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The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries
The Islamic Mary explores the figure of Mary/Maryamshared between Christians and Muslims. Maryam is revered throughout the Islamic tradition, beginning already in the scripture of the Qur'an. This book examines the varied appearances of Maryam in different Islamic extending from the mentions of Maryam in the Qur'an and the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, to her appearances in medieval theological debates regarding prophecy, to citations of her virtuous model in Sufi discussions of piety, to her depictions in Islamic art, and up to modern interfaith relations.
- GenresIslamReligionNonfiction
177 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 13, 2026
Beautiful BEAUTIFUL book. Had an atheist like me fangirling over Mary. My heart is yours Mary.
February 4, 2026
Protestants have always struggled with what to do with Mary. While traditionally affirming the virginal conception/birth of Jesus, in part because Matthew and Luke appear to teach it. In this case, it has more to do with inerrancy than anything. At the same time, because Mary plays such an important role in Roman Catholicism, that is a strike against her. What is interesting about Mary is that not only does she play a role in Christianity due to being the mother of Jesus, but she also plays a major role within Islam. While Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus, they do affirm the perpetual virginity of Mary. This may surprise many Christians. So, maybe it's time to hear a word from within Islam about Mary (AKA Maryam).
Younus Y. Mirza has taken up the task of exploring Mary's role in Islam from the earliest days to the present in his book "Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries." Mirza is the founding director of the Barzini Institute for Global Virtual Learning at Shenandoah University, as well as the co-author with John Kaltner of The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition. It was while writing that book that he became fascinated with Mary. Mirza writes with the hope that lifting up the role of Mary, a Jewish woman who gave birth to the founder of Christianity and a figure of importance in Islam, might contribute to greater understanding among these three related faith traditions. In fact, Mirza notes that while "the term Abrahamic still holds currency, new books have emerged discussing the Islamic Mary or Maryam. These books build on the ecumenical spirit of the early discussions on Abraham but highlights a new figure who opens innovative possibilities regarding Christian-Muslim relations, spirituality, and women and religion." (p. 9).
So, with this ecumenical/interfaith possibility in mind, Mirza begins his exploration of the story of Mary in chapter 1 with "Maryam in the Qur'an." Here, we discover how Mary fits within the Qur'an as a "Qur'anic Daughter." Note that in the Qur'an, the story begins with her as a daughter, not a mother, apparently drawing on the story of her birth in the Protoevangelium of James as well as other noncanonical sources. The Prophet Zakariyya (father of John) serves as Maryam's protector in the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, she is known as one of the spiritual elites to whom God speaks. The question that emerges in the Qur'an and continues to be raised is whether she is the greatest of women of her time or all times. Then there is her role as mother of 'Isa (Jesus), but Joseph is not present, and she gives birth in isolation, her pregnancy begins after being touched by the angel Jibril (Gabriel). The story here is very different from Matthew and Luke. Mirza writes that "The Qur'an presents Maryam as an independent figure with her own genealogy and miracles, specifically her birth, labor, and inner thoughts and prayers." (p. 31).
Maryam appears not only in the Qur'an, but as we see in chapter two, we find "Maryam in the Prophetic Literature." This includes the hadiths and the biography of Muhammad. One place where Maryam appears in the biography is the story of an early party of Muhammad's followers who go to Christian Abyssinia, where the Islamic embrace of Maryam serves as an entry point for the group. She appears in numerous other places, often as an exemplar, along with Muhammad's wives and his daughter Fatima, along with 'Asiya, Pharaoh's wife in the story of Moses. So once again, we see reverence for the Islamic Mary.
We move in chapter three to "Maryam in Theology." Because she figures prominently in the Qur'an, the Hadiths, and other prophetic literature, it was necessary to find a place for her in Islamic theology. The question was her role, including whether she was a prophet or ranked among the greatest of women. She plays a different role in Shi'i theology because here, Fatima, wife of Ali and daughter of Muhammad, has the preeminent role. Still, she was an honored person, worthy of being emulated. Then there is "Maryam and Mysticism" (Chapter 4). Mirza explores Mary's place within Islamic mysticism, including in Sufi thought. Here, Maryam serves as a model of spiritual devotion and sainthood, especially as a model of celibate asceticism.
Islamic Art is different in many ways, in large part due to the rejection of depictions of Muhammad. Yet, art comes in a variety of forms, including film, so in Chapter Five, Mirza explores the role of "Maryam in Islamic Art and Film." Regarding depictions of Maryam, some reflect aniconism and others offer full depictions, in part because she was not considered a prophet by most scholars.
The final chapter discusses "Maryam in Contemporary Times," bringing her story up to the present day. It is here that Mirza focuses his attention on Mary's role as a bridge between Christianity and Islam. He introduces us to a pilgrimage site in Turkey near Ephesus, where Maryam supposedly lived. Both Muslims and Christians gather to honor this beloved saint. He also notes that Vatican II's Nostra Aetate makes note of Islam's reverence for Mary. The same is true of the more recent document, 'A Common Word." In sharing how Christian scholars have taken notice of Mary, Mirza makes note of the work of Rev. Daniel Madigan, SJ, who suggests that Muhammad is not to be seen in competition with Jesus, but instead Muhammad might be seen as a type of Mary. That is, Muhammad and Mary both bear God's Word, but are not the Word. Another parallel here is that even as Mary is depicted as a Virgin, so Muhammad is depicted as illiterate, but both can bring about the Word of God. I thought that was a fascinating insight. There are also feminist engagements with Mary from both Christian and Muslim scholars that reveal similarities of vision. The important thing here is Mary's role as a bridge for contemporary interfaith conversations.
