Mary is deeply revered in both the Quran and the Bible, but the perspectives differ significantly. In Islam, Mary is celebrated for her purity, eternal virginity, and role as the mother of Prophet Jesus, a human messenger. In Christianity, Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus, regarded as the divine Savior, though her virginity is viewed as temporary. While Muslims see Mary as one of the most pious women, Christians emphasize her role in salvation history, with some traditions venerating her as an intercessor.
The story of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is one of the controversial stories between civilized cultures and comparative religions.
In this article, we will objectively present Mary in Islam and Mary in the Bible, showing the aspects of differences and providing evidence.
We will present Mary as was mentioned in the Holy Quran, then we will define Mary as she was mentioned in the Bible. Keep reading. Go no further.
Mary in the Quran vs Bible
In the Quran, Mary (Maryam) is highly revered, mentioned 15 times and celebrated for her purity and chastity. Her miraculous birth is highlighted, with her mother praying for her protection from Satan.
The Quran emphasizes Mary’s eternal virginity, and her son, Jesus (Isa), is seen as a prophet, a “word” from Allah, not divine. Allah also clears her name from accusations of immorality, affirming her righteousness. Mary is honored as one of the best women of all time, chosen by Allah for her piety and purity.
In the Bible, Mary is portrayed as a highly favored woman who, despite being a sinner in need of salvation, is chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Christians believe in her temporary virginity, as she is later described as having children with Joseph.
Mary plays a significant role in salvation history as the mother of the divine Savior, yet she is not venerated as much in her own right. The Bible does not attribute any form of intercession to Mary, in contrast to some Christian traditions that honor her as an intercessor for prayers.
Let’s discuss them in details:
Mary in the Holy Quran
In the Holy Quran, the name of “Mary” was mentioned 15 times, ten times in her direct name and 5 times by the word “Mother”. In the following lines, we’ll cast some light on Mary as the verses of Holy Quran mentioned her.
1. Mary’s Mother Asked Allah to Protect Mary and Her Descendants from Satan
“She said, “My Lord, I have delivered a female,” and God was well aware of what she has delivered, “and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and have commended her and her descendants to Your protection, from Satan the outcast.”
Mary’s mother named her born daughter with the name of Mary to draw near to God as the name in their language meant “A servant to Allah.
She asked Allah to protect her daughter and her offspring from the acts of the devil. Thus, Mary’s earlier birth was accompanied by a continual intertwined worship and a deep prayer that signifies spiritual salvation of soul, trust in Allah and Handing her destination over to Him.
2. Zachariah Handled Mary’s Upbringing
“And entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah entered upon her in the sanctuary, he found her with provision. He said, “O Mary, where did you get this from?” She said, “It is from God;”
Mary’s Lord accepted her from her mother, She delivered her to the scholars of the Holy house (Beit al-Maqdis) They were twenty-nine scholars, they all competed to win her residence upbringing and care. They went to the Jordan River and threw their pens, saying that whoever his pen remains ascended on the water surface, he would first take her.
It was Zechariah, so he took her and built a room for her in the temple where no one else would go there except him. While he was bringing her food and drink, he found out that she had summer fruit in Winter and Winter fruit in Summer. She said, “It is Heaven fruit from Allah”.
3. Allah Has Chosen Mary All Over the Mankind Women
“The angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you, and has purified you. He has chosen you over all the women of the world.”
The angel (Gabriel) told Mary that Allah the Almighty had selected her and purified her all over the women of her time. It was said that the word “purified” meant protection from the sexual touch of men and it was said from menstruation and postpartum bleeding.
Mary was the best of all women of her time or all times because she guarded her chastity and gave birth without being touched by any man.
4. Jesus is Allah’s Good News of A Word to Mary
“The Angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, well-esteemed in this world and the next, and one of the nearest.”
The Angels told Mary that Allah had sent her good news, “A word”. Jesus was that word, he was created by a word from Allah which was (Be). El-Imam Ahmad said, “Allah gave it to Mary when he said, “Be” so Jesus comes to be.
Allah says in the Holy Quran, “His command, when He wills a thing, is to say to it, “Be,” and it comes to be.”
5. Allah Acquitted Mary
“And for their faithlessness, and their saying against Mary a monstrous slander.”
They accused Mary of adultery and sexual immorality. Allah in the above Holy verse exonerated Mary and her son from their unfaithful claims.
6. Mary and Her Son are Humans Who Used to Eat Food
“and his mother was a woman of truth. They both used to eat food.”
Mary was called truthful because she believed in the words of Allah. The Quranic verse states that food was the source of their survival like all humans. So how can those, who if they stopped eating would die, be Gods.
7. Mary’s Virginity Was Perpetual
“And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, and so We breathed into her of Our Spirit;”
The Holy Quran stated that Mary wasn’t temporarily virgin but she had eternal virginity. Scholars decided that Mary has never got married before giving birth to Jesus or after that.
Shaykh of Islam (may Allah cast mercy on him) said: “The ignorant people who claim that Mary married Joseph the carpenter and gave birth to the Messiah, do so to give philosophers and Jews an opportunity to claim that Jesus was the son of Joseph. This is false. Mary has never been married.
Mary in The Bible
In the following lines, we’ll cast some light on Mary as she was mentioned in the Bible. Keep reading.
1. Mary is Highly Favored
Mary the mother of Jesus was defined in the Bible in the description of “highly favored” (Luke 1:28). The description “highly favored” means “much grace. Thus, God granted Mary a high degree of great grace.
