The Story of the Holy Land: From the Hijrah of the Friend of God to the Mi‘raj of the Beloved (3)

From Mary’s Sanctuary to Jesus’ Cradle – A Mother’s Vow and the Sanctuary of Jerusalem

Centuries after the glorious era of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him), the dust of heedlessness and worldly preoccupation had once again settled over society. It was during this period that, within the pure household of the House of Imran, a mother whose heart overflowed with faith made a vow: she would dedicate the child in her womb to the service of God’s House in Jerusalem. When the child was born and she discovered that it was a girl, she named her Mary (pbuh).

Mary (peace be upon her) grew up within the sacred precincts of Jerusalem under the guardianship of Prophet Zechariah (peace be upon him). In a secluded sanctuary, she devoted herself to worship and intimate communion with God. This sanctuary had repeatedly witnessed the descent of heavenly provisions and unseen blessings:

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا ۖ قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

(سوره آل‌عمران، آیه ۳۷)

Her Lord accepted her graciously, nurtured her beautifully, and placed her under the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah entered the sanctuary to see her, he found provisions with her. He said, “O Mary, where did this come from?” She replied, “It is from God. Indeed, God provides for whomever He wills without measure.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:37)

With Mary’s presence, the sanctuary of Jerusalem was infused with renewed life, and the breeze of spirituality once again swept across the Holy Land.

The Glad Tidings of the Holy Spirit in the Eastern Retreat

One day, Mary (pbuh) withdrew from her family and went to the eastern part of Jerusalem to devote herself to worship in peaceful seclusion. There, the divine angel Gabriel appeared before her in the form of a perfectly proportioned and dignified human being, bringing her the glad tidings of one of the greatest miracles in history:

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا * فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا (سوره مریم، آیات ۱۶ و ۱۷)

And mention Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the east and secluded herself from them behind a screen. Then We sent Our Spirit [Gabriel] to her, and he appeared before her as a well-formed human being.(Surah Maryam, 19:16–17)

Gabriel informed her that God would grant her a pure son -a child who would enter the world without a father, through the divine Word alone, and become a sign for all humanity.

Birth Beneath the Palm Tree of Bethlehem

The days of pregnancy passed, and the pains of childbirth led Mary (peace be upon her) to a secluded place south of Jerusalem, in the vicinity of Bethlehem. Alone and sorrowful, she leaned against the trunk of a palm tree, overwhelmed by the thought of the accusations people would make against her. In the intensity of her grief, she cried out:

فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا (سوره مریم، آیه ۲۳(

Then the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, “Would that I had died before this and become something forgotten, completely erased from memory!” (Surah Maryam, 19:23)

But a soothing voice called out to her from beneath her. A clear spring gushed forth from the earth, and the dry palm tree bore fruit. Upon that pure and blessed soil, Jesus (peace be upon him) came into the world -a new light dawning over the hills of Palestine.

Speaking in the Cradle and the Resonance of Divine Unity

Mary (peace be upon her) took the infant in her arms and returned to her people. Upon seeing the child, the people began to reproach and accuse her. Mary (pbuh), who had been commanded by God to observe a fast of silence, did nothing but point toward the infant.

At that moment, the baby spoke from the cradle, astonishing everyone with words of clarity and divine truth:

قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا * وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا

(سوره مریم، آیات ۳۰ و ۳۱(

He said, “Indeed, I am a servant of God. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I may be and has enjoined upon me prayer and charity for as long as I live.” (Surah Maryam, 19:30–31)

These words revealed the truth and transformed Mary’s silence into a divinely granted defence of her innocence.

