The Paradigmatic Women from the Point of View of Quran
If human beings became free he can become a sample for the other human beings. If that person is a man he is a sample for all people not just for men and if that person is a woman she is a sample for all people not just for women. This issue has been made crystal clear by the holy Quran and accounts for four sample women (two good samples and two bad samples).
If human beings became free he can become a sample for the other human beings. If that person is a man he is a sample for all people not just for men and if that person is a woman she is a sample for all people not just for women. This issue has been made crystal clear by the holy Quran and accounts for four sample women (two good samples and two bad samples). A woman, either good or bad, is not a sample of other women, she is an exemplary woman. There is a difference between these two issues: if a woman is good, is she the sample of women or an exemplary woman? This is also true about men: if a man is good, is he the sample of men or an exemplary man? The holy Quran says: that man who is good is the sample of good men and not for all men and that a woman who is good is the sample of good women and not for all women rather she is an exemplary woman. A bad woman is not also the symbol of bad women rather she is the symbol of bad people. The wives of Lut and Noah are two examples of bad woman whom Quran refers to as that. God has mentioned two bad women for the disbelievers; each of these two women were engaged to two of the faithful men of God who were great servants of God; they were disloyal to them and their husbands could not do anything towards them due to their fear of God; they were told to enter the hell with those who were destined to go to the hell. God says here that these are examples of disbeliever people and not examples of bad women. Therefore it would become clear that disbelieving men does not indicate that they are men rather they are used to indicate disbelieving and bad people. Disloyalty here means disloyalty in creed, beliefs and culture. Therefore His purity God says: Do not betray God and his Prophet and do not betray those things that you are invested with. Betraying prophet is equal to mistreating his religion. It is here that He says: The wife of Lut and the wife of Noah betrayed their husbands (Abraham was one of the great five prophets and Noah was given the mission to continue Abraham’s mission). These wives did not accept the religion of their husbands and these are the examples of disbelievers and unfaithful people. Therefore it would become clear that in the conversational archetypes we mean people in general when we are saying men. And still in this ayah He has used a pronoun that is used for both two women and two men and thereby He is using to indicate that He meant all people who are disbelievers and not men or women who are destined to go to the hell.
The holy Quran has also accounted for two great women as well; the wife of Pharaoh is one of these good women. . . . . . She is a great woman whom God names as the paradigm of good human being; thus He says about them: God brought the wife of Pharaoh as an example for the believers and thus He says: Lo God ! Please build me a house in the paradise beside yourself and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds; Lo God ! Save me from the oppressions of the oppressors. The interpretation of this Ayah is not that: the wife of Pharaoh is an example of good women rather He says in His holy Quran that: a good woman is the sign and symbol of a good Islamic society and the society has to set this woman as an example to be followed not just to be instructed by. God does say in this Ayah that an example for good women is Pharaoh’s wife. The wife of Pharaoh has lived in house in which the landlord has claimed to be the great god of mankind and thought that there was no god over his people except himself; he was thinking of himself as the sole god of the world. God says in His holy Quran that: thank God with so great many a prayer for He is the only God of the world. Therefore there can not be two women who might think of themselves as the sole owner of the world. Pharaoh was also claiming this and he was thinking that he was also sublime. He was not only thinking of himself to be the only god of the world rather he was asking his people to pray him alone. He did not speak about the other tribes. He was saying that not only he was the god rather people had to pray him and him alone. Instead of Saying “There is no god except for God”? he was used to saying “there is no god except for me”?. It was at such a house that a woman grew up and became a paradigm for the religious people. The holy Quran accounts for her grandeur and considers his prayers as the most important characteristic of hers. There are six important points in her prayers: The reason why she has been named as an example of a good human beings is because she asks God to provide her with a house in His side. This woman asks to be settled beside God and that the heavens be bestowed upon her. The others ask for paradise under which beautiful rivers are running.
Paradises under which beautiful rivers are running are asked by others. But this woman first asks God and then a house in His beside. She does not say that “God give me a house in the paradise”? and she does not say give me a house in the paradise beside you; She says give me house near yourself in the paradise. She first asks to be settled near God and then a house in His beside. . . . . . . . In other words she asks for the neighbor then for her house. . . . . . This lady also says “first God, then paradise”?. Of course a paradise which is near to God. And this is radically different from a paradise which has running rivers under it. In this six – fold prayers are there two important prayers which are recorded in order; one is being able to be settled near God and the other is paradise. In other words one is achieving the paradise of God and the other is that paradise which has running rivers under it. There are also four other prayers which are to save her from 1. Save me from Pharaoh 2 . Save me from Pharaoh’s deeds. 3. Save me from the oppressing dynasty and group. 4 . Save me from the oppressing dynasty and group’s works. This last one prayer is hidden and is only to be deciphered. Where she asks God to save her from Pharaoh and his deeds she does not want God to save her from the tortures of Pharaoh. Rather it is possible for a person to say God save me from the hands of the oppressors but when he himself comes to power he will also become an oppressor. But this great woman says: Not only save me from Pharaoh but also from his tortures and oppressions so that not be anointed with the unfaithfulness of Pharaoh. She also asks God not to allow her think of herself as a person to be worshipped thus she asks God “to save her from Pharaoh and his deeds”?. Then she says save me from the oppressing groups because it is possible for someone who might escape from Pharaoh but he / she might be caught in the trap of the Pharaoh’s allies or other oppressors. Therefore she asks her fifth demand “save me from the oppressing dynasty or group”? and their “deeds”?. This last part is omitted buy it is understandable from what has come before. These omissions are possible. Thus such a great woman who understands to such a great extent and has requested God first coming close to Him and then she asked Him to save her, she understood the personal and social issues, is such an exemplary woman the only good woman? Or is she, in the words of holy Quran, is the example of the people in society? The great position of her holiness Mary is the fourth example that Quran has accounted to for. After introducing the wife of Pharaoh as a paradigm for the faithful people, God says in the following Ayah on the great position of Mary that : “ Mary the daughter of Imran kept herself pure and I have blew her with my spirit; she approved of the words of God and His books and she was of the good prayers. Since the grandeur of Mary was more than that of the wife of Pharaoh, thus God does not mention them together rather He brought them in two different Ayahs; in contrast to that two disbelievers who were brought together. Her holiness Mary due to her benevolence, purity and goodness and as a consequence of that absent spirit she came to a position that was not equaled by anybody. Of these four cases mentioned in the Sura of Tahrim one can understands that an exemplary man is not the sample of all men and an exemplary woman is not the sample of all women. It is possible that a good farmer is an example of all farmers, a good craftsman is an example of all craftsmen or a good calligrapher is an example of all calligraphers but a great human being is the sample for all human beings and it is not specifically confined to men or women. Therefore we should not forget about the role of Mary’s mother in assessing and evaluating the position of that great lady. Although in rearing her holiness Mary (S. A.) his holiness Zakariya was also influential but this was in the later stages and not in her coming into being; it was her mother that gave birth to her; she had the capability to give birth to the mother of a prophet and it was she who has gave birth to a son to be slaughtered for the love of God. And it was God who has accepted her offer for God knew that if He gives her some mercy, she would be able to know the value of such a grand present. God has given mercy on many men and knew that they would not be bale to understand its value and would finally become shameful. He gave them such mercy just in order to finalize His mercy and show them to themselves; thus He did not give them mission. Because if anyone who is deviated in his works finds a mission and a position, such a person will damage the religion. God gave BALEM BAOO mercy but not position and mission; God gave Sameri mercy but not position and mission . . . . . Sameri was not a little or worthless man for he was able to see the angels with his tuition and insight and He had said: I saw things that the other observers could not see. Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity to follow the paths of Moses and Haroon and be a disciple for them he propagated worshipping goats. BALEM BAOO was also a person who some believe that God has said about him: that he went away from that person who taught him the interpretations of the ayahs. We have clad him in good and honorable clothes but he came out of his skin. These are examples that have come in the holy Quran to show that God knows to whom He should give position; therefore he gives these people mercy in order to become clear that some people intentionally change mercy to deviation. This is because God himself is aware of the outward and inward sides of the people. God will never invest anyone with official position while they have bad intentions. God knows to whom He gives mission. He is not like human beings who give a mission to a person and then it turns out that he / she was not the right guy and then the giver confesses: I could not see the inner nature of that person. God does not give his caliphates, missions and prophetic mission as well as Imamate and leadership to people who have deviated natures for he knows the nature of everybody very clearly. But He would give such higher positions to people whom He knows and understands that they are loyal to their oaths. He accepts them and Mary was one of these people. Although she was no more than a child when she was born but it was clear that if God gives such a mercy to her, she will keep her promise and is stable to do so. Therefore in the beginning of her life, she had a mother such as the wife of Imran, who had taken care of her and then when she wants to keep her promise she gives to the temple and it si thereafter that God sets Zakariya as her patron. It was by the permission / at the order of God that Zakariya became her patron. It was not a lottery in which Zakariya turned out to be the winner. Therefore God says they held a lottery because there were many people who were interested in taking care of the child: . . . . . . . “ . . . . and you were not there when they were arguing about this”?. They have agreed to take part in a lottery but the winner came out to be Zakariya. You were not there when they were participating in the lottery in order to determine who should take care of Mary. God says: we have arranged so that we become the winner and trust Zakariya with the mission of taking care of Mary. And it is from here that Zakariya is given the responsibility of rearing Mary. But it is her mother who had taken the responsibility of the child from the very beginning of the formation of the child in the abdomen. The formation of the child and her departure from the abdomen to the world has been under the aegis her dear mother. Viewing the position of her holiness Mary from the point of view of the interpreters is of great importance. It is also important to note the sayings of the holy Quran in rearing her holiness Mary: whenever his holiness Zakariya ( S. A. ) was coming to see her there was always something on her table to eat or drink. “Whenever he came to see her there he used to find something to eat or drink.”? He used to say Lo ! Mary: where have you got all these foods? And she used to say: these have been sent by God and God feeds whoever He wishes. The angels were talking to her and they also heard what Mary used to say to them. They used to combine speech and observations with evidences and they were observing Mary and Mary also used to see them. These are higher and great speeches that Quran has about Mary. The holy Quran also speaks about Mary’s great and high position: “And when the angels said: Lo! Mary, God has chosen you and cleansed you; He has chosen you superior to the women of the world. Lo! Mary! Pray God and join those who pray God in their praying; this means that many angels have talked to Mary; they have informed her of her high position near God; they have told her that she was considered as the greatest lady of the world; therefore always remember God and never forget about praying Him; join the prayers. He was also informed of the birth of Jesus Christ: And when all the angels told her: Mary! God has released His mercy upon you and He has told us to tell you that you’d be given a boy named Jesus. These are examples of the speeches and words of the angels in Mary’s presence. In describing this part of the life of her holiness Mary, some interpreters have gone to the extremes and thought that this lady could not have achieved such a grand and superior position to be given insight and intuition and hear the speeches of the angels; they also believe that it is impossible that she could have received messages from God; they have also negated the notion that she had been given the message that she would be the mother to prophet. Therefore they said that all these virtues have been given to Mary as the miracle of his holiness Zakariya or as the token for the pre creation of his holiness Jesus which is called “Erhas”?; It is usually said that before the doomsday some unusual and extraordinary events would take place and they are told “Eshrat Al Saat”?; this is also the case before the birth of a Prophet and these are the signs for the appearance of a prophet. These extraordinary and unusual happenings are called Erhas in the oratory books. Another group such as Gartabi – he is one of the famous Sunni thinkers and interpreters – and his allies have gone to another extreme and believe that Mary was a prophet. Because some angels have descended on her and informed her of revelation; they have informed her of her virtues and purity; she was also informed that she would give birth to a prophet; these group believes that in so far as the angels have come down on her and she talked to the angels and heard what angels said she should be regarded as a prophet; this group believe that on whomever the angles descend and in case the angels carry with them revelation and he / she sees them then she / he is a prophet. But the Imamieh religious men who more just and chose the midway believe that all these positions and are related to her holiness Mary and they believe that these positions and values are only related to Mary herself and we should not consider them as invested on Mary for the sake of Zakariya and on the other hand Mary did not achieve the position of being a prophet to be given the mission. These two ideas are supported by the experts of Imamieh religious men; they have set Quran as the basis for their interpretation. The first point is that all this munificence and virtues belong to her holiness Mary. It is because of the Quranic verses that that they say the angels talked to Mary. But they have descended on her but not as an absent revelation rather they have become visible to her by the permission of God. These kinds of addressing are sometimes referred to; it is said there that the angels descended on her in the shape of a human being the angel has said: I have given a mission by God and that is to give you a boy. What this ayah indicates is that her holiness Mary had received all this munificence herself and it was because of the grand position of Mary that Zakariya asked God to ask for a child; . . . . . It was not the case that Zakariya’s miracle has been manifested in Mary rather Mary’s virtues have been the cause for Zakariya to ask God for a child and this is why he has asked God for a good boy. Although preserving prayers and joining the prayers have been the signs of the positions of Mary with God and the way that God Himself defines and describes Mary are signs that indicate it was the character of Mary herself to see the angels and to talk with them and hear what they say. Therefore God refers to Mary as a friend (Sedighe) and says: “ . . . . . Jesus had a mother who used to affirm the words of God; she was not only truthful rather she was also included among the truthful as well. . . . . . .”