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- Have you ever felt alone?
Felt like you couldn't manage
a difficult situation on your own?
Have you ever gone through a difficult situation
and thought, "Why me?"
"What did I do to deserve this?"
Good people go through bad situations,
and although it's hard to think positively
in the midst of a painful trial,
holding onto the hope in Allah
can give you an unimaginable strength.
There is a young woman praising the Quran
whose story reminds us of how faith and hope,
Taqwa and Tawakkul,
can get us through any trial.
Meet Maryam bint 'Imran.
'Alayhas Salaam
(birds chirping)
Maryam was the daughter of 'Imraan and Hinnah bint Faqood.
Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam's story
starts with a promise her mother, Hinnah,
made when she found out she was expecting a child,
an oath dedicating her unborn child to the service of Allah.
Since it wasn't customary
for women to worship in the temple,
her uncle Zakarīyyā 'Alayhis Salaam,
who was a carpenter,
built for her a separate room in the temple, a mihrab,
so she could stay and worship Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
Now there was a phenomenon that happened to Maryam
'Alayhas Salaam,
and her explanation of it is profound.
Giving us insight into her deep understanding
of Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
Whenever Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
visited her in the mihrab,
he found her supplied with provisions.
He proclaimed, "Oh Maryam, where did this come from?"
She replied, "It is from Allah.
Surely, Allah provides for whoever He wills without limit."
Whenever Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
would visit Maryam in the mihrab
to check on her, it is said
that she would have fruits that were out of season.
So in the winter she would have summer fruits,
and in the summer she would have winter fruits.
Without refrigerators, having foods out of season
would be impossible.
Yet, Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam understood it is from Allah.
And what's even more profound is her statement,
"Allah provides for whoever He wills, without limit."
Let's think about that for a moment.
Do we sometimes hold back
from asking Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
for better health, a spouse, more money
a child, to be successful and so on?
Why? Do we not feel that we are worthy?
Or worse yet, maybe we feel that I have sinned,
so how can I ask Allah for things I don't deserve?
Or maybe your du'aa doesn't seem feasible.
Like if you're struggling to make ends meet
you might think, what's the point of asking for money?
Where will it come from?
If these thoughts are holding you back,
remind yourself of what young Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam
so casually
and confidently told Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
Allah provides
for whoever He wills without limit.
It's out of Allah's mercy and generosity
that He doesn't necessarily hold back
from us just because we don't deserve it.
And more importantly, although it's hard
for us to understand limitlessness
that is the reality of what Allah can provide.
So when you need help or want something from Allah,
your only job is to ask with certainty
that Allah will answer your du'aa
and leave the rest up to Him.
You don't need to figure out the how, that is for Allah.
Now look how powerful and moving
Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam's statement was.
It inspired Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam at that moment,
Hunaaalika da'aa Zakariyyaa Rabbah
at that very, you know, then and there
Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam, he asked
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la for what he always wanted,
a child to carry on his mission despite the fact
that both Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
and his wife were well past the age
of being able to have children. He still made this du'aa.
Allah says in the Qur'an then and there Zakariyyaa
'Alayhis Salaam
prayed to his Lord saying,
My Lord, surely my bones have become brittle,
and gray hair has spread across my head,
but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to you.
My Lord.
Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
describes the physical signs of aging knowing that
from a biological standpoint this request isn't possible
but that he has never been disappointed
in his du'aa to Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
So he still asked from Allah what he wanted.
He made the ask, the what, and left the how and when
up to Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
And that was the result of that du'aa, the glad tidings
from the angels of a baby boy, a righteous child,
Yahyaa,
Who would grow up to be an upstanding prophet.
That's tawakkul. That's asking Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
who gives to whom he wills without limit.
And this is a wonderful reminder for all of us
to seek the company of those who will remind us of Allah
in action and in words.
Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
mentioned in Hadeeth
that Maryam was one of the women amongst Aasiyah,
Khadija, and Fatima who perfected their faith.
Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam loved to worship Allah, make dhikr,
reflect, and so on.
