Mary of Nazareth in Christianity and Aisha in Islam - Essay Example

RELIGION Two of the leading religions in the world today are Christianity and Islam. Although the main personalities in both religion are male, there are women too who have made their indelible mark in both religions by their roles and functions. Two such women are Mary of Nazareth in Christianity, and Aisha bint Abu Bakr, one of the wives of Prophet Muhammad in Islam. MARY OF NAZARETH It is quite common in modern culture to choose role models from among personalities such as film stars, sports superstars, power-wielding politicians and wealth-accumulating business tycoons. It is very rare that the role model chosen is the most flawless woman that ever lived – Mary of Nazareth (Slate), a woman whose role and functions in Christianity are so immense and vital that, to this day, she is venerated by people all over the world on a level surpassed only by that accorded to God {in His three forms of the Holy Trinity – God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit} Himself. The greatest role and function of Mary in Christianity is her undertaking the task of giving birth to Jesus Christ. Because of her valiancy in adhering to the teachings and commandments of God, Mary was chosen among all females to become the mortal mother of God’s son (Dana, 1). Mary’s role as mother of Jesus gains much more praise and respect when one considers the painful experiences associated with it. First of all, giving birth is a painful and {given the archaic and woefully inadequate medical facilities during those times} dangerous task. Yet, when Angel Gabriel announced to Mary {at the Annunciation} that she would give birth to the future Son of Man while remaining a virgin {“And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus” (Dana, 37)}}, she simply and wholeheartedly put her faith in God and accepted God’s wish, calling herself the ‘hand maid of the Lord’ (Pelikan, 67). Mary agreed to God’s plan for her without bothering to ponder on the possible adverse effects it may cause. At that time, she was only betrothed {not yet totally and legally married} to Joseph, who was of the lineage of King David (Crystalinks.com). If her husband did not accept her explanation about a ‘virgin pregnancy’ {to be fair, very few husbands – in those days where women hardly enjoyed any rights or freedom – would accept such an explanation} and retaliated angrily by disowning her and banishing her from his house, she risked becoming an outcast, facing societal rejection and even possible stoning to death on suspicion of adultery (Slate). As always, Mary put her faith in God and sure enough, He came to her aid (Crystalinks.com). First, God sent the Holy Spirit to reveal about Mary’s ‘immaculate conception’ to Joseph in a dream. The revelation frightened Joseph and left him in a quandary as to what course of action he should take. God again sent another revelation, this time through one of his angels, assuring Joseph that he could safely put away his fear and take Mary home in order to fulfill the wedding formalities and legalise the marriage (Crystalinks.com). The matrimony of Mary and Joseph therefore came to be a true marriage although it was not sexually consummated (Pelikan, 122). God thus ensured Mary was safe from gossip, and secure in the knowledge that Joseph would provide and take care of her and her unborn child (Dana, 81). Secondly, knowing that Mary was in need of female company and solace, God made Angel Gabriel tell her in advance {during the Annunciation} that her cousin Elizabeth had “conceived a son in an old age by an act of God” (Dana, 63), and that she should go and visit her for comfort and sustenance (Dana, 64). Mary accordingly travelled to Judah to visit Elizabeth and stayed with her for 3 months (Crystalinks.com). Her immense strength based on her faith in God continued to help Mary all through her later life that contained many events which brought her a lot of sorrow and suffering (Slate). The first problematic event involved the birth of Jesus. In response to a decree of Augustus, Joseph and Mary had to undertake a journey of 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a tedious and painstaking experience for the heavily pregnant woman in the last days of her pregnancy. After finding all the inns full and no accommodation available (Crystalinks.com), experiencing “sharp, strong and regular labour pains” (Dana, 88), that denoted she was due to conceive at any moment, Mary had no adequate and secluded place to give birth. Such a situation would have been very alarming and desperate to any normal mother, but Mary was far from normal. She put her faith in God and He came to her aid yet again by directing Joseph to a temporary shelter {a stable} where Mary could give birth to the Son of Man (Slate). In accordance with Angel Gabriel’s instructions, the baby was named ‘Jesus’ {“Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Dana, 77)}. The second problematic event that Mary had to experience was the Flight to Egypt. After giving birth to Jesus, she was unable to go back to her home or family, thereby being prevented from relishing and