? This truthfulness of Her Holiness Mary along with Quran’s affirmation shows that all these characteristic virtues and values are her own. Of course what Zomokhshari and his followers believe - that these virtues and munificence have been for the sake of Zakariya or as preparatory steps for the advent of his holiness Jesus – is not to say that women are not capable of reaching this position; according to the ideas of another Islamic faction neither men nor women are able to achieve the state of being a prophet. This group believes that it is only the prophets who can have and show miracles and that nobody is able to have munificence be it women or men. This has been negated in its own place for munificence is different from miracle. Miracle is only devoted to the prophets but it is possible that all good human beings have munificence. If doing something unprecedented is accompanied with the claim to being prophet for which there might be proof then it is regarded to be miracle otherwise it is regarded to be munificence. What Mosailameh Kazzab did was a groundbreaking deed but it was an insult to the Muslims. For the prophets miracles are higher in value than munificence. The theory that Gartabi and his followers adhered was a logical comparison but it has gone to the extremes instead of being moderate. And in as much as the comparison should not lad to a general conclusion, they have made a great mistake in doing this. The mistake in their reasoning is that: Gartabi says in his interpretation that some revelations descended on Mary; the angels descended and talked to her and Mary saw them and talked to them; whoever is sent revelation to and hears what the angels say and accordingly reach to what they said in practice then he / she is a prophet. Therefore they conclude that her holiness Mary is a Prophet. The beginning of this comparison is right that means that her holiness Mary not only talked to the angels but also she saw the angels herself . . . . . . . But the second part of that comparison . . . . . . . where it says whoever has seen the angels is a prophet is not generally acceptable; because a prophet is a person who in relation with the angels issues of worldview and understanding and hears what they say and . . . . . . rather he / she should also fulfill the revelations based on religion. He should receive the religious teachings from the angels and lead the society; he has to learn the methodology of the religion he is to preach and administer them to his people. There is no objection to the fact that different types of revelation and the ways to defend the wrong are sent to the Prophets but this is not to say that whoever receives revelation is Prophet because revelation is sometimes for the prophets and sometimes they are to guide people thus being chosen as a messenger for God is sometimes to be a prophet and sometimes it is just to fulfill what God decrees. Holy Quran considers the fulfillment of God’s wishes on earth as a mission for it is executive act for it accompanies with itself working with people. Such prophets have to lead their people in war and peace, receiving money and distributing property as well as the management of the society; this king of mission is given to men; in Joseph Sura and in Nahl Sura God says: And we didn’t send any one else with miracle except for the prophet; and if you don’t know this, you can ask those who are aware of this. This means that this mission is a performance; we have always given our mission to men and not to women. Therefore mission meaning leading the society, differentiating between legal and illegal, necessity and things like religious teachings; this kind of mission is given to men because they need action and it is easier for men to do executive jobs. But there is another kind of being prophet in which the prophet is informed of what is happening in the world and what will be the future of the world. In this way, he can see the future of himself and the future of the others. This kind of being prophet is not specified for men for women are able to reach this position as well. If Garatebi and his followers are to show that Mary has been classified in this group and not to perform any mission which involves her in doing a lot, it is accepted by all the religious experts. But if they meant that she had to perform things like that it is not acceptable because it is not understandable from the ayahs and the narratives do not indicate this in any way. Because as it was mentioned above this mission is given to men and not to women. The holy Quran has said that her holiness Mary is the most truthful lady. Quran says he is too truthful to find anyone who might be compared to. The truthful are people who accompany the prophets, the chosen men and the martyrs. These are the people who are heading towards paradise. The common people, be it men or be it women, ask God’s favor in their prayers: “and whoever obeys Allah and the messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they! (69). And then in continuation it says: If any one falls on the ground they have to be captured and if they go to the extremes they have to be moderated. And if they feel tired they have to be strengthened and if they feel disabled still they have to be helped. The holy God says if you ask me for guidance, I will not only place you on the right path and show you the way but also I will place you with those who are passing through this way and I will show you the way that they have gone before you. I will place you with them in their journey. Sometimes God says I will show you the right way and sometimes He encourages His servants and says: I will guide you through the ways the prophets have gone and I will locate you with them on their track. Sometime God says that He will show us the right way some times He says: I will guide you through the ways the prophets have gone and I will locate you with them on their track. And even sometimes He says and promises a better thing: I will set you in the company of the leaders who are themselves prophets, truthful and martyrs. One of these truthful people is her holiness Mary, the company of whom is not specified just for women so that women can say that God please show us Mary’s path. Rather all the Muslims and prayers ask God to show them the paths of the truthful men and women and Mary herself is one of these people. The reason why her holiness Mary is higher in position than his holiness Zakariya and that she is included among the truthful is not just because she had confirmed the common words or what the others believe as well. Rather she confirmed a reality which others could not believe; she confirmed a reality which others considered as impossible and according to this impossibility they started to blame her while her holiness Mary did not ask for this unusual issue an ayah or a sign. Those who have gone to extremes have wanted to show Mary higher in position in comparison to his holiness Zakariya; this is because his holiness Zakariya had prayed and said: “there did Zakariya pray to his lord; he said: my lord! grant me from thee good offspring; surely thou art the hearer of prayer (38). He had asked God to give him good offspring; he does not specify that this offspring be one or more than one, be it male or be it female; and when he had asked: “who should inherit me and inherit from the children of yaqoub, and make him, my lord, one in whom thou art well pleased (6)”?. Then the angels told him good news while he was standing in his praying that God has given you a boy named Jesus. “Then the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: that Allah gives you the good news of yahya verifying a word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a prophet from among the good ones (39)”?. Hearing this, Zakariya, instead of confirming this had asked for signs and proofs and had said: God please provide me with a sign to see this is the sign from your part or to see when this good news is fulfilled. But when her holiness Mary had heard the good news from the angels confirmed it right away. She was truthful and this is why she confirmed it and it was because of this that she did not ask for signs and proofs. Therefore we understand that the position of her holiness Mary is higher than Zakariya’s. Thinking that this has been the reason why her holiness Mary is higher in position is not enough to descend a prophet from his grand position. The reason why his holiness Zakariya