Surah Al Imran Tafseer

The Virtue of Maryam Over the Women of Her Time

Allah tells;

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَيِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاء الْعَالَمِينَ

And (remember) when the angels said:"O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the nations."

Allah states that the angels spoke to Maryam by His command and told her that He chose her because of her service to Him, because of her modesty, honor, innocence, and conviction.

Allah also chose her because of her virtue over the women of the world.

At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ali bin Abi Talib said,

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

خَيْرُ نِسَايِهَا مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ وَخَيْرُ نِسَايِهَا خَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِد

The best woman (in her time) was Maryam, daughter of Imran, and the best woman (of the Prophet's time) is Khadijah (his wife), daughter of Khuwaylid."

The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ashari said that the Messenger of Allah said,

كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ مَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ وَ اسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْن

Many men achieved perfection, but among women, only Maryam the daughter of Imran and Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, achieved perfection.

The Six -- with the exception of Abu Dawud - recorded it.

Al-Bukhari's wording for it reads,

كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ اسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَرْيَمُ بِنْتُ عِمْرَانَ

وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ عَايِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضْلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلى سَايِرِ الطَّعَام

Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Asiah, the wife of Fir`awn, and Maryam, the daughter of Imran.

The superiority of Aishah (his wife) to other women, is like the superiority of Tharid (meat and bread dish) to other meals.

We mentioned the various chains of narration and wordings for this Hadith in the story of `Isa, son of Maryam, in our book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, all the thanks are due to Allah.

Allah states that the angels commanded Maryam to increase acts of worship, humbleness, submission, prostration, bowing, and so forth, so that she would acquire what Allah had decreed for her, as a test for her. Yet, this test also earned her a higher grade in this life and the Hereafter, for Allah demonstrated His might by creating a son inside her without male intervention.

Allah said,

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