The Mysterious Account
of Miriam's (pbuh) Temple Stay

Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing (Even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know not! Quran, 3:66



Why is the Sura about the Virgin Mary (Miriam, pbuh) the 19th Sura?

I have often wondered about that. The sura itself is an outright declaration of her role in all of this long winding tale of humanity's most major religious predecessors i.e. the "family" tree of the prophets. It appears that Miriam (the Virgin Mary, pbuh) was sequestered in the Hebrew temple during prepubescence/pubescence to control who would father the prophet that the rabbis were on watch for (it is noted that whenever a prophet was to be born, the Hebrew scholars knew about it as they had certain knowledges which had been handed down through the ages). In the Bible Miriam's 'husband' Joseph iselevated to the status of being from the line of David (Dawood, SAW) ..... but really folks, use your OWN noggins. What significance is he (Joseph,pbuh) if the prophet Jesus (Isa, SAW) is said to have been 'immaculately conceived' (by the Christians and Muslims)? Jews on the other hand, denied Isa (Jesus, SAW) was anything other than "Raboni" or 'teacher'.

Why the discrepancy? This is one major paternity suit if you ask me. It has led to wars, famines, bloodshed and the "creation" of a whole branch of religion not authorized to exist in ANY sacred text: Christianity which more or less falls within the type of fellowship that believes Jesus (a human being) was synonomous with God (although there are exceptions in certain sects like the Copts and Orthodox).

It appears to me that when Miriam (pbuh) was sequestered to isolate her from potential "mates" in the Hebrew temple, it was a means of controlling the lineage of prophets by handpicking the father of her child. Guess what? She turned up pregant even though the only contact she had with anyone at all was the contact she had with the prophet Zachariah (pbuh, the father of St. John the Baptist i.e. Yehye, SAW) who was a short time later into the drama, murdered on the Temple stairs in cold blood. It is interesting to note that when Yehye is mentioned in the Quran, we are told that it is the first time in history that the name "Yehye" was conferred upon any prophet whereas his father's name "Zacharaiah" was a common name amongst prophets and there are at least a half dozen different "Zachariahs" mentioned in the Tanakha (Torah). Why the mention then? What is the importance of the double murder of Zachariah AND Yehye (John the Baptist) in relationship to a unique name i.e. Yehye?

19:7
(His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."

That fact and the placement of Miriam at "19" is a means of indicating the importance of this particular story in a canon (Tanakh, Injeel, Zabur, Quran) which contains thousands of personal dramas. This ONE drama in particular has an importance beyond any drama in any sacred text and as well, it is only the Quran that gives you these incredibly important and MISSING details which are found no where else. Were these details cleansed from what we call "the Bible"? No one knows really but I assure, these are the missing pieces in the modern drama called "religion".

19:37
But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day!

The manner (per Quran) in which Miriam was "assigned" a protector is notably significant in that the Quran tells us that the rabbis "drew straws" for her once she was assigned to stay sequestered in the temple. It isn't clear whether that means literally drawing straws for her as a means for sequestering the right of fathering a child with her or simply as a means of assigning a "protector" for her from potential 'less than satisfactory' Hebrew suitors NOT of the known royal/divine lineage i.e. David/Solomon. In any event, it was Zachariah (murdered later per Bible lore) that pulled the odd straw which deemed him her "guardian". In the Quran we are told that Zachariah discovered Miriam in her room and that she has been supplied with food from somewhere . Because he is the only one (theoretically) in contact with her personally he questions from where she obtained the food to which she answered, "it is from Allah." Details regarding Miriam are also found elsewhere in the Quran but in particular in the fourth Sura called the Family of Imran (her father who was of known prophetic lineage but not of the direct lineage of David/Solomon).

The case of Miriam and her son Isa (Jesus, SAW) was the first time in Hebrew i.e. Torah history that a MAJOR prophet was born without a direct paternal lineage to the Hebrew prophets of David and Solomon (SAW). Perhaps this is the reason the Jews do not give Isa his "due" and the reason Christians remain so confused regarding his role in the astounding tale of religious and moral human history. Certainly it is the reason the "authors" of the Bible construct a lineage for Joseph without a logical reason to do so.

But why is her Sura given this most important place in the Quran at a position of 19?

It is because this is what divides the "believers" now? The ideas surrounding the birth and attempted assassignation of the next to last prophet is THE problem of modernity and modern religions. It is referred to in the Quran as "The Lie*".

19:89
Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous!

19:90
At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,

19:91
That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.




This is the significance (at least one of them) of the numerical order of the Sura "Miriam", i.e. Sura number 19:

http://www.quranmiracles.com/mmwh/mmlhread.asp?id=48


*Note: It is "illegal" for me to deliver facts that are not actually mentioned directly in the Quran. In this case, the reason for the "drawing of straws" is not given but we are allowed to deduce a few facts from this detail. Using one's logic to do this is called Ijtihad. This applies also to the mention of "The Lie". The Lie is mentioned but not in the sense that the Quran reveals "THIS is the Lie". There is however no other thing in my estimation that constitutes such a weighty predicament for all believers of any stripe and relegates it to the status of being something that establishes a "fact" when in fact, the whole case of prophets and the three major contenders centers around this extremely important misconception regarding Jesus Christ i.e. Isa (SAW).

**Using citations such as "pbuh" or "SAW" is a means of giving respect to notable persons (pbuh) and prophets (SAW) and a means of distinguishing one from the other. For instance, Yehye was a prophet and is noted by using SAW after his name whereas Miriam is not a prophet but a person who is given recognition of her role by wishing "peace be upon her" whenever writing her name. Unlike other believers who mock prophets in the media, muslims are required to note the respect they have for these important historical figures.

***The word derives from the Arabic verbal root jahada "struggle", the same root as that of jihad; the is inserted because the word is a derived stem VIII verb. The common etymology is worth noting, as both words touch on the concepts of struggle or effort. In the case of form VIII verbs, this means to "struggle with oneself", as through deep thought. Ittihad is a method of legal reasoning that does not rely on the traditional schools of jurisprudence, or madhabs.