Was the pregnancy of Mary, the Virgin (peace be upon her), like an ordinary pregnancy of nine months?
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The questioner : He is asking about Mary, the Virgin: when she became pregnant, was her pregnancy like an ordinary pregnancy of nine months, or what?
The Shaykh : Before answering this question, I would like to say that a person should not occupy himself with questions like this, which may be of no benefit. A person has responsibilities to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to the servants of Allah. He has responsibilities to Allah the Exalted in creed, speech, and action, so he should focus on that rather than on such matters, which are among the superfluous details of knowledge. A person should not occupy himself with what has no benefit for him and leave what has benefit for him. He should not ask about the color of the dog of the People of the Cave, nor should he ask about the name of the one whom Allah killed for a hundred years and then brought back to life, nor should he ask about the nationality of those who came out of their homes in thousands, nor should he ask about the one whom Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) commanded to be struck with to kill the man from the Children of Israel, and the like of these matters, whose ignorance does no harm. If knowing them had been beneficial, Allah the Exalted would have made it clear to His servants. This includes the question raised by the questioner: was the pregnancy of Mary (may Allah be pleased with her) like the usual pregnancy of women, or did it have another characteristic? We say: It is known that what concerns us is that her pregnancy (may Allah be pleased with her) was not through a man, unlike other women. Rather, Allah the Exalted explained this in detail in Surat Maryam, saying:[Maryam 19:16-21] And Allah the Exalted explained in another verse that this was through His blowing of His spirit, saying the Exalted: And she carried the child, and Allah the Exalted mentioned the end of the story. What concerns us is how this pregnancy came about, but how long it remained in her womb, whether it was a long or short period, does not concern us, and therefore Allah the Exalted did not specify it for us in His Book. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh Muhammad. A message was received by the program from Faisal Faraj Abd al-Razzaq, College of Engineering, Baghdad. The listener Faisal has a set of questions, first.
The Shaykh : Before answering this question, I would like to say that a person should not occupy himself with questions like this, which may be of no benefit. A person has responsibilities to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to the servants of Allah. He has responsibilities to Allah the Exalted in creed, speech, and action, so he should focus on that rather than on such matters, which are among the superfluous details of knowledge. A person should not occupy himself with what has no benefit for him and leave what has benefit for him. He should not ask about the color of the dog of the People of the Cave, nor should he ask about the name of the one whom Allah killed for a hundred years and then brought back to life, nor should he ask about the nationality of those who came out of their homes in thousands, nor should he ask about the one whom Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) commanded to be struck with to kill the man from the Children of Israel, and the like of these matters, whose ignorance does no harm. If knowing them had been beneficial, Allah the Exalted would have made it clear to His servants. This includes the question raised by the questioner: was the pregnancy of Mary (may Allah be pleased with her) like the usual pregnancy of women, or did it have another characteristic? We say: It is known that what concerns us is that her pregnancy (may Allah be pleased with her) was not through a man, unlike other women. Rather, Allah the Exalted explained this in detail in Surat Maryam, saying:
(16) And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east. (17) And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man. (18) She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allah." (19) He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy." (20) She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?" (21) He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.' "
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا * فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا * قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَانِ مِنْكَ إِنْ كُنتَ تَقِيًّا * قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلامًا زَكِيًّا * قَالَتْ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلامٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا * قَالَ كَذَلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ ءايَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِنَّا وَكَانَ أَمْراً مَقْضِيّاً فَحَمَلَتْهُAnd Maryam, the daughter of Imran, who chaste her private parts, so We breathed into her from Our Spirit.
وَمريم بنت عمران الَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ رُوحِنَاThe questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh Muhammad. A message was received by the program from Faisal Faraj Abd al-Razzaq, College of Engineering, Baghdad. The listener Faisal has a set of questions, first.