Among all the women mentioned in the Qur'an, only one is called by her name, and she is honoured so greatly that an entire chapter - Surah Maryam, the nineteenth surah - carries it. Her story is also told beautifully in Surah Aal 'Imran (the third surah). Maryam, the mother of the Prophet 'Isa (peace be upon him), is held up in the Qur'an as a model of devotion and purity for all believers, women and men alike.
Maryam was dedicated to the worship of Allah from before she was even born. Her mother, longing for a child, vowed to devote her baby to the service of Allah. When Maryam was born, she was placed under the care of the Prophet Zakariyya (peace be upon him). She grew up in a place of worship, and the Qur'an tells us that whenever Zakariyya entered upon her, he found provision with her. When he asked where it came from, she answered simply that it was from Allah, who provides without limit for whom He wills. Even as a young girl, her trust in Allah was complete.
“Then came the moment that would test her beyond anything imaginable. The angel Jibril appeared to her in the form of a man, and she - modest and God-fearing - sought refuge in Allah from him. The angel reassured her that he was a messenger from her Lord, sent to give her the news of a pure boy. Maryam was astonished: how could she have a child when no man had ever touched her? The answer was that this was easy for Allah, and that her son would be a sign for humankind and a mercy. So 'Isa (peace be upon him) was created by the command of Allah - "Be," and he was - one of the great miracles of the Qur'an.”
Maryam carried her pregnancy and withdrew to a far place. The pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree, and in her exhaustion and worry she cried out, wishing she had been forgotten entirely, for she knew what her people would say. But Allah comforted her: a stream was made to flow beneath her, and she was told to shake the palm tree so fresh, ripe dates would fall for her to eat. Even in her hardest hour, alone and afraid, Allah provided for her with tenderness.
When she returned to her people carrying the baby, they accused her harshly, unable to imagine how this could be. Maryam did not argue or defend herself with words. Instead, as Allah had instructed her, she simply pointed to the infant. Astonished, they asked how they could speak to a baby in the cradle - and then the baby 'Isa spoke, by the permission of Allah, declaring that he was a servant of Allah, given the Scripture and made a prophet, and blessed wherever he would be. Maryam's innocence was defended not by her own tongue but by a miracle from her Lord.
The lessons of Maryam's story are purity, trust, and dignity. She kept herself pure in worship and character; she trusted Allah completely, even when His plan for her seemed impossible and frightening; and she faced cruel accusation with a quiet, dignified silence, letting Allah defend her honour. For a child - and especially for a young girl growing up in a noisy world - Maryam is a luminous example that true strength is not always loud, and that a heart devoted to Allah is never truly alone. The Qur'an tells us Allah chose her and purified her above the women of the worlds.