reveling in new motherhood as other mothers normally do. Instead, she was forced to flee {Mary knew that Joseph was divinely instructed to do so (Dana, 107)} with her son and husband to a strange new country {Egypt} to escape from the intense fear King Herod the Great was about to unleash by killing the first born male children throughout the land {the Massacre of the Innocents} (Slate). This act of King Herod was a frustrated reaction to the disappearance of the 3 wise men (Dana, 105) who he had earlier beguiled into locating Jesus on the false pretext that he could also go and worship him; guided by the star, the 3 wise men did find and worship Jesus, but, warned by God’s angel about Herod’s plan to kill Jesus, they returned to their countries by another route. The death of King Herod the Great made it safe for Joseph to return to Nazareth with Mary and Jesus. Their return was followed a relatively calm period of 30 years in Mary’s life. This period was punctuated by several important events involving Jesus, all of which were witnessed by his mother. The first was Jesus’ astounding learned interaction with Jewish scholars in a temple at Jerusalem when he was just 12 years of age. The second event was Jesus’ baptism in River Jordan by John the Baptist, during which the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven in the form of a dove and rested on Jesus. The third event was Jesus being subjected to temptation by the Devil in the desert. The fourth event was a marriage in Cana, where, at the behest of Mary, Jesus enacted his first public miracle by changing water into wine (Crystalinks.com). Mary became one of Jesus’ most ardent and faithful followers, one who would testify to Jesus’ divinity (Dana, 93). The third and worst grief causing event that Mary had to bear was the torture, crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross. Although Mary was indirectly forewarned about this in a revelation {during Jesus’ circumcision ceremony} that ‘sorrow, like a sharp sword’ would strike her heart, she would surely have guess it concerned Jesus, and would have worried a lot about it, yet she did not try to dissuade Jesus from starting his ministry. Mary reared, educated and sustained Jesus until such time he was ready to start his teachings. Although her heart must surely have bled when she saw her innocent son (Slate) being “sacrificed on the cross for mankind” (Pelikan, 33), and later when she cradled his dead body in her arms {this event, called ‘pieta’ or ‘piety,’ has since become a famous motif in art (Crystalinks.com)}, she never resorted to cursing or uttering regrets. Instead, she accepted this greatest sorrowful event of her life {when, as foretold, the sword of grief and pain deeply pierced her heart and soul (Dana, 140)}, grieving at the death of Jesus because he was her son, yet welcoming it because he was her Saviour (Pelikan, 126), by putting her full faith in God and fully believing He was doing the right thing (Slate). The extent of Jesus’ love and regard for Mary is evident from the fact that during his dying moments on the cross, he looked down on his mother and ‘the disciple whom he loved’ and exhorted them to look after each other, saying to the disciple ‘Behold thy mother’ and to Mary ‘Behold thy son’ (Pelikan, 3). Mary was true to Jesus and his gospel even after his death (Dana, 140). After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, the Bible describes Mary and the eleven apostles gathering in the Upper Room to formally elect Matthias in place of the traitor Judas. This is the last mention of Mary in the Bible; there is even no record of her death in it (Crystalinks.com). Mary lived an exemplary life as a woman endowed with power – a power that came from her total faith in God and her total commitment to following the path of righteousness and morality. She teaches us two important things. By delivering the Son of Man into the world, thereby doing the task that God had asked of her, she reveals how important it is to do God’s bidding at all times. It may seem unfair and unreasonable on many occasions, but one must rely on faith in God and be sure that He will never abandon us in our hour of need. Secondly, by continuously reflected deeply on God’s actions in her life in connection to her son, her relatives and her society, Mary teaches us about the power of pondering deeply on the human connections that are part of our lives (Chakkuvarackal). The worship of Mary started early in the history of Christianity and spread rapidly. The title ‘Mother of God’ {Theotokos} officially conferred on her by the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D added to her growing stature among believers. During the Medieval Age, veneration of Mary reached great heights with massive cathedrals being named after her, and people at all levels of life reciting the rosary with religious fervour. The intensity fell in the period following the Reformation as Protestants refused to believe in Catholic veneration and iconography of Mary, portraying them as non-biblical practices. The Protestant opposition to Mary was further emphasized during the Counter-Reformation, serving to heighten