asked for signs was a truth but it was not out of doubt rather it was to make sure that this is a sign and a token from God. This is also the case with his holiness Abraham (peace be upon him); he said: “and when Abraham said: my lord! Show me how thou givest life to the dead, he said: what! And do you not believe? He said: yes, but that my heart may be at ease. he said: then take four of the birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you flying; and know that Allah is mighty, wise (260)”?. He asked God to show how he brings the dead back to life. God said: don’t you believe me? His holiness Abraham said: of course I do but in order to achieve higher positions one after the other and to achieve a place at which I am the sign of my beloved God. Otherwise, I do believe in the doomsday and I am sure that you are able to bring the dead back to life. But I need to know how you bring the dead to life. I don’t really want to see how you are able to bring them back to life rather I want you let me be the agent through whom you give life to the dead. This is the highest position that his holiness Abraham had asked for. It was Abraham who showed this his would be coming prophets to ask for signs from your Gods so as to achieve the immunity and surety that you would like to achieve. If something is reasonably solved for someone he has some degrees of sureness. And if his knowledge is seen in practice then it would become a reality in consequence of which they would know what is happening in the world and they would see how God is bringing the dead to life. This is a higher position in which one goes a step further and he would join the sublime world in which he could see God within himself. Sometimes one if failed to come to this grand and supreme position and thus fall a step lower and achieves a world in which he would see the possibilities and sometimes one enters a prohibited world which is the location for work. A person who is seeking God comes to this location and he would be the sign of the actions of God if he is a perfect being. Sometimes human beings accept the fact the dead would be brought back to life according to their reasons and intellects. This is called certainty. Sometimes one might be able to see how Gabriel enters the spirit of his holiness Jesus: It is said that if Gabriel entered the spirit of anyone, then he would be able to do what Jesus did; he would be able to enliven the dead. There is a situation in which one is freed of any thing and this is called the territory of freedom. In this location the way is open to those who want to go further and it is in this area that such a person is able to do what he can to achieve God. Sometimes human beings can confirm the fact that God is able to bring the dead back to life and this is by the use of intellect. And this is called the certainty condition. Sometimes this human being is in the service of his holiness Jesus and he would see that how Gabriel serves his holiness Jesus and brings him the messages of God. If Gabriel serves anyone like what he did for Jesus then everyone is able to do what Jesus did and in this way he is able to bring the dead back to life as Jesus did. He is also able to achieve the positions that his holiness Jesus arrived through the guidance of Gabriel. This path has been shown by his holiness Abraham to all prophets and those who are intended to go the paths of glory. If Zakarria had asked for signs it was because he wanted to achieve the position of certainty and see that his prayer has been accomplished. The certainty position is the result of purifying the nature and the heart and this is a way that is common between men and women. And the result of purifying one's nature is that the human being will become one with the world of extraordinary. He will become a man of perception. In this path just as the men are able to speak with the angels the women are also able to get in touch with them and receive their messages. And this has been referred to in all of God's holy books and God's prophets have also talked a lot about this. This is an oral issue. And in this way there is no difference between different religions and in this paths, there is also no difference between the descended books. The wife of his holiness Abraham (P. B. U. H.) in the story of Abraham could speak with the angels as her husband did; she could also receive the messages of the angels as well as her husband did so. God has announced to Abraham with the message of having a child while he was an old man; this message has been told Abraham to Abraham's wife as it was told to Abraham himself. When the angels told to Abraham: so we gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance (101). He said: do you give me good news (of a son) when old age has come upon me? - - of what then do you give me good news! (54). His holiness asked this question not because of its being unbelievable rather because of its being strange. . . . . . . It was here that Abraham had said: I am not only old but also the oldness has come to me. That means that when some one becomes old and oldness has come to him and he is passing his oldness. "I have become old and still sometime passes and one becomes older and then again he says: I have become very old and this while you inform me oh giving me a child? The angel our message is accompanied by truthfulness and it is not exaggeration and since the angels are speaking on the part of God and they speak rightly. They speak for the sake of God and for the sake of the right. We will not speak extremely and you the "Friend of God" should not be worried. Then Abraham said: It is not only does not discords with the mission and being a prophet rater it accords with leading and leadership. Therefore not only the prophets are not disappointed rather no Muslim will be disappointed as well. Disappointment here means the situation at which human beings feel that God is not able to solve their problems and solve his problems. This disappointment is equal to disbelief therefore no one should get disappointed. This was the summary of the words about the message of the angels to Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . . . Equal to this has been discussed about the wife of Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . . The holy Quran says: When the angels were talking Abraham, Friend of God. . . . His wife was there as well and she was standing there; she was happy / or in some interpretations she was in period; therefore we gave her a message that she will have a child named Isaac. And now we give you the message of Isaac the grand child of Jacob. Then the wife of Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . said: Will I become a mother while I have become infertile and old and my husband is an old man and impotent? The angels told her . . . . . . . . : Are you surprised by the mercy and deeds of God while God has given you and your family a lot and you have seen a lot of these things that God has given you. . . . . . If we could have a good look at the grandeur of women in the culture of inspiration, we could see the high position that God has considered for women and this is not just in Islam rather this had been the case with the other religions sent by God. Women have also had the opportunities of talking to the angles, and discussing with them their relative issues and hearing their speech as men did. Women share these characteristics with men. If the father of a prophet is able to talk to the angels the mother of that prophet is also able to talk to the angels. Therefore when Quran talks about women, it considers Mary's mother and Mary herself as members of Al – e – Imran and includes them in the same group. In other words these women are also like prophets and the faithful in their being considered as God's beloveds. God says in his holy Quran that: For sure God has considers Adam, Noah, and Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . And his clan greater than the others and . . . . . . . . God hears every one what they say. By Imran it means the Imran that is the father to Mary and not the one that is the father of Moses because the Imran that is the father to Moses has not been mentioned in the holy Quran. Then the holy Quran says: "when a woman of Imran said: my lord! Surely i vow to thee what is in my womb, to be devoted (to thy service); accept therefore from me, surely thou art the hearing, the knowing" (35). We also see in Nahj Al Balagha that Amir Al Momenin says about her holiness Fatima? (A. S.) That: this great lady who has been chosen by you died. The mother of Mary was from Imran that is the Imran who is the father to Mary. He is regarded as the originator of the Imran dynasty and the members of this family are regarded as Imran dynasty. So, both of these women are regarded as the greatest women of the world.
