The story of Mary, peace be upon her | Episode (9) | God chose Maryam, daughter of Imran

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 The story of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.

0:07 Peace be upon her.

0:09 Allah’s selection of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.

0:15 Allah selects from His servants whomever He wills.

0:23 Whether from the angels or from mankind.

0:25 Allah the Exalted says:

0:27 “Allah chooseth from the angels messengers, and (also) from mankind. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Seer.” (22:75)

0:33 Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

0:36 And He says:

0:38 “Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures.” (3:33)

0:46 Among those whom Allah the Almighty selected and favored over all the worlds

0:52 is Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran, peace be upon her.

0:54 Allah the Exalted says:

0:56 “And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.” (3:42)

1:01 “And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.” (3:42)

1:03 “And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.” (3:42)

1:08 Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

1:11 He chose you and selected you for His obedience,

1:14 and for the honor He specifically bestowed upon you.

1:17 Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

1:20 This is an announcement from Allah the Exalted

1:22 regarding what the angels said to Maryam, peace be upon her,

1:26 concerning Allah’s command to them in that regard,

1:29 that Allah had selected her—

1:31 meaning, He chose her for her abundant worship, her asceticism, her nobility,

1:36 and her purity from impurities and base whispers.

1:40 He selected her a second time, again and again,

1:44 due to her eminence over the women of the worlds.

1:48 Al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

1:50 The first selection

1:52 refers to her praiseworthy qualities and righteous deeds.

1:57 The second selection

1:59 refers to favoring her over all other women of the worlds,

2:03 whether over the women of her own time or absolutely.

2:08 Even if other individual women shared in that [virtue],

2:11 such as Khadijah, ‘Aishah, and Fatimah,

2:14 it does not negate the aforementioned selection.

2:17 Al-Tahir Ibn ‘Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

2:21 The verb "selected you" is repeated

2:23 because the first selection is an essential selection,

2:26 which is making her pure and refined,

2:30 while the second signifies favoring her over others.

2:33 Therefore, the first was not linked to an object,

2:37 while the second was.

2:39 "Women of the worlds" refers to the women of her time,

2:43 or the women of all eras.

2:46 Thus, the first selection of Maryam, peace be upon her,

2:49 refers to the praiseworthy qualities and righteous deeds she possessed.

2:56 These are qualities that every ambitious young woman who loves Maryam, peace be upon her,

3:03 can emulate.

3:05 Such as emulating her in her worship and sincerity to Allah,

3:10 and emulating her in her modesty, chastity, and self-restraint.

3:16 Allah, glory be to Him and the Exalted,

3:18 has selected this Ummah over all other nations.

3:22 So everyone who believes in Allah and what He revealed to His Messenger, peace be upon him,

3:28 is included in this selection.

3:31 Allah the Exalted says:

3:33 “Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our bondmen. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are lukewarm, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour!” (35:32)

3:41 Among them is one who wrongs himself,

3:44 and among them is one who is moderate,

3:47 “Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our bondmen. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are lukewarm, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour!” (35:32)

3:54 that is the great bounty.

3:59 Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

4:02 Allah the Exalted says:

4:05 "Then We made those who uphold the Great Book,

4:08 which confirms what came before it of the Scriptures,"

4:12 “Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our bondmen. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are lukewarm, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour!” (35:32)

4:15 then He divided them into three types,

4:19 and said:

4:21 "Among them is one who wrongs himself,"

4:23 who is the one negligent in performing obligatory duties and commits some forbidden acts;

4:29 "and among them is one who is moderate,"

4:31 who is the one who performs the obligatory duties and avoids the forbidden acts,

4:36 though he may omit some recommended acts,

4:39 and performs some obligatory ones;

4:42 he omits some recommended acts,

4:44 and commits some disliked acts;

4:47 “Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our bondmen. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are lukewarm, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's leave. That is the great favour!” (35:32)

4:51 and he is the one who performs the obligatory and recommended acts,

4:55 and avoids the forbidden, the disliked, and some permissible things.

5:00 So, you, O ambitious believing young woman,

5:03 which of the three ranks are you in?

5:06 Maryam attained the first rank,

5:09 which is racing to good deeds,

5:12 due to her constant devotion to worship.

5:15 So Allah the Almighty selected her.

5:18 If you wish to attain the rank of those who race to good deeds,

5:22 then apply what Ustadh Muhammad Rashid Rida, may Allah have mercy on him, said in explaining the third rank.

5:29 He said:

5:31 The one who wrongs himself

5:33 is the one who falls short in following the Book,

5:35 even if by omitting some virtues.

5:38 The moderate one

5:39 is the one who avoids what is forbidden,

5:41 and performs what is commanded of obligatory duties limited to himself.

5:46 And the one who races to good deeds

5:49 is the one who increases in drawing near to Allah through supererogatory acts,

5:52 perfecting himself with virtues,

5:54 combining learning and teaching,

5:57 and being refined and refining others,

5:59 until he becomes a leader for the righteous.

6:02 This is the rank of those brought near, the witnesses of Allah and the truthful.

6:08 What precedes it is the rank of the righteous, the pious, the people of the right hand.

6:14 As for the second selection,

6:16 which is favoring her over the women of the worlds,

6:19 it has come in a hadith of Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

6:24 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

6:28 "Many men have attained perfection,

6:30 but none among women have attained perfection

6:32 except Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh,

6:35 and Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.

6:37 And the superiority of ‘Aishah over women

6:40 is like the superiority of tharid over all other food."

6:44 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

6:46 And from ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

6:51 I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say:

6:55 "The best of its women is Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran,

6:58 and the best of its women is Khadijah."

7:01 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

7:03 And from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:

7:06 That the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

7:10 "Sufficient for you among the women of the worlds are:

7:13 Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran,

7:15 Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid,

7:17 Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad,

7:20 and Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh."

7:23 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

7:25 These hadiths indicate the high rank of Maryam, peace be upon her, over the women of the worlds.

7:34 Ibn Battal, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

7:37 His saying:

7:38 “And when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! Allah hath chosen thee and made thee pure, and hath preferred thee above (all) the women of creation.” (3:42)

7:41 indicates her superiority over all the women of the world,

7:46 because "the worlds" is the plural of "world."

7:49 Do you not see that Allah made her and her son a sign?

7:53 That she gave birth without a male.

7:55 This is something not granted to any other woman in the world.

8:00 And Jibril came to her, and he did not come to any other woman.

8:05 We will continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.

8:09 And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

8:12 The story of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.

The story of Mary, peace be upon her | Episode (9) | God chose Maryam, daughter of Imran

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