Marian fervour among Catholics. This fervour was further strengthened following the enshrinement of the Immaculate Conception as dogma, and in response to the formal opposition faced by the Catholic Church in the form of the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and European secularising trends during the 19th century. The overall result was a widening of the chasm between Protestants and Roman Catholics {supported by Orthodox Christians} over the role of Mary (Religionlink.org). Mary became a converging point for secular and religious discussions about women. Feminists tended to depict her as a firm-willed woman suitable to be a modern role model, while social conservatives sought to project her as the role model of traditional motherhood {submitting to authority and generally passive}. As a result, whether it is the quest for the ‘sacred feminine’ in religion, or the attempt to make motherhood compatible with modernity, Mary began finding adherents both within and outside religious communities (Religionlink.org). After the first apparition of Mary to a native farmer in Guadalupe {Mexico} in 1531, several other apparitions have occurred in different parts of the world during the last 150 years such as France, Italy, Poland, Nicaragua, Belgium, Spain, Egypt, Holland, Philippines, Japan and the U.S. Mary’s general message in all of them is to urge mankind to resort to prayer, repent for their sins, and enhance their devotion to the Blessed Sacraments, notably the Eucharist and Confession. Not all of Mary’s apparitions have been officially approved by the Roman Catholic Church. Among the approved apparitions, the most famous took place in 1531 and 1858. In the former, Mary appeared to Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico. Identifying herself as the ‘perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God,’ she assured mankind of all her love, compassion, help and protection. In the latter apparition to a poor and illiterate young girl named Bernadette Boubirous in Lourdes, France, Mary identified herself as ‘the Immaculate Conception,’ and asked the girl to dig at a particular spot in the barren ground. Bernadette did as she was told. The water that began flowing from that moment quickly grew into a steam and is now the size of a medium river. Hundreds of miracle healings have been reported from drinking the water or bathing in it {practical testimony of this are the rows of crutches left by lame people who were cured and walked away unaided} (Apparitions.org). While the regularly appearing, Church approved apparitions of Mary continued in recent times {the last one was in Litmanova, Slovakia, in 1995 (Apparitions.org)}, Marion fervour worldwide has been heightened following the great success of movies like ‘The Passion of Christ’ {2004} and ‘The Nativity Story’ {2006} that have highlighted the historical role of Mary. As a result, many Protestants are currently looking for channels to recapture Marion devotion without accepting Catholic beliefs and traditions. In the U.S, Marion reverence has exacerbated following the large scale immigration of Latin-Americans {especially Mexicans, whose devotion to Mary is exceptionally great following her apparition in Guadalupe}, and by the surfacing of Islam in the U.S that has highlighted Muslim respect and regard for Mary (Religionlink.org). The revelations to Prophet Muhammad contained references to Mary that emphasized the fact that she was the virgin mother of Jesus (Pelikan, 53). Mary is accorded a distinctly respected and honoured place in the Islamic Holy Qur’an where Mary {she is called Maryam} is the only woman mentioned directly by name in several sections within it. She is referred to as ‘a Chosen One’ in 3:42, ‘a Truthful One’ in 5:75, ‘an Obedient One’ and ‘One who guarded her chastity’ in 66:12, and ‘her child [was] conceived through a Word from God’ in 3:45. The highest praise is contained in Section 3:42 which says she is ‘exalted above all women of the Worlds/Universes’ (Crystalinks.com). This last description of Mary, coming as it does in the Holy Book of Christianity’s largest competing religion {Islam} in the world today, goes to show, as nothing else can, the immense role and function of Mary in Christianity. It is therefore seen as a rightful honour and authentic expression of her position in the divine order when Mary is acclaimed as “second in dignity only to God himself” (Pelikan, 134). AISHA BINT ABU BAKR Aisha bint Abu Bakr is ranked among the all-time greatest scholars of Islam. The volume and scope of her knowledge about Islam was so immense that no individual - male or female, with the exception of Prophet Muhammad – possessed greater knowledge than her (Petonito). Aisha’s larger-than-life stature in Islam is well elucidated in the famous saying: “In the land of Arabia, a child was born, and this child grew into a remarkable and great Muslim – and her name was Aisha” (Halel). Aisha was born in the year 614 A.D to Abu Bakr and his wife Umm Ruman just after they converted to Islam. Abu Bakr was an intimate friend, regular companion and passionate follower of Prophet Muhammad. The latter used to visit the Abu Bakr household regularly. Aisha did not go to school, but gained a lot of knowledge in her childhood from Abu Bakr, who was renowned for his immense knowledge. The first strong hint of a distinctive role for Aisha in Islam came when Prophet Muhammad recounted details of divine revelation to him that showed he was destined to marry her: “You were shown to me in a dream. An angel brought you to me, wrapped in a piece of silken cloth, and said to me, ‘This is your wife,’ I removed the piece of cloth from your face, and there you were. I said to myself, ‘If it is from Allah, then it will surely be” (Halel). The marriage between Prophet Muhammad and Aisha {she was 15 years old at that time} turned out to be a very happy one for them both. Although she was his third wife and the Prophet later took other wives, Aisha remained his favourite and one he loved the most. When his followers frequently questioned him: “O Messenger of God, whom do you love the most in the world,” the Prophet invariably named Aisha (Brugman). As Aisha did not attend any school, there was no question of her attending university {not that there were any during those days} (Brugman). Aisha became her husband’s most dedicated student and closely observed all his actions and examples (Halel). Her exceptional memory power enabled her to preserve a large number of priceless sayings of the Prophet (Brugman). Aisha was naturally endowed with vast intelligence, extraordinary wisdom and a strong memory, thanks to which she soon became extremely proficient in mathematics, poetry, oratory and medicine {her expertise in medicine was developed as a result of observing and learning from the physicians who treated her husband}. Realising the importance of questioning about things not understood properly, she constantly asked questions without feeling shy or backward about doing so. As a result, the 10 years of marriage to the Prophet as his loving wife, intimate companion and most devoted pupil made Aisha acquire perceptiveness, learning and information such as no woman has ever gained in Islam. In addition, her moral character was moulded in a perfect and unique manner, and she personally witnessed many of the revelations to the Prophet and had a distinct impression of the conditions in which they were made known to him (Halel). Aisha developed into a leading authority in all forms of knowledge, be it related to society or politics. Although her teachings mainly concentrated on matters concerning women, many Islamic scholars and companions of the Prophet derived benefit from her words of wisdom, and consulted her in resolving intricate issues. This point is well explained by Abu Musa al-Ashari: “If we, the companions of the Messenger of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aisha about it.” His praise is echoed by another Islamic scholar, Arwa bin Zubair: “I did not find anyone more proficient than Aisha in the knowledge of the Qur’an and the Commandments of Halal {lawful} and Haram {banned}” (Halel). Even Prophet Muhammad himself acknowledged Aisha’s vast command of Islam; it is recorded that he frequently advised his follows to “Learn a portion of your religion {din} from Aisha” (Brugman). Her wisdom was so great that Islamic scholars are unanimous in their observation that without her, more than 50 per cent of the Ilm’l’Hadith {perception and knowledge of the Hadit [sayings of the Prophet] and Islam} would have died and disappeared (Halel). Aisha was also a leader in war and politics. She took part personally in many wars fought by the Islamic followers of the Prophet including the 3 vital battles that transferred the balance of power in favour of the Muslims – the battles of Badr, al-Khandaq and Uhud. Aisha’s role in the battles consisted not only of carrying food and water to Muslim warriors and looking after the wounded, but also of encouraging and motivating them with her oratory and poetry (Halel). Despite the presence of his other wives, the Prophet’s love for Aisha – a love she reciprocated totally – remained steadfast until his death in 632 A.D. As if to confirm this, the Prophet insisted on spending his dying moments in Aisha’s apartment, where he breathed his last while resting his head of her lap. On his instruction, the Seal of the Prophets was buried in a grave in the same room where he died (Brugman). The death of the Prophet marked the start of Aisha’s scholarship and active reform. Aisha spent the remaining 46 years of her life learning and gaining knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet. She also committed the Revelations to memory, reflected upon them, understood them, and wrote her own script of the Qur’an (Halel). She developed an extensive knowledge of the ‘secrets of the faith’ {asrar ud-din} that included the causes {asbab} and the declaration {hokum} on specific matters {masla} (Sikand). Due to her immense knowledge, Aisha is looked upon as a source of reliable information for ascribing meaning to any part of the Qur’an and as a communicator of Hadit (Halel). Aisha is one among 4 individuals who transmitted the Hadit – the other 3 are Abu Hurayrah, Abdulla ibn Omar and Anas ibn Malik (Brugman). Aisha’s transmission of 2,000 Hadit provides Muslims a clear perception into the Prophet’s everyday life and mannerisms, thereby maintaining and protecting the Sunnah of Muhammad (Halel). Many of the Hadit relate to private viewpoints of personal behaviour that only a person in Aisha’s position could have learnt (Brugman). Aisha began a career in education and social reform. She was the innovator of education promotion, especially for girls and women. She organised education programmes for boys and girls {including orphans} (Halel), as well as her relatives, effectively turning her house into a school and academy. In the absence of the Prophet, it is reported that men and women {the women far outnumbered the men} travelled great distances to partake of her immense knowledge of Islam, consult her on various issues and receive her judgement gratefully (Brugman). Islamic scholars continued to come to her for guidance, verbally rendering Hadit narratives to her which she would then censure (Sikand). For example, it is reported that the renowned scholar Abu Hurarayah held classes outside Aisha’s apartment, and after narrating a Hadit, would request her approval. Aisha had all the qualities of a good teacher, namely, a distinct and convincing manner of speech, and a powerful oratory. Her speeches were received with respect and awe, as noted by Muslim scholar al-Ahnaf: “I have heard speech of Abu Bakr and Umair, Uthman and Ali, and the Khulafa up to this day, but I have not heard a speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person other than from the mouth of Aisha” (Halel). Aisha is also reported to have announced several fatwas {opinions} on matters related to jurisprudence {fiqhi masail} and is therefore regarded as the first female mufti. She was so learned that if there was no direct reference in the Qur’an or Hadit to any issue, she used to develop her own judgement {ijtihad} and announce her opinion; she is therefore also regarded as the first female Muslim mujtahid (Sikand). Although Aisha remained childless until her death in 678 A.D, Muslims regard her as ‘The Mother of Believers.’ As a mark of great respect, regard and honour for the woman who did so much for Islam (Halel), Aisha was buried in Jannat al-Baqi {City of Light} in a grave next to other close companions of Prophet Muhammad (Brugman). By her shining example of being greatly respected, especially by men, Aisha proved that women are in no way inferior to men, either in terms of knowledge, spirituality or morality, and as such, deserved a status equal to men in society (Halel). Aisha’s example was emulated, albeit to a much lesser degree, by several students who she trained such as Umrah bint Abdur Rahman, who developed into an outstanding narrator of Hadit (Brugman). Aisha’s greatness and wisdom is well portrayed by renowned Muslim scholar Imam Zahni: “If the knowledge of all the men and the Mother of the Universe are gathered in one place, the knowledge of Aisha would be vaster” (Brugman). Although Aisha’s life achievements and scholarly ideas may be over 14 centuries old, they are not confined to dusty, ancient manuscripts but are still alive and vibrant today (Petonito), her eloquent words of wisdom are studied in colleges of literature, her legal utterances are studied in faculties of law, and her life and works are studied by pupils and teachers of Muslim history (Brugman). Aisha, the most learned and spiritual Muslim woman, continues to inspire and guide Muslims throughout the world (Halel). The role and functions of Aisha in Islam proves that a woman is capable of assimilating much more learning than men, and that she is capable of teaching scholars and experts. Aisha’s role and functions in Islam also proves that a woman can exercise swaying power over men and women, and supply them with creativeness and leadership. Finally, Aisha’s role and functions in Islam also proves that the same woman can be completely feminine and bring sensual gratification, happiness and comfort to her husband (Brugman). References: Brugman, Youssef. “Aisha bint Abu Bakr.” Ancient-history.nl. 2005. 28 Apr. 2008. Chakkuvarackal, Johnson T. “Woman-Power in the Canonical Gospels: A Paradigm for the Modern Patriarchal Societies.” Religiononline.org. 2002. 28 Apr. 2008. Dana, Bruce E. “Mary, Mother of Jesus.” USA: Bonneville Books. 2001. “The Growing Appeal of the Mother of Jesus.” Religionlink.org. 2007. 28 Apr. 2008. Halel, Denise. “A Woman for All Seasons: Aisha bint Abu Bakr.” Crescentlife.com. (N.d). 28 Apr. 2008. “Major Apparitions of Jesus and Mary.” Apparitions.org. 2004. 28 Apr. 2008. < http://www.apparitions.org/> “Mother Mary.” Crystalinks.com. (N.d). 28 Apr. 2008. Pelikan, Jaroslav. “Mary through the Centuries: Her Place in the History of Culture.” USA: Yale University Press. 1998. Petonito, Gina. “Portrait of a Female Scholar of Early Islam: Aisha bint Abu Bakr Siddique.” Western Illinois University. (N.d). 28 Apr. 2008. Sikand, Yoginder. “Reviving a Tradition: Muslim Women as Religious Authorities.” Indianmuslims.info. 2008. 28 Apr. 2008. Slate, Angela. “Mary, Mother of Jesus, as the Model of Faith.” Helium.com. 2008. 28 Apr. 2008. Read More