Surah Al Imran Tafseer

The Story of Maryam's Birth

Allah tells;

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ عِمْرَانَ

(Remember) when the wife of Imran said:

The wife of Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh.

Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant.

She said,

رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.

meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female