Miracles in the Olive Groves and the Breathing of New Life

When Jesus (peace be upon him) attained the station of prophethood, he journeyed through the mountains and villages of Palestine. He healed those born blind, cured people afflicted with leprosy, and, by God’s permission, brought the dead back to life. He had come to correct distorted and excessively harsh religious rulings and to breathe the spirit of love and moral virtue into society once more:

وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِآيَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ… (سوره آل‌عمران، آیه ۴۹)

And [He will appoint him as] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will fashion for you, from clay, the form of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by God’s permission. I will heal those born blind and those afflicted with leprosy, and I will bring the dead to life by God’s permission…” (Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:49)

During the era of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Holy Land once again witnessed the manifest signs of divine miracles -a land that had always been the cradle of God’s purest servants and a point of connection between heaven and earth.

The Great Glad Tidings: The Promise of the Coming of “Ahmad”

Jesus (peace be upon him) was not merely a Prophet (pbut) sent to guide the people of his own time; he was also a link between the preceding prophetic missions and the great bearer of glad tidings of the future. During the final days of his mission in the Holy Land, he gathered the Children of Israel to affirm the truth of the Torah and announce the coming of a messenger whose mission was emerging on the horizon of history.

Across the hills of Palestine and within the precincts of Jerusalem, his heavenly message resounded -a proclamation that would forever inscribe the name of God’s final Prophet (pbuh) in history:

وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ… (سوره صف، آیه ۶)

And [remember] when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israel! Indeed, I am the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and bringing glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad…” (Surah As-Saff, 61:6)

Jesus (peace be upon him) adorned his heavenly Scripture, the Gospel, with the remembrance and name of the final Prophet -a name that shone like a radiant lamp, guiding nations toward the advent of the last Messenger.

After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, the soil of the Holy Land and the hearts of those awaiting the fulfilment of divine unity remained in anticipation for centuries, waiting for this Abrahamic and Christic promise to be fulfilled.

At last, this long-awaited promise came to fruition on the night of Isra and Mi‘raj -the Night Journey and Ascension- when “Ahmad,” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), set foot within the precincts of Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and prayed upon the blessed rock. With his arrival, the longstanding glad tidings announced by Jesus (peace be upon him) were fulfilled, and the chain of divine prophethood reached its completion.

Educational and Moral Lessons

• A mother’s vow and the formative direction of a child: Mary’s mother’s vow demonstrates that God-centred upbringing begins as early as pregnancy and that the sincere intentions of parents can pave the way for their children’s future.
• Seclusion, purity of the soul, and spiritual sustenance: Mary’s devotion in the sanctuary and her reception of unseen provisions remind us that spiritual and intellectual nourishment flourishes through moral purity and distance from corrupting influences.
• Patience in the face of accusations and divine defence: Mary’s silence in the face of reproach and her entrusting her defence to God offer a clear lesson: those who walk the path of truth must not be shaken by criticism and blame. God Himself defends the pure of heart.

Sources:

The Holy Qur’an

• Surah Aal-e-Imran, verses 35–49
• Surah Maryam, verses 16–34
• Surah As-Saff, verse 6

Narrative and Historical Sources

• Tafsir al-Mizan, commentary on the verses of Surah Maryam and Surah Aal-e-Imran.
• Tafsir al-Ayyashi (Muhammad ibn Mas‘ud al-Ayyashi), Volume 1, narrations concerning the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) in the palm grove of Bethlehem.
• Bihar al-Anwar (Allama Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi), Volume 14, chapters on the life of Mary (peace be upon her) and the birth and mission of Jesus (peace be upon him).
• Al-Kafi (Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni), Volume 8 (Rawdat al-Kafi), narrations concerning the heavenly provisions in the sanctuary of Jerusalem.
• Tafsir al-Mizan (Allama Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i), commentary on verse 6 of Surah As-Saff, analyzing the glad tidings given by Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Gospels and the Qur’an.
• Tafsir-e Nemuneh (Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi), commentary on verse 6 of Surah As-Saff, examining the name Ahmad and historical prophecies in the Gospel of John concerning the Paraclete.
• Bihar al-Anwar (Allama Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi), Volume 15, chapter on the prophecies of earlier Prophets (pbut) concerning the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).