At a few metres from the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem there is the little sanctuary of the Milk Grotto. It is inside and above a chalky grotto, which keeps a gracious tradition. When the bullies of Herod the Great went to Bethlehem to massacre all the children less than two years old, informed by a dream, Joseph rushed to Mary and solicited her to escape. Mary, who was breastfeeding Baby Jesus, frightened and in a hurry detached the Baby form her breast and in doing so a drop of milk fell on the ground. All of a sudden the grotto became white.

Putting aside the historical foundation, this gentle and delicate tradition has defied the centuries. The little sanctuary is visited above all by women who invoke fertility from the Mother of Jesus.  They pray, scratch the wall of the grotto, pick up a pinch of white chalk, take these things home and drink them devotedly diluted in water. What impresses most the supporters of pure religion is the fact that women of different creeds, Muslim, Hebrews and Christians go there to fulfil the same rite. Mother Mary unites all the women in their need and requests of graces, thus creating a kind o feminine solidarity that overcomes the rigid barriers of faith differences. The popular piety feels common affinities there, where academic theology tends to divide.  

What happens in the Milk Grotto, with similar or different characteristics, according to places and traditions, happens also practically in all areas where Christians and Muslims have been meeting, from Maghreb to Asia and the Indian sub-continent. It is a kind of “feminine and Marian ecumenism” of gestures, devotion, prayer, popular tradition, difficult to collect and express in formulae. These require conceptual and dogmatic reference points, which mark differences and belongings. Anthropologists would speak here of myths about the Great Mother. Theologians would worry about the risk of contaminating the orthodox faith. They are right from their viewpoint, but the fact remains, –more or less tolerated in the Christian and Muslim galaxies- witnessing to Mary as the meeting point of women from different religious traditions. 

Obviously, we cannot limit ourselves to observe the phenomenon. We need to go deeper and to ask ourselves: What is it that unites and divides Christians and Muslims in the figure of Mary? Beyond the marvellous and tender feminine sentiment, which draws to fraternity in the veneration of the Mother of Jesus, do Christianity and Islam consider Mary in the same way? Studies on this topic reveal that, whenever they are called to express “formally” their veneration to Mary,  Christians and Muslims are influenced exclusively by their respective religion of belonging. Pre-supposing the acquired Christian-Muslim formality, let us see what the Koran says about Mary.

In the sacred Book of Islam, Mary (Maryam) is the only woman called by name. Two sections speak of her diffusely: the Sura 3 (the family of ‘Imrân), 33-37.42-47 and the sura 19 (Maria), 16-36. There are more verses here and there referring directly to her. The only authoritative and authentic text for a Muslim is the Koran, and not the previous traditions contained in some Christian books, even if in the eyes of Christians some pieces of news are familiar. This is where affinities and differences find their origin. I shall transcribe directly, therefore, only from the Koran, quoting the full text and leaving aside some difficulties that would require ample explanations.

 “Biographic” news on Mary

According to the Koran, Mary is part of the « ‘Imrân family», «chosen» like «Adam, Noah and the people of Abraham» «above all creation as one another’s progeny» (3, 33-34). The wife of ‘Imrân (not named in the Koran), found herself pregnant and made a vow to God.

«Lord, I vow to You and what is in my womb will be free from the world and will be given to You! Accept this gift from me, you are one who listens to and knows!”. When she delivered the baby, she said, «Lord, see I have given birth to a baby girl!» (The Lord, however, knew very well whom she had given birth to). “A male is not like a female, but I have called her Mary and have put her under your protection, she her progeny, against Satan, the rejected». The Lord accepted the offering, of good acceptance, and made it bloom, of good blooming  (3,35-37a).

This narration of Mary’s birth underlines some particulars: she is from a prophetic family and is chosen by God; she is consecrated to God from her Mother’s womb: though not a male, she is under the divine protection against the snare of the devil, together with her future descendents, namely Jesus. She is accepted by God who thinks of her prodigious growth within the temple, as the narration continues to say.   

Zachariah, took her under his protection and whenever Zachariah entered the sanctuary, he would find there food and would tell her, «O Mary, where do you get this from?». She answered, «It comes from God, because we give it free of cost out of his Providence, to whomever He likes” (3,37b).

