:
• The certainty of a woman chosen by God.
• The certainty of a mother carrying a miracle without a husband.
• The certainty of silence vindicated by the speech of a child.
• The certainty that God never abandons His servant, even if the world gathers against them.
• The certainty that the impossible ceases to exist when heaven intervenes.
Thus the title becomes:
When Accusation Turns into Vindication,
Weakness into Miracle,
and Solitude into Divine Care.
And thus the story of Mary is completed within the series:
When the Solution Is the Impossible.
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