So during those days of the month
when she couldn't continue her worship in the temple,
she would leave her mihrab and head towards the east,
and continue her worship there.
It is at one of these moments,
that a handsome man approached Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam.
This beautiful man was Jibreel,
who Allah had sent in human form,
as he usually did when he would send Jibreel as a messenger.
Of course Maryam didn't know this,
but look how she interacted with him
before he even opened his mouth.
She set her boundaries while being respectful
and at the same time reminding this man to fear Allah.
She appealed, "I truly seek refuge in the most compassionate
from you, if you are God-fearing."
Again, Maryam's words provide for us
another learning moment,
when it comes to setting boundaries for herself,
maintaining her modesty,
and reminding this man to also respect his own modesty,
Maryam doesn't hesitate.
She is respectful while being firm in her reminder.
Sometimes youth and really people of all ages
find it difficult to speak up
for what they want or don't want.
Especially when it comes to maintaining their Imaan
in public spaces, in social settings,
and even in family settings.
Thoughts of "I don't wanna seem weird"
or "I don't wanna make somebody feel bad
by rejecting an offer to do anything
outside of what our faith permits" prevents us
from doing what we actually want to do.
And fortunately, peer pressure, again, a phenomenon
of all age groups sometimes over rises boundary setting
and we suffer negative consequences
because of this timidness to stand up.
So here Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam's
action reminds us to be bold.
So returning back to her story,
Jibreel 'Alayhis Salaam then reveals
that he brings glad tidings of a child.
Just as Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam
was shocked when he received glad tidings
of the coming of Yahyaa,
Maryam too was even more shocked,
since she was never even with the man
to facilitate the biological possibility of having a child.
Jibreel 'Alayhis Salaam reminds her that it's easy for Allah
and the matter had already been decided.
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la says he replied, "So will it be.
Your Lord says it is easy for me
and so will we make him sign for humanity
and a mercy from Us. It is a matter already decreed."
Now Maryam is expecting a child and not any child,
but a prophet who will be assigned to humanity
and a mercy from Allah.
Let's take a moment to process this concept of du'aa
especially at the intersection of three righteous people.
The mother of Maryam, Hinnah,
Zakariyyaa, her brother-in-law, and Maryam.
Hinnah asked for a child hoping for it to be a boy
so that she could dedicate him to the service of Allah.
Although she didn't get exactly what she wanted,
Hinnah ended up getting so much more.
A daughter chosen and purified by
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
and a righteous grandson who played a pivotal role
not only in his time,
but also when he returns to earth in the future.
Zakariyyaa 'Alayhis Salaam on the other hand,
made du'aa for a son
and got exactly what he wanted
and even more than what he could have expected
and a righteous son like Yahyaa.
And then you have Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam,
who didn't ask for a child
and yet she was bestowed with one.
SubhanAllah, in Hinnah's case,
you have her crying for the blessing she received
despite being tested heavily with her husband's death.
And on the flip side,
you have Maryam crying after receiving a blessing
that many women even today wish they could have.
Yet she experienced her most difficult trials
due to those blessings.
The moral of this part of the story
for us is summarized so succinctly by Prophet Muhammad
SallAllahu 'Alaihi Wasallam
when he said in a Hadeeth, "Amazing is the affairs
of the believer, for all of his affairs are good."
And this is only the case for the believer.
"If something good happens to him,
he is thankful and that is good for him.
And if something bad happens to him and he is patient,
that is good for him as well."
SubhanAllah,
we never know what blessings will come as a result
of our trials and we never know what trials will come
as a result of our blessings.
But either way, Shukr and Sabr are our answers.
Gratitude and patience.
Now going back to Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam's story,
we now see she's about to face two
of the most difficult challenges in her young life.
Remember, she's probably only around 16 years old
and she has to navigate childbirth alone
and face her people who may stone her and her baby
due to their assumption that she had committed adultery.
When you think of these monumental trials as observers
we must wonder, how is a young woman able to go
through these trials all by herself?