To the acceptance on behalf of God corresponds a life set apart; a life of consecration and recollection on behalf of Mary, which coincides with her growth in the temple, under the vigilant protection of the prophet Zachariah, who will be the father of John the Baptist. The care of God for Mary is expressed by the food from heaven, which provokes the wonder of the protector».

In the Sura of Mary, we read of a «voluntary retreat» of Mary, a separation from her people to the end of consecrating herself to God or, most probably, to safeguard her virginity.

The Book narrates that when Mary went far from her people to an eastern locality, to protect herself from them, she took a veil (19, 16-17a).

The faithful response of Mary to the predilection of God, is re-iterated by a stupendous angelic revelation, a strange echo of the Hail Mary:

The angels said to Mary, “Mary! Truly, the Lord has chosen and purified you above all women of creation. Mary, be devoted to your Lord; prostrate yourself and adore with him who adores». This is one news from the invisible world that we reveal to you, because you where not with them when they drew lots with canes to know who would take care of Mary, you were not with them when they discussed about this  (3,42-44).

Mary, therefore, was chosen by God in her impenetrable freedom and filled with favours above all women. This is why she invited to adore and thank him with the gestures of all those who do it in the ritual prayer (salât). There is a particular mention in the text, which, perhaps, only those who know the apocryphal writings can understand fully. It is about the choice of the “custodian” or “tutor” of Mary, when, having reached puberty, she could no longer live stably in the temple. The apocryphal writings narrate of a public notice launched by the priests and entrusted to a lot that fell on Joseph. However, the Koran does not mention Joseph, neither as spouse of the Virgin, nor as father of Jesus.   

The passage of the Annunciation follows in two new editions:

We sent her Our Spirit, appearing to her under the form of a perfect man. She told him, “I take refuge in the merciful One, before you, if you fear God!” He said to her, «I am the messenger of your Lord, to give you the purest child». «How can I have a child, if no man has ever touched me and I am not a bad woman?». He said, «It will be so, because your Lord said, ‘This is an easy thing for me’, and we shall surely make of him a Sign for all men, an act of Our clemency:  this thing has been decreed». She conceived and went with the fruit of her womb to a far off place (19, 17b-22).

Then the angels said to Mary, “Mary, I announce you the good news of a Word that comes from Him, whose name will be Christ, Jesus son of Mary, eminent in this and in the other world, the person closest to God. And he will speak to men from the cradle like an adult person, and will belong to good persons”. . «O my Lord! Mary answered, how can I have a child if no man has ever touched me? ». The angel answered, «God creates what he like. Once he decides anything, he has but to say a word “Be” and the thing is» (3, 45-47).

Though different under certain aspects, the two narrations converge on a fundamental datus: the conception of Jesus is a creating act of God and it happens in Mary without touching her virginity. We are impressed by some expressions of the Koran about Jesus: he is a “Word coming from God, conceived by the power of the “Spirit”, is a “Sign” for men, is an “act of divine clemency”. The Koran and the successive Muslim tradition will be responsible for lessening the importance of these expressions, echoes of the Christian message. However, they remain as a fruitful germ in the sacred Book of Islam.

The birth of Jesus takes place in solitude:

The travail of delivery pushed her towards the trunk of a palm tree and she said, “I wish I had died before and be a forgotten thing!” A voice from underneath the palm tree said to her, «Do not be sad, because the Lord has made a rivulet flow under your very feet; shake the trunk of the palm towards you, then fresh and ripe dates will fall down. Eat them and drink, wiping away your eyes! Should you see anyone, say, “I have vowed to the Merciful that I would fast and today I shall not speak to any man”. Then she went to her people with the Baby in her arms. They said to her, “Mary, you have done a monstrous thing. O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man, nor was your mother a sinner!” She showed them the newly born Baby, and they said, «How shall we speak to the one who is still a baby in the cradle? ». He said, “In truth, I am the Servant of the Lord, who has given me the Book and has made me Prophet. He has blessed me, wherever I am, prescribing the Prayer for me and the alms, until I live. He has made me sweet with my mother: he has not made me violent and villainous. May peace be in me, on the day I was born and on the day I die and on the day I shall rise to life!” This is Jesus, Son of Mary, according to the word of truth that somebody doubts of. It is not for God to take a son for himself, glory to Him! (19, 23-35).

