On the edge of the Roman
Empire there was a small country, Palestine. The Romans had conquered Palestine
in the year 63 BC. In the northern part of this country, in a small hilly town called Nazareth, lived a little girl named Mary. Her father's name was Imran and her mother's name was Hannah. Hannah had made a vow before the birth of the child that she would dedicate her child's life to the service of the Temple. She had hoped and prayed to give birth to a male child because in those days only male children were accepted in the service of the Temple. But when Mary was born instead, Hannah was perplexed and expressed her anguish to God saying, “Oh God! I have given birth to a girl”. Allah
told her that He knew better as to what she had given birth to.
This implied that the girl
was not an ordinary girl, rather God has bestowed on her those qualities which made her a very special and extra-ordinary child, even better than the boy, Hannah was hoping for. Mary was admitted to the service of God in the Jewish Temple as an exceptional case. The Temple was headed by Zachariah, the High Priest, who according to the Holy Qur'an, was also a Prophet of God. Thus according to God's design, Mary was brought up under Zachariah's holy and benign care. It is reported that right from her childhood she spent most of her time in her chamber in the remembrance of God. Whenever Zachariah visited her, he found her with provisions. The gifts were evidently brought by the visitors to the Temple. Moreover God had granted her not only material things but also had given her such wisdom that even at an early age she could interpret the Scriptures and answer complex questions in such a manner which were really beyond her age. This surprised Zachariah and addressing her he said, "O Mary! Whence have you got all this? ' She replied, 'From Allah, of course. Surely, He gives His bounties to whomsoever He pleases without measure'."
This pious reply of Mary
made a deep impression on the mind of Zachariah and he prayed to God Almighty that he may also be blessed with a child as pious as Mary. Though he was very old and his wife was barren meaning that she was unable to bear a child, yet having full trust in Allah's Omnipotence, he prayed to God:
'My bones have become hollow
and the hair of my head have turned white like flames, yet I have never been so doomed as to lose hope in Your Mercy. My wife is barren and I am apprehensive of the behaviour of my relations after my death. Grant me, therefore, an heir who may also inherit the blessings of the House of Jacob and make him one who should be pleasing in your sight'. God replied, 'O Zachariah', We give you glad tidings of a son whose name would be Yahya, a name which We have not given to anyone before'.
Thus Yahya was born
according to Allah's promise and God made him a Prophet to the Israelites. Yahya or John, the Baptist, as he is generally known in the Christian world, also happened to be a forerunner of Jesus, in fulfilment of the prophecy mentioned in the old Testament, which says: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”
The Jews believed that
Prophet Elijah had ascended to heaven bodily and would descend before the advent of the Messiah. The fact was that Elijah was never taken up to heaven bodily and therefore could not have descended from heaven. The Biblical prophecy was fulfilled in the person of John, the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah.
QUESTIONS
- What was the name of
Mary's father?
- What was the name of
Mary's mother?
- Why was Hannah upset at
the birth of Mary?
- Who was the high priest
at the Temple?
- What did Zachariah find
when he used to visit Mary's
chamber? - What was Zachariah's
prayer?
- What was the name of
the son born to him?
- What did Jews believe
about Elijah?
9.Who came as a forerunner of Jesus? Explain your
answer.