The holy Quran has also accounted for two great women as well; the wife of Pharaoh is one of these good women. . . . . . She is a great woman whom God names as the paradigm of good human being; thus He says about them: God brought the wife of Pharaoh as an example for the believers and thus He says: Lo God ! Please build me a house in the paradise beside yourself and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds; Lo God ! Save me from the oppressions of the oppressors. The interpretation of this Ayah is not that: the wife of Pharaoh is an example of good women rather He says in His holy Quran that: a good woman is the sign and symbol of a good Islamic society and the society has to set this woman as an example to be followed not just to be instructed by. God does say in this Ayah that an example for good women is Pharaoh’s wife. The wife of Pharaoh has lived in house in which the landlord has claimed to be the great god of mankind and thought that there was no god over his people except himself; he was thinking of himself as the sole god of the world. God says in His holy Quran that: thank God with so great many a prayer for He is the only God of the world. Therefore there can not be two women who might think of themselves as the sole owner of the world. Pharaoh was also claiming this and he was thinking that he was also sublime. He was not only thinking of himself to be the only god of the world rather he was asking his people to pray him alone. He did not speak about the other tribes. He was saying that not only he was the god rather people had to pray him and him alone. Instead of Saying “There is no god except for God”? he was used to saying “there is no god except for me”?. It was at such a house that a woman grew up and became a paradigm for the religious people. The holy Quran accounts for her grandeur and considers his prayers as the most important characteristic of hers. There are six important points in her prayers: The reason why she has been named as an example of a good human beings is because she asks God to provide her with a house in His side. This woman asks to be settled beside God and that the heavens be bestowed upon her. The others ask for paradise under which beautiful rivers are running.
Paradises under which beautiful rivers are running are asked by others. But this woman first asks God and then a house in His beside. She does not say that “God give me a house in the paradise”? and she does not say give me a house in the paradise beside you; She says give me house near yourself in the paradise. She first asks to be settled near God and then a house in His beside. . . . . . . . In other words she asks for the neighbor then for her house. . . . . . This lady also says “first God, then paradise”?. Of course a paradise which is near to God. And this is radically different from a paradise which has running rivers under it. In this six – fold prayers are there two important prayers which are recorded in order; one is being able to be settled near God and the other is paradise. In other words one is achieving the paradise of God and the other is that paradise which has running rivers under it. There are also four other prayers which are to save her from 1. Save me from Pharaoh 2 . Save me from Pharaoh’s deeds. 3. Save me from the oppressing dynasty and group. 4 . Save me from the oppressing dynasty and group’s works. This last one prayer is hidden and is only to be deciphered. Where she asks God to save her from Pharaoh and his deeds she does not want God to save her from the tortures of Pharaoh. Rather it is possible for a person to say God save me from the hands of the oppressors but when he himself comes to power he will also become an oppressor. But this great woman says: Not only save me from Pharaoh but also from his tortures and oppressions so that not be anointed with the unfaithfulness of Pharaoh. She also asks God not to allow her think of herself as a person to be worshipped thus she asks God “to save her from Pharaoh and his deeds”?. Then she says save me from the oppressing groups because it is possible for someone who might escape from Pharaoh but he / she might be caught in the trap of the Pharaoh’s allies or other oppressors. Therefore she asks her fifth demand “save me from the oppressing dynasty or group”? and their “deeds”?. This last part is omitted buy it is understandable from what has come before. These omissions are possible. Thus such a great woman who understands to such a great extent and has requested God first coming close to Him and then she asked Him to save her, she understood the personal and social issues, is such an exemplary woman the only good woman? Or is she, in the words of holy Quran, is the example of the people in society? The great position of her holiness Mary is the fourth example that Quran has accounted to for. After introducing the wife of Pharaoh as a paradigm for the faithful people, God says in the following Ayah on the great position of Mary that : “ Mary the daughter of Imran kept herself pure and I have blew her with my spirit; she approved of the words of God and His books and she was of the good prayers. Since the grandeur of Mary was more than that of the wife of Pharaoh, thus God does not mention them together rather He brought them in two different Ayahs; in contrast to that two disbelievers who were brought together. Her holiness Mary due to her benevolence, purity and goodness and as a consequence of that absent spirit she came to a position that was not equaled by anybody. Of these four cases mentioned in the Sura of Tahrim one can understands that an exemplary man is not the sample of all men and an exemplary woman is not the sample of all women. It is possible that a good farmer is an example of all farmers, a good craftsman is an example of all craftsmen or a good calligrapher is an example of all calligraphers but a great human being is the sample for all human beings and it is not specifically confined to men or women. Therefore we should not forget about the role of Mary’s mother in assessing and evaluating the position of that great lady. Although in rearing her holiness Mary (S. A.) his holiness Zakariya was also influential but this was in the later stages and not in her coming into being; it was her mother that gave birth to her; she had the capability to give birth to the mother of a prophet and it was she who has gave birth to a son to be slaughtered for the love of God. And it was God who has accepted her offer for God knew that if He gives her some mercy, she would be able to know the value of such a grand present. God has given mercy on many men and knew that they would not be bale to understand its value and would finally become shameful. He gave them such mercy just in order to finalize His mercy and show them to themselves; thus He did not give them mission. Because if anyone who is deviated in his works finds a mission and a position, such a person will damage the religion. God gave BALEM BAOO mercy but not position and mission; God gave Sameri mercy but not position and mission . . . . . Sameri was not a little or worthless man for he was able to see the angels with his tuition and insight and He had said: I saw things that the other observers could not see. Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity to follow the paths of Moses and Haroon and be a disciple for them he propagated worshipping goats. BALEM BAOO was also a person who some believe that God has said about him: that he went away from that person who taught him the interpretations of the ayahs. We have clad him in good and honorable clothes but he came out of his skin. These are examples that have come in the holy Quran to show that God knows to whom He should give position; therefore he gives these people mercy in order to become clear that some people intentionally change mercy to deviation. This is because God himself is aware of the outward and inward sides of the people. God will never invest anyone with official position while they have bad intentions. God knows to whom He gives mission. He is not like human beings who give a mission to a person and then it turns out that he / she was not the right guy and then the giver confesses: I could not see the inner nature of that person. God does not give his caliphates, missions and prophetic mission as well as Imamate and leadership to people who have deviated natures for he knows the nature of everybody very clearly. But He would give such higher positions to people whom He knows and understands that they are loyal to their oaths. He accepts them and Mary was one of these people. Although she was no more than a child when she was born but it was clear that if God gives such a mercy to her, she will keep her promise and is stable to do so. Therefore in the beginning of her life, she had a mother such as the wife of Imran, who had taken care of her and then when she wants to keep her promise she gives to the temple and it si thereafter that God sets Zakariya as her patron. It was by the permission / at the order of God that Zakariya became her patron. It was not a lottery in which Zakariya turned out to be the winner. Therefore God says they held a lottery because there were many people who were interested in taking care of the child: . . . . . . . “ . . . . and you were not there when they were arguing about this”?. They have agreed to take part in a lottery but the winner came out to be Zakariya. You were not there when they were participating in the lottery in order to determine who should take care of Mary. God says: we have arranged so that we become the winner and trust Zakariya with the mission of taking care of Mary. And it is from here that Zakariya is given the responsibility of rearing Mary. But it is her mother who had taken the responsibility of the child from the very beginning of the formation of the child in the abdomen. The formation of the child and her departure from the abdomen to the world has been under the aegis her dear mother. Viewing the position of her holiness Mary from the point of view of the interpreters is of great importance. It is also important to note the sayings of the holy Quran in rearing her holiness Mary: whenever his holiness Zakariya ( S. A. ) was coming to see her there was always something on her table to eat or drink. “Whenever he came to see her there he used to find something to eat or drink.”? He used to say Lo ! Mary: where have you got all these foods? And she used to say: these have been sent by God and God feeds whoever He wishes. The angels were talking to her and they also heard what Mary used to say to them. They used to combine speech and observations with evidences and they were observing Mary and Mary also used to see them. These are higher and great speeches that Quran has about Mary. The holy Quran also speaks about Mary’s great and high position: “And when the angels said: Lo! Mary, God has chosen you and cleansed you; He has chosen you superior to the women of the world. Lo! Mary! Pray God and join those who pray God in their praying; this means that many angels have talked to Mary; they have informed her of her high position near God; they have told her that she was considered as the greatest lady of the world; therefore always remember God and never forget about praying Him; join the prayers. He was also informed of the birth of Jesus Christ: And when all the angels told her: Mary! God has released His mercy upon you and He has told us to tell you that you’d be given a boy named Jesus. These are examples of the speeches and words of the angels in Mary’s presence. In describing this part of the life of her holiness Mary, some interpreters have gone to the extremes and thought that this lady could not have achieved such a grand and superior position to be given insight and intuition and hear the speeches of the angels; they also believe that it is impossible that she could have received messages from God; they have also negated the notion that she had been given the message that she would be the mother to prophet. Therefore they said that all these virtues have been given to Mary as the miracle of his holiness Zakariya or as the token for the pre creation of his holiness Jesus which is called “Erhas”?; It is usually said that before the doomsday some unusual and extraordinary events would take place and they are told “Eshrat Al Saat”?; this is also the case before the birth of a Prophet and these are the signs for the appearance of a prophet. These extraordinary and unusual happenings are called Erhas in the oratory books. Another group such as Gartabi – he is one of the famous Sunni thinkers and interpreters – and his allies have gone to another extreme and believe that Mary was a prophet. Because some angels have descended on her and informed her of revelation; they have informed her of her virtues and purity; she was also informed that she would give birth to a prophet; these group believes that in so far as the angels have come down on her and she talked to the angels and heard what angels said she should be regarded as a prophet; this group believe that on whomever the angles descend and in case the angels carry with them revelation and he / she sees them then she / he is a prophet. But the Imamieh religious men who more just and chose the midway believe that all these positions and are related to her holiness Mary and they believe that these positions and values are only related to Mary herself and we should not consider them as invested on Mary for the sake of Zakariya and on the other hand Mary did not achieve the position of being a prophet to be given the mission. These two ideas are supported by the experts of Imamieh religious men; they have set Quran as the basis for their interpretation. The first point is that all this munificence and virtues belong to her holiness Mary. It is because of the Quranic verses that that they say the angels talked to Mary. But they have descended on her but not as an absent revelation rather they have become visible to her by the permission of God. These kinds of addressing are sometimes referred to; it is said there that the angels descended on her in the shape of a human being the angel has said: I have given a mission by God and that is to give you a boy. What this ayah indicates is that her holiness Mary had received all this munificence herself and it was because of the grand position of Mary that Zakariya asked God to ask for a child; . . . . . It was not the case that Zakariya’s miracle has been manifested in Mary rather Mary’s virtues have been the cause for Zakariya to ask God for a child and this is why he has asked God for a good boy. Although preserving prayers and joining the prayers have been the signs of the positions of Mary with God and the way that God Himself defines and describes Mary are signs that indicate it was the character of Mary herself to see the angels and to talk with them and hear what they say. Therefore God refers to Mary as a friend (Sedighe) and says: “ . . . . . Jesus had a mother who used to affirm the words of God; she was not only truthful rather she was also included among the truthful as well. . . . . . .”