On Feb. 5, the Center for Multifaith Ministry hosted a book talk in the Driscoll Auditorium on The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries by Younus Y. Mirza.
The event featured a presentation by Mirza followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Mirza proposed questions for the audience to keep in mind throughout the talk. Some included: How are the Biblical and Qur’anic Mary/Maryam similar and different? Can Mary be an interfaith figure? How can Mary be a model for modern people and an inspiration for social justice?
Mirza then discussed a few key pieces of context. Mirza grew up with three sisters. Comically, he noted that he was made an “honorary member” of their Girl Scout troop.
Regarding his introduction to theology, Mirza took courses on Islam and the question of God at Georgetown, where he earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD.
After his introduction, Mirza listed out some fascinating facts regarding Mary (or Maryam) in both Islam and Christianity.
First, he noted that Mary is the only female name explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an.
Specifically, she is mentioned 34 times, often in reference to being Jesus’s mother.
Additionally, there’s an entire Sura (a chapter of the Qur’an) named after her (Surat Maryam), which emerged from the late Meccan era.
An important point in Mirza’s talk was the topic of fasting. Mirza discussed both Maryam’s fast and how fasting is described in the Qur’an. Maryam’s fast is stated, “And say to anyone you may see: ‘I have vowed to the Lord of Mercy to fast from conversation, and I will not talk to anyone today’” (Qur’an 19:26).
This represents the famous strength in Mary’s stillness and silence. Regarding fasting in general: “You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God” (Qu’ran 2:183).
Next, Mirza mentioned how Mary serves as a common figure in both Islam and Christianity. First of all, both Christians and Muslims make a pilgrimage to the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus, representing the multifaith admiration and respect for her figure.
Furthermore, Mirza noted that Maryam is an “inspiration in the way that she was tender and loving and devoted to God so much so that she could raise a child that could change the entire world.”
He specifically mentioned that Mary allows Christians to look at Islam through a different lens: as a similarity.
Sometimes, it is common to look at Islam as the “other religion,” but Maryam serves as a symbolic bridge between the two religions.
“[Christians and Muslims] need to speak more about love; love can be the bond between Muslims and Christians,” Mirza said.
He noted how love, exemplified by Mary, is a common theme between Islam and Christianity and how it can serve as a bridge to interfaith respect and connection.
The best way to empower women in an interfaith context was explored.
“Part of my effort is to encourage women as teachers and scholars and to view them as people of spirituality, faith, and knowledge, as opposed to viewing them in a narrow light,” Mirza said.
Whether Mary is a prophet was also explored.
“In Islamic tradition, the prophets are the most righteous individuals,” Mirza said. “Sometimes we overemphasize that Mary is a woman or a mother rather than a model worthy of emulation. One argument is that [Mary] is a prophet because the angel Gabriel came to her, and all prophets have direct communication with God. We have to think of definitions that go beyond gender. What is a prophet? What is a model of emulation?”
Overall, the book talk was a very informative and fascinating interfaith dialogue that showed how Mary (or Maryam) can serve as a model for both Christians and Muslims.
