The Islamic Mary: Between Prophecy and Orthodoxy

This article traces the medieval debate over the potential prophecy of the Islamic Mary (or Maryam). The debate is initiated by the Andalusian exegete and scholar Ibn Hazm (d. 456/1064) who argues that women, most importantly Mary, could be prophets because they were spoken to directly by God or His messengers. The argument is continued by al-Qurtubi (d. 671/1273), who makes a special case for Mary's prophecy because the angel Gabriel is believed to have come close to her and 'breathed' his spirit into her. Mary is, furthermore, he asserts, one of the greatest prophets because she accepted God's will without any question or scepticism. However, the argument that Mary was a prophet was refuted by the Damascene exegete Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1373), who argued that Mary was not a prophet but rather truthful and righteous (si. ddiqa) according to the Qur'an. He bases his position on the fact that the Qur'an does not term any woman a prophet, and that she did not follow the path of those named as prophets, who called their people to a particular mission and cause. Ibn Kathir's argument eventually won the day as his tafsir has become, in modern times, the most widespread and popular of all Qur'an commentaries.