? This truthfulness of Her Holiness Mary along with Quran’s affirmation shows that all these characteristic virtues and values are her own. Of course what Zomokhshari and his followers believe - that these virtues and munificence have been for the sake of Zakariya or as preparatory steps for the advent of his holiness Jesus – is not to say that women are not capable of reaching this position; according to the ideas of another Islamic faction neither men nor women are able to achieve the state of being a prophet. This group believes that it is only the prophets who can have and show miracles and that nobody is able to have munificence be it women or men. This has been negated in its own place for munificence is different from miracle. Miracle is only devoted to the prophets but it is possible that all good human beings have munificence. If doing something unprecedented is accompanied with the claim to being prophet for which there might be proof then it is regarded to be miracle otherwise it is regarded to be munificence. What Mosailameh Kazzab did was a groundbreaking deed but it was an insult to the Muslims. For the prophets miracles are higher in value than munificence. The theory that Gartabi and his followers adhered was a logical comparison but it has gone to the extremes instead of being moderate. And in as much as the comparison should not lad to a general conclusion, they have made a great mistake in doing this. The mistake in their reasoning is that: Gartabi says in his interpretation that some revelations descended on Mary; the angels descended and talked to her and Mary saw them and talked to them; whoever is sent revelation to and hears what the angels say and accordingly reach to what they said in practice then he / she is a prophet. Therefore they conclude that her holiness Mary is a Prophet. The beginning of this comparison is right that means that her holiness Mary not only talked to the angels but also she saw the angels herself . . . . . . . But the second part of that comparison . . . . . . . where it says whoever has seen the angels is a prophet is not generally acceptable; because a prophet is a person who in relation with the angels issues of worldview and understanding and hears what they say and . . . . . . rather he / she should also fulfill the revelations based on religion. He should receive the religious teachings from the angels and lead the society; he has to learn the methodology of the religion he is to preach and administer them to his people. There is no objection to the fact that different types of revelation and the ways to defend the wrong are sent to the Prophets but this is not to say that whoever receives revelation is Prophet because revelation is sometimes for the prophets and sometimes they are to guide people thus being chosen as a messenger for God is sometimes to be a prophet and sometimes it is just to fulfill what God decrees. Holy Quran considers the fulfillment of God’s wishes on earth as a mission for it is executive act for it accompanies with itself working with people. Such prophets have to lead their people in war and peace, receiving money and distributing property as well as the management of the society; this king of mission is given to men; in Joseph Sura and in Nahl Sura God says: And we didn’t send any one else with miracle except for the prophet; and if you don’t know this, you can ask those who are aware of this. This means that this mission is a performance; we have always given our mission to men and not to women. Therefore mission meaning leading the society, differentiating between legal and illegal, necessity and things like religious teachings; this kind of mission is given to men because they need action and it is easier for men to do executive jobs. But there is another kind of being prophet in which the prophet is informed of what is happening in the world and what will be the future of the world. In this way, he can see the future of himself and the future of the others. This kind of being prophet is not specified for men for women are able to reach this position as well. If Garatebi and his followers are to show that Mary has been classified in this group and not to perform any mission which involves her in doing a lot, it is accepted by all the religious experts. But if they meant that she had to perform things like that it is not acceptable because it is not understandable from the ayahs and the narratives do not indicate this in any way. Because as it was mentioned above this mission is given to men and not to women. The holy Quran has said that her holiness Mary is the most truthful lady. Quran says he is too truthful to find anyone who might be compared to. The truthful are people who accompany the prophets, the chosen men and the martyrs. These are the people who are heading towards paradise. The common people, be it men or be it women, ask God’s favor in their prayers: “and whoever obeys Allah and the messenger, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they! (69). And then in continuation it says: If any one falls on the ground they have to be captured and if they go to the extremes they have to be moderated. And if they feel tired they have to be strengthened and if they feel disabled still they have to be helped. The holy God says if you ask me for guidance, I will not only place you on the right path and show you the way but also I will place you with those who are passing through this way and I will show you the way that they have gone before you. I will place you with them in their journey. Sometimes God says I will show you the right way and sometimes He encourages His servants and says: I will guide you through the ways the prophets have gone and I will locate you with them on their track. Sometime God says that He will show us the right way some times He says: I will guide you through the ways the prophets have gone and I will locate you with them on their track. And even sometimes He says and promises a better thing: I will set you in the company of the leaders who are themselves prophets, truthful and martyrs. One of these truthful people is her holiness Mary, the company of whom is not specified just for women so that women can say that God please show us Mary’s path. Rather all the Muslims and prayers ask God to show them the paths of the truthful men and women and Mary herself is one of these people. The reason why her holiness Mary is higher in position than his holiness Zakariya and that she is included among the truthful is not just because she had confirmed the common words or what the others believe as well. Rather she confirmed a reality which others could not believe; she confirmed a reality which others considered as impossible and according to this impossibility they started to blame her while her holiness Mary did not ask for this unusual issue an ayah or a sign. Those who have gone to extremes have wanted to show Mary higher in position in comparison to his holiness Zakariya; this is because his holiness Zakariya had prayed and said: “there did Zakariya pray to his lord; he said: my lord! grant me from thee good offspring; surely thou art the hearer of prayer (38). He had asked God to give him good offspring; he does not specify that this offspring be one or more than one, be it male or be it female; and when he had asked: “who should inherit me and inherit from the children of yaqoub, and make him, my lord, one in whom thou art well pleased (6)”?. Then the angels told him good news while he was standing in his praying that God has given you a boy named Jesus. “Then the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: that Allah gives you the good news of yahya verifying a word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a prophet from among the good ones (39)”?. Hearing this, Zakariya, instead of confirming this had asked for signs and proofs and had said: God please provide me with a sign to see this is the sign from your part or to see when this good news is fulfilled. But when her holiness Mary had heard the good news from the angels confirmed it right away. She was truthful and this is why she confirmed it and it was because of this that she did not ask for signs and proofs. Therefore we understand that the position of her holiness Mary is higher than Zakariya’s. Thinking that this has been the reason why her holiness Mary is higher in position is not enough to descend a prophet from his grand position. The reason why his holiness Zakariya asked for signs was a truth but it was not out of doubt rather it was to make sure that this is a sign and a token from God. This is also the case with his holiness Abraham (peace be upon him); he said: “and when Abraham said: my lord! Show me how thou givest life to the dead, he said: what! And do you not believe? He said: yes, but that my heart may be at ease. he said: then take four of the birds, then train them to follow you, then place on every mountain a part of them, then call them, they will come to you flying; and know that Allah is mighty, wise (260)”?. He asked God to show how he brings the dead back to life. God said: don’t you believe me? His holiness Abraham said: of course I do but in order to achieve higher positions one after the other and to achieve a place at which I am the