As he points out in his conclusion, Mary/Maryam remains an important figure in the modern world for both religions. As such, she can serve as a bridge between the two. Therefore, in his view, more attention needs to be paid to Mary in the pursuit of finding that common word. With that in mind, we can see in Mary/Maryam an important figure around whom we can gather. That might be difficult for some Protestants, but perhaps the fact that Mary plays such an important role in Islam can open spaces for Protestants to embrace Mary as well. All in all, this is both a fascinating and important book.
Younus Y. Mirza has taken up the task of exploring Mary's role in Islam from the earliest days to the present in his book "Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries." Mirza is the founding director of the Barzini Institute for Global Virtual Learning at Shenandoah University, as well as the co-author with John Kaltner of The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition. It was while writing that book that he became fascinated with Mary. Mirza writes with the hope that lifting up the role of Mary, a Jewish woman who gave birth to the founder of Christianity and a figure of importance in Islam, might contribute to greater understanding among these three related faith traditions. In fact, Mirza notes that while "the term Abrahamic still holds currency, new books have emerged discussing the Islamic Mary or Maryam. These books build on the ecumenical spirit of the early discussions on Abraham but highlights a new figure who opens innovative possibilities regarding Christian-Muslim relations, spirituality, and women and religion." (p. 9).
So, with this ecumenical/interfaith possibility in mind, Mirza begins his exploration of the story of Mary in chapter 1 with "Maryam in the Qur'an." Here, we discover how Mary fits within the Qur'an as a "Qur'anic Daughter." Note that in the Qur'an, the story begins with her as a daughter, not a mother, apparently drawing on the story of her birth in the Protoevangelium of James as well as other noncanonical sources. The Prophet Zakariyya (father of John) serves as Maryam's protector in the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, she is known as one of the spiritual elites to whom God speaks. The question that emerges in the Qur'an and continues to be raised is whether she is the greatest of women of her time or all times. Then there is her role as mother of 'Isa (Jesus), but Joseph is not present, and she gives birth in isolation, her pregnancy begins after being touched by the angel Jibril (Gabriel). The story here is very different from Matthew and Luke. Mirza writes that "The Qur'an presents Maryam as an independent figure with her own genealogy and miracles, specifically her birth, labor, and inner thoughts and prayers." (p. 31).
Maryam appears not only in the Qur'an, but as we see in chapter two, we find "Maryam in the Prophetic Literature." This includes the hadiths and the biography of Muhammad. One place where Maryam appears in the biography is the story of an early party of Muhammad's followers who go to Christian Abyssinia, where the Islamic embrace of Maryam serves as an entry point for the group. She appears in numerous other places, often as an exemplar, along with Muhammad's wives and his daughter Fatima, along with 'Asiya, Pharaoh's wife in the story of Moses. So once again, we see reverence for the Islamic Mary.
We move in chapter three to "Maryam in Theology." Because she figures prominently in the Qur'an, the Hadiths, and other prophetic literature, it was necessary to find a place for her in Islamic theology. The question was her role, including whether she was a prophet or ranked among the greatest of women. She plays a different role in Shi'i theology because here, Fatima, wife of Ali and daughter of Muhammad, has the preeminent role. Still, she was an honored person, worthy of being emulated. Then there is "Maryam and Mysticism" (Chapter 4). Mirza explores Mary's place within Islamic mysticism, including in Sufi thought. Here, Maryam serves as a model of spiritual devotion and sainthood, especially as a model of celibate asceticism.
Islamic Art is different in many ways, in large part due to the rejection of depictions of Muhammad. Yet, art comes in a variety of forms, including film, so in Chapter Five, Mirza explores the role of "Maryam in Islamic Art and Film." Regarding depictions of Maryam, some reflect aniconism and others offer full depictions, in part because she was not considered a prophet by most scholars.
The final chapter discusses "Maryam in Contemporary Times," bringing her story up to the present day. It is here that Mirza focuses his attention on Mary's role as a bridge between Christianity and Islam. He introduces us to a pilgrimage site in Turkey near Ephesus, where Maryam supposedly lived. Both Muslims and Christians gather to honor this beloved saint. He also notes that Vatican II's Nostra Aetate makes note of Islam's reverence for Mary. The same is true of the more recent document, 'A Common Word." In sharing how Christian scholars have taken notice of Mary, Mirza makes note of the work of Rev. Daniel Madigan, SJ, who suggests that Muhammad is not to be seen in competition with Jesus, but instead Muhammad might be seen as a type of Mary. That is, Muhammad and Mary both bear God's Word, but are not the Word. Another parallel here is that even as Mary is depicted as a Virgin, so Muhammad is depicted as illiterate, but both can bring about the Word of God. I thought that was a fascinating insight. There are also feminist engagements with Mary from both Christian and Muslim scholars that reveal similarities of vision. The important thing here is Mary's role as a bridge for contemporary interfaith conversations.
As he points out in his conclusion, Mary/Maryam remains an important figure in the modern world for both religions. As such, she can serve as a bridge between the two. Therefore, in his view, more attention needs to be paid to Mary in the pursuit of finding that common word. With that in mind, we can see in Mary/Maryam an important figure around whom we can gather. That might be difficult for some Protestants, but perhaps the fact that Mary plays such an important role in Islam can open spaces for Protestants to embrace Mary as well. All in all, this is both a fascinating and important book.
April 13, 2026
I really loved this! I found the analysis of Surah Maryam at different points really interesting, thinga like how the word “wudda” was used (for love) in the Qu’ran when referring to Mary but otherwise “hubb” is used are just so fascinating.
November 28, 2025
A really fascinating read! This book serves as a great way to promote interfaith dialogue as Mary serves as a bridge between Christianity and Islam (since she’s a prominent figure in both). I got to meet Dr. Mirza recently and he’s so nice!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews