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Mary, Sister of Aaron: Difference between revisions
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Apologetic explanations focus on why Mary was called the sister of Aaron. But they don't say much about why she was called the daughter of 'Imran since the solution to this issue is straightforward from an orthodox Islamic perspective: The bible is a corrupted book and not everything in it is true. So when the Qur'an says that Mary’s father’s name is 'Imran then this must be the truth no matter what the bible or Christians say. As for the works of Muslim scholars and historians on the issue, they clearly consider 'Imran, the father of Mary, to be a different person than 'Imran the father of Aaron and Moses. The earliest mention of Mary’s lineage and Aaron’s linage in Islamic sources goes back to Ibn Ishaq (d.768 AD) who says that Mary is the daughter of Imran the son of Yashhim. While he says that the father of Moses and Aaron was Imran the son of Yaṣhar .{{Quote|1=[https://al-maktaba.org/book/9783/383 History of Al-Tabari, vol1. p.358]<BR>تاريخ الطبري، دار التراث، ج1 ص385|2=فولدت له يصهر بن قاهث فتزوج يصهر شميث ابنه بناديت بن بركيا ابن يقسان بن إبراهيم فولدت له عمران بن يصهر، وقارون بن يصهر، فنكح عمران يحيب ابنة شمويل بن بركيا بن يقسان بن إبراهيم فولدت له هارون بن عمران وموسى بن عمران<br> | Apologetic explanations focus on why Mary was called the sister of Aaron. But they don't say much about why she was called the daughter of 'Imran since the solution to this issue is straightforward from an orthodox Islamic perspective: The bible is a corrupted book and not everything in it is true. So when the Qur'an says that Mary’s father’s name is 'Imran then this must be the truth no matter what the bible or Christians say. As for the works of Muslim scholars and historians on the issue, they clearly consider 'Imran, the father of Mary, to be a different person than 'Imran the father of Aaron and Moses. The earliest mention of Mary’s lineage and Aaron’s linage in Islamic sources goes back to Ibn Ishaq (d.768 AD) who says that Mary is the daughter of Imran the son of Yashhim. While he says that the father of Moses and Aaron was Imran the son of Yaṣhar .{{Quote|1=[https://al-maktaba.org/book/9783/383 History of Al-Tabari, vol1. p.358]<BR>تاريخ الطبري، دار التراث، ج1 ص385|2=فولدت له يصهر بن قاهث فتزوج يصهر شميث ابنه بناديت بن بركيا ابن يقسان بن إبراهيم فولدت له عمران بن يصهر، وقارون بن يصهر، فنكح عمران يحيب ابنة شمويل بن بركيا بن يقسان بن إبراهيم فولدت له هارون بن عمران وموسى بن عمران<br> | ||
Yaṣhar married | Yaṣhar married Shamith the daughter of Binadit son of Barkiya son of Yaqsan son of Ibrahim. She (Shamith) gave birth to Imran the son of Yaṣhar, and Qarun the son of Yaṣhar. Imran married Yahib the daughter of Shamuyil son of Barkiya son of Yaqsan son of Ibrahim and she gave birth to Aaron the son of 'Imran, and Moses the son of 'Imran.}} | ||
{{Quote|1=[https://al-maktaba.org/book/9783/383 History of Al-Tabari, vol1. p.586]<BR>تاريخ الطبري، دار التراث، ج1 ص586|2=عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، أنه قَالَ: مريم- فيما بلغني عن نسبها- ابنة عمران بن ياشهم بن أمون | {{Quote|1=[https://al-maktaba.org/book/9783/383 History of Al-Tabari, vol1. p.586]<BR>تاريخ الطبري، دار التراث، ج1 ص586|2=عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، أنه قَالَ: مريم- فيما بلغني عن نسبها- ابنة عمران بن ياشهم بن أمون | ||
<br>According to what has reached me over Mary’s lineage, she was the daughter of 'Imran the son of Yashhim son of Amun.}} | <br>According to what has reached me over Mary’s lineage, she was the daughter of 'Imran the son of Yashhim son of Amun.}} | ||
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Christian sources consistently stated that Mary was from the family of David, so many wondered why the Qur'an would describe her as instead being from the family of Aaron. Some point out that in Luke 1:5, Elizabeth is said to be a descendant of Aaron; and in Luke 1:36, Elizabeth is said to be a cousin or relative of Mary <ref>https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1</ref>. But being related to another person does not guarantee that one also descends from any particular one of that person’s distant ancestors (Aaron in this case). | Christian sources consistently stated that Mary was from the family of David, so many wondered why the Qur'an would describe her as instead being from the family of Aaron. Some point out that in Luke 1:5, Elizabeth is said to be a descendant of Aaron; and in Luke 1:36, Elizabeth is said to be a cousin or relative of Mary <ref>https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1</ref>. But being related to another person does not guarantee that one also descends from any particular one of that person’s distant ancestors (Aaron in this case). | ||