2. Mary Needed a Savior
Based on a Christian point of view: Grace is a blessing which humans receive from God regardless of the truth that they do not deserve it. So, Mary was not only in need of grace from her God but also, she needed a Savior.
That’s because Mary was a human being, she was sinful like all human beings so she needed Jesus the Christ as her Savior, (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 John 1:8). Mary says in Luke 1:47, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
3. Mary’s Virginity Was Temporary
Based on a Christian point of view; Mary’s virginity didn’t last for her whole life. She was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus but after giving birth, she was no longer a virgin (Luke 1:34–38).
Joseph was mentioned in Luke, “But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.” This means that Joseph and Mary had a sexual relationship after the birth of Jesus.
The Bible claims that Joseph and Mary had several children and Jesus had four half-brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). Jesus also had half-sisters, but they are not mentioned or numbered (Matthew 13:55–56).
This Christian point of view contradicts the Islamic view that acknowledges Mary’s perpetual virginity.
4. Mary Is Unworthy of Praise or Adoration
Based on a Christian point of view Mary is an ordinary woman. It was reported that a woman in the crowd said to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed” (Luke 11:27). Jesus, on the contrary said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28).
To be obedient to God’s Word in Jesus’ point of view is more important than being the woman who gave birth to Jesus.
Elizabeth, a relative of Mary, praised Mary in Luke 1:42–44, but her praise was not because of Mary’s righteous traits but because she only had the blessing of giving birth to Jesus.
This Christian point of view contradicts the Islamic view that acknowledges Mary’s righteousness, purity and chastity.
5. Gabriel Heralded Mary the Birth of The Savior
The angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would give birth to a son who would be the Savior. Mary was unsure how this could happen since she was a virgin but Gabriel told her it would happen by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:38).
This Christian point of view contradicts the Islamic view which states that Jesus is a word (Be) from Allah and he is a human Messenger not a Savior.
6. Mary Watched Jesus’ Death
Based on a Christian point of view Mary was present at the event of the cross when Jesus died.” (John 19:25), The “sword” that Simeon had predicted would pierce Mary’s soul was watching her son’s cross. Jesus asked John to serve as Mary’s son, and John took Mary into his home (John 19:26–27).
Jesus’ apostles did not grant Mary a prominent role. She has never been mentioned again after Acts of chapter 1 and her death was not mentioned in the Bible.
This Christian point of view contradicts the Islamic view which states that Jesus was neither crucified nor he died.
Mary in Islam is not the Same Sacred Woman in Christianity
“Mary is venerated in Islam, but she is not the same Mary Christians venerated as the Mother of Jesus. There are two ‘Marys’: the Blessed Mother of Christ, and Maryam (Miryam), the prophetess of the Old Testament. If one scrutinizes the Quranic Verses that mention Mary, it appears that she is the sister of Aaron and Moses.” Mario Alexis, Hungarian Conservative.
This untrue claim is based on the Quranic verse: “Then she came to her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, you have done something terrible. O sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not a whore.”
The verse states that Mary is the sister of Harun and Moses. Whilst Mary in the Bible, according to the Christian point of view, has lived six thousand years or more apart.
But the fact is that Aaron was a good man in her people; he was not Moses’ brother. Her people frequently ascribed her to this man’s name as a traditional linguistic custom.
It was a deeper meaning of a figurative expression which means how a good person who is equivalent to Aaron does this act because the word “sister or brother” can refer to an equivalent figure.
Another interpretation is that the word “sister” in the Arabic language means a descendant. It refers to Mary as a descendant of Aaron not his sister.
How Do Islam And Christianity Differ About Mary?
There are so many differences between Islam and Christianity (especially Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy) concerning the Virgin Mary. So let’s examine below some of the most prominent differences between them.
1- Mary’s Role As The Mother Of God:
Christians, on one hand, believe that Mary is the mother of God who is Jesus Christ [as part of a divine Trinity]. They view Mary’s role as giving birth to the divine Savior as central to salvation history.
Muslims, on the other hand, believe Jesus Christ was only a messenger of God and not divine, and his mother, Mary, was a woman of chastity and devotion to God’s will. In Islam, neither Mary nor her son, Jesus, is holy or divine.
In this regard, Allah says in the Quran:
“The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger. ˹Many˺ messengers had ˹come and˺ gone before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They both ate food…”
Needless to say, anyone who eats food needs to go to the bathroom, and this directly contrasts with the concept of divinity. So in Islam, neither Jesus nor his mother were divine.
2- The Original Sin:
Christians, especially Catholics, believe in the Immaculate Conception (that Mary was conceived without original sin). This belief was formally defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
Muslims do not believe in the original sin, rather they believe that ALL humans [not only Mary or her son] are born pure and sinless.
3- Her Role As An Intercessor For Prayers:
Christians also venerate Mary as an intercessor for prayers. This doctrine highlights Mary’s exceptional holiness, especially for the Catholics and Orthodox Christians who pray to Mary, asking for her intercession, so that their prayers to God are valid and accepted.
However, Islam does not attribute divinity to Mary or regard her as an intercessor in the same way Catholics do. Prayers, in Islam, are the direct means of communication between a Muslim and their Creator, with no intercessors involved.
Conclusion
In fact, Mary obtained the most attention of any woman mentioned in the Holy Quran. Out of 144 Quranic Chapters (Surahs), she had a chapter named after her name. It is the Surah of Maryam. You can read it by clicking here. Therefore, We, as Muslims, venerate, revere and believe in Maryam as enshrined in the Holy Quran.
If you have any inquiries about any of the Islamic precepts, do not hesitate to contact Explore Islam for more information. We will always be at your service to guide you along your way to Allah.