The solitary delivery indicates the unique relation binding mother and son; the words of the newly born son are meant first, to console the mother, then to defend her from the accusations of her co-citizens, unable to understand the miracle happened in a girl-mother“; the silence of Mary, a fast of words, creates space for her son, the “Word of truth” that introduces himself as Servant and Prophet of God, but not Son of God.

The silence of Mary goes on throughout the remaining part of the Koran. An enigmatic verse that sees her still together with her Son may refer to her death and reward in Paradise.

Thus, we made a Sign out of the Son of Mary and His Mother, giving them a refuge on a peaceful high place watered by fountains.  (23, 50).

The figure of Mary in the Coran

Speaking of the biography, we have already seen some characteristic features of Mary. She is introduced as the chosen one of God twice: the first time in herself, as belonging to the « ‘Imrân Family» and consecrated (3,33), the second as Mother of Christ (3,42). The qualification of maternity is undoubtedly the most important. Mary is the Mother of Christ without any human relation, for which it is she who makes Jesus her legitimate son: this is a more unique than rare event in the ancient Arabic tradition. Thus, throughout the Koran Jesus is mentioned exclusively as the “Son of Mary” (2, 87.253; 5, 17.46.72.75; ...), without father, because he was created in her womb directly by God, as Adam was in his time.

The second characteristic peculiarity of Mary is her virginity, repeated not only in the already quoted verses , but also in other contexts of the Book, «He remembers also the woman who kept her virginity.....» (21, 91); «Mary, daughter ‘Imrân, who kept her virginity…» (66, 12), and there are very harsh  words against the Hebrews who did not believe the virginal conception of Jesus (See: 4,156: «for telling a horrible calumny against Mary»). This characteristic of Mary is truly peculiar in a culture and religion which demand virginity only before and in function of the matrimony, never encouraging it at all as such or favouring the consecrated virginity.

Mary and her Son have been made by God a Sign or the worlds (21, 91; 23, 50). The term “sign” (dya) is rich of meanings. In this context, it indicates not so much a model for imitation, as the testimony of God’s wonders with which the Creator has endowed the world, to urge men towards believing and entrusting themselves to Him. This is the last characteristic of Mary in the Koran, where Mary is called the holy (siddîqa) (5,7 5), because she “has declared as true” (saddaqat), namely she has believed in the words and the Book of her Lord  (66, 12).

However, we must know that the term translated into “holy” has nothing to do with the Arabic root qadasa, used to indicate the holiness and transcendence of God. Like her son, Mary remains a human creature “that eats food” (5, 75). Those who divinise them are in a very serious error, since they offend the unity and unique Lord, as a passage of the Koran attests, in which God himself asks Jesus,

“Jesus, son of Mary! Have you ever told men, ‘take my mother and myself like gods beside God?’ Jesus answered, ‘Glory be to you! How could I ever have said what I have no right to say?...I told them only what You asked me to say to them, that is, “Adore God, my Lord and your Lord”  (5,116-117).

She is perfectly human, virgin and mother filled with God’s favour, holy because she believed in the word of God and gave birth to the word of God, thanks to the breath of the Spirit. Perfectly Muslim in her submission and in her adoration to God, together with her son, a Sign of the wonders God has fulfilled in the words. So similar and yet so very different from the Christian image, Mary shares with Jesus the fact of being a “sign of contradiction”. But her condition is of woman and mother, living in function of…, brings her close to all women, both Muslim and Christian, who admire her and pray to her, feeling her as a companion of journey in the sufferings and joys of life.

Continuing to orient the Muslims to God and the Christians to Jesus, she remains the meeting point, not necessarily in conflict, for all those who consider her as sister, lady and mother.

Valentino Cottini
Studio Teologico San Zeno
Via B. Bacilieri, 1 – 37139 Verona

Bibliografia minima

A. Bausani, Il Corano, BUR, Milano 41994.

M. Borrmans, «Presenza di Maria nell’islam», in Islam e cristianesimo. Le vie del dialogo, Paoline, Cinisello Balsamo 1993, 75-84.

M. Masini, Maria di Nazaret nel conflitto delle interpretazioni, Messaggero, Padova 2005.

E. Peretto (ed.), Maria nell’ebraismo e nell’islam oggi, Edizioni Marianum - EDB, Roma-Bologna 1987.