First and foremost,
it is out of Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la's mercy.
In addition, it is due to her mother's du'aa.
Parents never belittle the power of your du'aa.
When you wish for them success, healing, guidance,
don't underestimate how far your du'as can go
in being a sadaqah jaariah for your child.
Literally a gift that keeps on giving.
Like asking guidance for your child
and their guidance is a source of guidance for others,
and those in turn inspire others to do good.
You literally have just invested
in a halal perpetual annuity.
And finally, her ability to overcome the trials is due
to the spiritual muscle she has been flexing
since she was a child.
Maryam had literally been in spiritual training
her whole life.
She was ready for this moment, whether she felt it
at the exact moment of receiving the news of a son or not.
All of that worship, Salaah, du'aa, dhikr,
prepared her soul to be able
to shoulder these weighty tasks of childbirth
and facing her people alone with a baby in her arms.
When we think of physically training
to be the best basketball player,
or a marathon runner, what comes to mind?
Practice, practice, practice.
Training, training, and more training.
The more you put your muscles to the test,
the better, faster, and stronger they will help you perform.
The same is with the spiritual muscle of our heart.
The more we learn about Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
through prayer, contemplation,
connecting to him through Qur'an, through good deeds,
the more we will be ready for those difficult moments
that will come in our lifetime.
What's remarkable about when Maryam goes
into labor now is that she is not
at home with the comfort of her mother or family.
There's no one to help her.
And as the pains of labor intensify, she cries out, "Oh
that I would have died before this moment
and to be a forgotten thing."
Allah says in the Qur'an, "Then the pains
of labor drove her to the trunk of a palm tree."
She cried alas, I wish I had died before this
and was a thing long forgotten.
Now this is not due to the pains of labor,
or out of not accepting her test,
but rather from the worry of what her people will think.
Again, she's not worried about what people will think
about her personally
but rather the effect their accusation will have
on their perception of the deen.
Will they mock religious people thinking, Oh
look at what the religious people do, falling into sin.
She is worried not about what people think of her
but more from a da'wah perspective.
Yet Allah does not leave her alone.
He sends Jibreel to comfort her saying, "Don't be sad."
Allah says so a voice reassured her from below her.
Do not grieve, your Lord has provided a stream at your feet.
What a beautiful reminder for Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam
and for us when we are faced with difficulty.
Don't be sad
when you're going through these difficult tests.
While that's normal to experience this emotion
during tribulations, the idea is not to lose hope.
So in Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam's difficult moment,
Allah sent a stream
to cool her and nourish her.
For us that stream can be a friend, an unexpected gift,
a motivation to pray where you previously found difficult
and so on.
Jibreel continues to instruct her by saying
"And shake the trunk of this palm tree towards you.
It will drop fresh ripe dates upon you."
A couple of points to reflect on here.
One,
that even when we ask Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la for help,
we still have to put an effort.
We don't wait for package
of comfort to fall from the heavens.
Here, even though Maryam must be tired after giving birth
she's told to shake the palm tree.
Which, if anyone has tried,
the trunk of a palm tree is so solid you cannot shake it.
But what she's being asked to do here is to make the effort.
And again, Allah will provide the rest.
The dates will fall, although it wouldn't be
due to her actual physical effort to make them fall.
It would be by Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la's will.
Secondly, what's amazing about the mention of
dates here, is that dates are known
to contain numerous nutrients and phytochemicals.
So they're extremely nourishing
especially for a woman who has just given birth.
And some of those nutrients are specifically designed
to activate lactation in a woman who has just given birth.
While at the same time containing minerals like iron,
which is especially beneficial in replenishing
levels lost during delivery.
SubhanAllah,
look at the mercy of Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la,
how he provided for his servant.
He provided food and water
in a harsh environment to not only help
in her postpartum recovery,
but to provide ease emotionally and psychologically.
Being able to hear and see the stream is soothing,
especially after going through such a physically
and emotionally demanding delivery.
