Aida Masuri Mustafa Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur’an:
“(Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: O my Rabb, I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing." [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 35]
Everyone wants a beautiful family, especially one that is blessed by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The family of ‘Imran was such a family. They were praised by Allah in the Qur’an - there is even a Surah named after them: Surah Ali ‘Imran.
Scholars said that ‘Imran was a descendent from one of the twelve sons of Prophet Ya’qub ‘alayhis-salaam. He was a righteous servant of Allah, and a teacher who was well-respected by the people, who taught Prophet Zakariyya ‘alayhis-salaam. He married a pious woman named Hannah bint Faqudh, the mother of Maryam. However he passed away before Maryam was born.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us that when Hannah, the wife of ‘Imran, was pregnant, she fervently hoped for her baby to be a boy. Why? Because she wanted a son to serve Baitul-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem) for the sake of Allah - someone strong, who could fully commit himself to those tasks. Hannah had a noble intention, vowing her child lillahi ta’ala. She wanted ajr (reward) from Allah, and she thought that having a son would be the ideal way to fulfill her hopes and dreams.
“Then when she gave birth to her (Maryam), she said: ‘O my Rabb! I have given birth to a female child’ - and Allah knew better what she brought forth - ‘And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast.’” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 36]
When Hannah’s baby was born, it turned out that it wasn't as per what she was hoping for. Her statement of “O my Rabb, I have given birth to a female child” sounded as if there was a tinge of sadness.
Hannah loved her daughter regardless, and named her Maryam. She was a wise mother, because on the day Maryam was born, she immediately supplicated to Allah for His Protection over her beloved daughter, as well as Maryam’s future offspring from shaytan. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala answered her du’a, as evident by the following hadith:
Rasulullah salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (ﷺ) said: “There is none born among the offspring of Adam, but shaytan touches (i.e. pricks / pokes) it. A child therefore cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of shaytan, except Maryam and her child (Prophet Isa ‘alayhis-salaam).” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 3431]
“So her Rabb accepted her (Maryam) with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner, and put her under the care of Zakariyya…” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 37]
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala not only answered Hannah’s du’a, but also accepted her vow. Allah guided Maryam so that she gradually grew up with beautiful akhlaq, and was well-liked among the people. On top of that, Allah placed Maryam under the care of her father’s student, a noble prophet - Zakariyya ‘alayhis-salam - so that she would learn from his tremendous knowledge and righteous conduct. Allah made her accompany righteous people so that she may learn piety, knowledge, and religion.
Look at the results of Hannah’s sincere intention and supplication! Indeed, a parent’s du’a greatly influences the success of his/her child’s upbringing. So to the mothers, fathers, and guardians - spend some time making supplications for them on a daily basis. Our level of piety may not match Hannah’s - where her du’a was immediately accepted by Allah - but we should never stop making supplications to Allah, even if it takes years to come into fruition. Perhaps there will be that one moment where we are truly sincere and humble, truly broken in our du’a, that Allah accepts and answers it. Rasulullah ﷺ said:
“The invocation of any one of you is granted (by Allah), if he does not show impatience (by saying: I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted).” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 6340]
“...Every time he (Prophet Zakariyya) entered Al-Mihrab (a closed, private area to worship Allah) to (visit) her (Maryam), he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: ‘O Maryam, from where did you get this?’ She said: ‘This is from Allah.’ Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 37]
Prophet Zakariyya not only taught Maryam, but would also provide sustenance for her. Yet each time he visited Maryam in her mihrab, he found her already supplied with it!
There were two amazing aspects regarding Maryam’s sustenance: (1) Maryam would never leave her mihrab to find food, because Prophet Zakariyya was her guardian, and would provide for her. However, he would always find her already supplied with sustenance even before he could bring some to her. And (2) the sustenance were out-of-season fruits; meaning Prophet Zakariyya would find with her summer fruits during winter, and vice versa.
So of course Prophet Zakariyya was amazed! He asked Maryam about the source of these foods, and Maryam replied that they were all from Allah. Allah honored Maryam. He subhanahu wa ta'ala Himself provided food directly for her, and this was one of the karamah (miracles) that Allah gave to Maryam. Allah provided her with rizq from sources one would never imagine. Subhana Allah.
After Allah mentions about the du’a of Prophet Zakariyya in the next ayaat 38 until 41, He subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
“And (remember) when the angels said: O Maryam! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinn) (of her lifetime).” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 42]
Allah sent His angels to Maryam to inform her how Allah honored her and chose her!
Notice that the angels mentioned “Allah has chosen you” twice in this ayah. Scholars said that the first statement means that He subhanahu wa ta'ala chose Maryam because of her service to Him, as well as because of her modesty, honor, innocence, and conviction.
And the second statement means that Allah also chose her because of her virtue over all other women in the world. She was the greatest woman of her lifetime! Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level, except Maryam the daughter of `Imran, and Asiya the wife of Fir’aun.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 3433]
“O Maryam, submit yourself with obedience to your Rabb, and prostrate yourself, and make ruku’ along with those who make ruku’.” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 43]
In this ayah, it was as if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said to Maryam: O Maryam, I have given you blessings and favors, so be thankful to Me by increasing in acts of worship. This is similar to when Allah said to the family of Prophet Dawud ‘alayhis-salaam: “Work you, O family of Dawud with gratitude.” [Surah Saba 34: 13] Meaning, show your gratitude with what Allah gave you by using them in a way that is beneficial in His Sight. One of the clear signs of a grateful servant of Allah is his / her increase in worship to Him subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Brothers and sisters in Islam, all of these were the results of Hannah’s sincere intention and du’a for her daughter. Look at the barakah of a du’a from a righteous mother!
And it’s amazing because Hannah, who in the beginning wanted a son, did not know that her daughter would one day become a pious and beloved servant of Allah - the greatest woman ever in her lifetime! - and would have an honorable Prophet as her son, named Isa ibn Maryam. She would never have imagined the massive khayr and ajr Allah bestowed for her and her family as a result of Maryam and her son, Prophet Isa ‘alayhis-salaam.
How precise are the Words of Allah when He subhanahu wa ta'ala says: “...it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” [Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 216]
Sometimes we want something so bad.
We want children.
We want that career.
We want that wealth.
We want that position.
We want that house, that car, that spouse.
So we put in our effort as much as we can, and we make so many supplications, begging Allah for these things. But Allah grants us something entirely different than what we ask - and that is actually far better than what we’re hoping for! And other times, Allah withholds these things from us because in His infinite Wisdom, He knows that they are harmful for our dunya and akhirah. This was why Sufyan At-Thawri rahimahullah said:
“Verily, when Allah withholds, He actually gives, because He did not withhold on account of miserliness or stinginess, but rather He looked at the benefit of the servant. So the fact that He withheld is actually His choice for the servant, and His excellent decision.” [Madarijus-Saalikeen, 2/215]
Brothers and sisters in Islam, when we make du’a to Allah, and we don’t get what we hoped for, be certain that what Allah gives or withholds is always infinitely better than what we wanted.
Even His withholding is a blessing.
— Aida Msr 🌸
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References:
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir
- Sunnah.com