sign of my beloved God. Otherwise, I do believe in the doomsday and I am sure that you are able to bring the dead back to life. But I need to know how you bring the dead to life. I don’t really want to see how you are able to bring them back to life rather I want you let me be the agent through whom you give life to the dead. This is the highest position that his holiness Abraham had asked for. It was Abraham who showed this his would be coming prophets to ask for signs from your Gods so as to achieve the immunity and surety that you would like to achieve. If something is reasonably solved for someone he has some degrees of sureness. And if his knowledge is seen in practice then it would become a reality in consequence of which they would know what is happening in the world and they would see how God is bringing the dead to life. This is a higher position in which one goes a step further and he would join the sublime world in which he could see God within himself. Sometimes one if failed to come to this grand and supreme position and thus fall a step lower and achieves a world in which he would see the possibilities and sometimes one enters a prohibited world which is the location for work. A person who is seeking God comes to this location and he would be the sign of the actions of God if he is a perfect being. Sometimes human beings accept the fact the dead would be brought back to life according to their reasons and intellects. This is called certainty. Sometimes one might be able to see how Gabriel enters the spirit of his holiness Jesus: It is said that if Gabriel entered the spirit of anyone, then he would be able to do what Jesus did; he would be able to enliven the dead. There is a situation in which one is freed of any thing and this is called the territory of freedom. In this location the way is open to those who want to go further and it is in this area that such a person is able to do what he can to achieve God. Sometimes human beings can confirm the fact that God is able to bring the dead back to life and this is by the use of intellect. And this is called the certainty condition. Sometimes this human being is in the service of his holiness Jesus and he would see that how Gabriel serves his holiness Jesus and brings him the messages of God. If Gabriel serves anyone like what he did for Jesus then everyone is able to do what Jesus did and in this way he is able to bring the dead back to life as Jesus did. He is also able to achieve the positions that his holiness Jesus arrived through the guidance of Gabriel. This path has been shown by his holiness Abraham to all prophets and those who are intended to go the paths of glory. If Zakarria had asked for signs it was because he wanted to achieve the position of certainty and see that his prayer has been accomplished. The certainty position is the result of purifying the nature and the heart and this is a way that is common between men and women. And the result of purifying one's nature is that the human being will become one with the world of extraordinary. He will become a man of perception. In this path just as the men are able to speak with the angels the women are also able to get in touch with them and receive their messages. And this has been referred to in all of God's holy books and God's prophets have also talked a lot about this. This is an oral issue. And in this way there is no difference between different religions and in this paths, there is also no difference between the descended books. The wife of his holiness Abraham (P. B. U. H.) in the story of Abraham could speak with the angels as her husband did; she could also receive the messages of the angels as well as her husband did so. God has announced to Abraham with the message of having a child while he was an old man; this message has been told Abraham to Abraham's wife as it was told to Abraham himself. When the angels told to Abraham: so we gave him the good news of a boy, possessing forbearance (101). He said: do you give me good news (of a son) when old age has come upon me? - - of what then do you give me good news! (54). His holiness asked this question not because of its being unbelievable rather because of its being strange. . . . . . . It was here that Abraham had said: I am not only old but also the oldness has come to me. That means that when some one becomes old and oldness has come to him and he is passing his oldness. "I have become old and still sometime passes and one becomes older and then again he says: I have become very old and this while you inform me oh giving me a child? The angel our message is accompanied by truthfulness and it is not exaggeration and since the angels are speaking on the part of God and they speak rightly. They speak for the sake of God and for the sake of the right. We will not speak extremely and you the "Friend of God" should not be worried. Then Abraham said: It is not only does not discords with the mission and being a prophet rater it accords with leading and leadership. Therefore not only the prophets are not disappointed rather no Muslim will be disappointed as well. Disappointment here means the situation at which human beings feel that God is not able to solve their problems and solve his problems. This disappointment is equal to disbelief therefore no one should get disappointed. This was the summary of the words about the message of the angels to Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . . . Equal to this has been discussed about the wife of Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . . The holy Quran says: When the angels were talking Abraham, Friend of God. . . . His wife was there as well and she was standing there; she was happy / or in some interpretations she was in period; therefore we gave her a message that she will have a child named Isaac. And now we give you the message of Isaac the grand child of Jacob. Then the wife of Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . said: Will I become a mother while I have become infertile and old and my husband is an old man and impotent? The angels told her . . . . . . . . : Are you surprised by the mercy and deeds of God while God has given you and your family a lot and you have seen a lot of these things that God has given you. . . . . . If we could have a good look at the grandeur of women in the culture of inspiration, we could see the high position that God has considered for women and this is not just in Islam rather this had been the case with the other religions sent by God. Women have also had the opportunities of talking to the angles, and discussing with them their relative issues and hearing their speech as men did. Women share these characteristics with men. If the father of a prophet is able to talk to the angels the mother of that prophet is also able to talk to the angels. Therefore when Quran talks about women, it considers Mary's mother and Mary herself as members of Al – e – Imran and includes them in the same group. In other words these women are also like prophets and the faithful in their being considered as God's beloveds. God says in his holy Quran that: For sure God has considers Adam, Noah, and Abraham, Friend of God. . . . . . And his clan greater than the others and . . . . . . . . God hears every one what they say. By Imran it means the Imran that is the father to Mary and not the one that is the father of Moses because the Imran that is the father to Moses has not been mentioned in the holy Quran. Then the holy Quran says: "when a woman of Imran said: my lord! Surely i vow to thee what is in my womb, to be devoted (to thy service); accept therefore from me, surely thou art the hearing, the knowing" (35). We also see in Nahj Al Balagha that Amir Al Momenin says about her holiness Fatima? (A. S.) That: this great lady who has been chosen by you died. The mother of Mary was from Imran that is the Imran who is the father to Mary. He is regarded as the originator of the Imran dynasty and the members of this family are regarded as Imran dynasty. So, both of these women are regarded as the greatest women of the world.
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