And to provide Maryam with nourishment
which allows Maryam to provide nourishment
for baby 'Isaa 'Alayhis Salaam.
There's another interesting connection
between the provisions that
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la provides Maryam
both in the beginning of her story and in the end.
SubhanAllah with no effort at all,
when she's in the mihraab,
she's provided with special food just like that
as if to facilitate that deep faith
in Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
And then later, when she really needs the support
again the nourishment appears out of nowhere
as in the case of the stream. And with some effort,
she's provided with dates
that would typically demand great physical effort.
As if it is a reminder to Maryam that Allah has her back,
he will take care of her.
So she need not worry when she's
about to face the biggest test.
Going back to her people with baby 'Isaa in her arms.
What will she do?
What will she say?
Actually, absolutely nothing,
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la says,
"So eat and drink and put your heart at ease.
But if you see any of the people say
I have vowed silence to the most compassionate
so I'm not talking to anyone today."
And actually that that vow of silence
she's supposed to just signal the fact
that she's not gonna talk.
She can't talk and say, I'm not supposed to talk.
The thought of not being able
to defend oneself can be terrifying.
Yet Maryam, through her devotion and perfect faith
knows deep down that
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la is with her,
just as he has always been.
And just as she suspected her people did accuse her
of all kinds of things.
Then she returned to her people carrying him
they said in shock, Oh Maryam,
you have certainly done a horrible thing.
Oh sister of Haroon, your father was not an indecent man
nor was your mother unchaste.
So she pointed to the baby, they exclaimed,
"How can we talk to someone who is an infant in the cradle?"
'Isa 'Alayhis Salaam declared,
"I am truly a servant of Allah,
He has destined me to be given the scripture
and to be a prophet."
How could Maryam know that her baby
would speak on her behalf?
How could she have ever expected such a thing?
All she had to do was to let go and trust in
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
Despite all of these major challenges, each one
of them being extremely difficult to bear on their own,
Maryam never questioned Allah's will.
And what was her reward?
Although in the moment she wished she would be forgotten
Allah memorialized her in the Qur'an forever.
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la says,
"There's also the example of Maryam,
the daughter of 'Imraan, who guarded her chastity.
So we breathed into her womb through our angel Jibreel.
She testified to the words of her Lord and his scriptures
and was one of the sincerely devout."
In Surah At Tahreem Allah mentions
that she's one of the devout.
He mentions her as an example for all believers,
for all time, not just for the believing woman of the time.
Look at all of the ways in which
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
has honored Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam.
First by naming a chapter in the Qur'an after her
and naming one of the greatest prophets of all time,
the one who is still alive and will return to this earth.
He's attributed back to his mother,
none other than 'Isaa 'Alayhis Salaam.
'Isabnu Maryam
He could have been attributed back to his grandfather,
'Imraan 'Alayhis Salaam,
yet Allah chose that he would be attributed back
to his beloved and esteemed mother.
And not only that, Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la
doesn't tie her name back to 'Isaa 'Alayhis Salaam,
which reminds us that her greatness was not
necessarily only due to her being the mother
of one of the greatest men to have ever lived.
She is great, pure, chaste,
and chosen by Allah on her own merit.
Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la says,
"And remember when the angel said, Oh, Maryam,
surely Allah has selected you, purified you,
and chosen you over all the women of the world."
This entire story of Maryam 'Alayhas Salaam
is such a powerful reminder
for us to think positively of Allah, to trust in him.
He has shown you so many signs that he is with you.
Reflect on those signs, those blessings,
those many miracles that he has bestowed upon you.
To give you hope in those difficult times.
To keep your Tawakkul.
Maryam's story is also a strong reminder
to flex your spiritual muscle.
Feed it with good deeds, nourish it with good company,
beautify it with worship and the
remembrance of Allah Subh'anahu Wa Ta-A'la.
And that too will help you weather any storm
that may come our way.
Captioning provided by MUHSEN (www.muhsen.org)