It should be noted that if “sister of Aaron” has room for metaphorical interpretations, then the kinship link between Mary and Imran has no room for that since that the Qur'an not only states that Mary is the daughter of 'Imran, but it also states that Mary’s mother is the woman of Imran. This | It should be noted that if “sister of Aaron” has room for metaphorical interpretations, then the kinship link between Mary and Imran has no room for that since that the Qur'an not only states that Mary is the daughter of 'Imran, but it also states that Mary’s mother is the woman of Imran. This casts doubt on the claims of some scholars , such as A. J. Wensinck, who claimed in the Encyclopaedia Of Islam that “It is not necessary to assume that these kinship links are to interpreted in modern terms. The words "sister" and "daughter", like their male counterparts, in Arabic usage can indicate extended kinship, descendance or spiritual affinity.”<ref>''The Encyclopaedia Of Islam (New Edition)'', 1991, Volume VI, p. 630.</ref> Such a claim ignores the seeming issue of calling 'Imran Mary's father. | ||
==Complete Picture of the Mistake== | ==Complete Picture of the Mistake== | ||
Tying all of the threads together, Miriam in the book of Exodus was the daughter of Amram and a sister of Aaron. The Qur'an describes Mary, the mother of Jesus, as being a daughter of Amram and a sister of Aaron - with the exact same familial relations as Miriam. According to later hadith traditions many Muslims, including allegedly 'Aisha, understood Mary and Miriam to be the same person, based on their understanding of the Qur'anic text. | Tying all of the threads together, Miriam in the book of Exodus was the daughter of Amram and a sister of Aaron. The Qur'an describes Mary, the mother of Jesus, as being a daughter of Amram and a sister of Aaron - with the exact same familial relations as Miriam. According to later hadith traditions many Muslims, including allegedly 'Aisha, understood Mary and Miriam to be the same person, based on their understanding of the Qur'anic text. | ||
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When Christians criticized the verse which calls Mary "sister of Aaron" in the Quran, Muhammad's claimed response was that "people were named after pious persons who lived before them". Islamic scholars concluded that Mary was either called "sister of Aaron" because she was his descendant, she had a brother coincidentally called Aaron, or she was compared in piousness to a pious man from her people who was coincidentally named Aaron. All these solutions seem to be inventions, because Mary was not known to be a descendant of Aaron, she was not known to have a brother called "Aaron" and this pious man named Aaron seems to be made up by Muslims to justify the verse. On the other hand, Miriam was well-known to be a sister of Aaron. | When Christians criticized the verse which calls Mary "sister of Aaron" in the Quran, Muhammad's claimed response was that "people were named after pious persons who lived before them". Islamic scholars concluded that Mary was either called "sister of Aaron" because she was his descendant, she had a brother coincidentally called Aaron, or she was compared in piousness to a pious man from her people who was coincidentally named Aaron. All these solutions seem to be inventions, because Mary was not known to be a descendant of Aaron, she was not known to have a brother called "Aaron" and this pious man named Aaron seems to be made up by Muslims to justify the verse. On the other hand, Miriam was well-known to be a sister of Aaron. | ||
Since Mary and Miriam are both pronounced Maryam in Arabic, it's possible that Muhammad, based on the Christian stories he heard,<ref>For example from Waraqa ibn Nawfal.</ref> mixed these two women into one person when he was | Since Mary and Miriam are both pronounced Maryam in Arabic, it's possible that Muhammad, based on the Christian stories he heard,<ref>For example from Waraqa ibn Nawfal.</ref> mixed these two women into one person when he was composing/relaying the Qur'an. | ||
==Modern Scholarly Interpretations== | ==Modern Scholarly Interpretations== | ||