The Antichrist in Muhammad: The Blessed Virgin Mary

By Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq.
1/5/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

To the extent that Islam's view of Jesus is motivated by the spirit of antichrist--a position amply proved by prior articles in this series--Islam's view of Mary is motivated by a like spirit.

The Muslim's devotion to Mary, as sincere as it may be, is rendered cancerous by Islam's unequivocal theological denial of the divine Sonship of Jesus, the rejection of Jesus as Redeemer of mankind, and its rejection of Jesus as the unique Savior from sin and death. By denying the greater truth of Jesus, Islam mars the subordinate truth of Mary which relies on the superordinate truth that Jesus is Lord, and all that Lordship means.

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CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) -- Without doubt, the Qur'an gives a preeminent place to Mary (Maryam), the mother of Jesus (Umm 'Isa). It is in fact remarkable that the Qur'an appears to recognize Mary's preeminent sanctity and her virginal conception of Jesus (e.g., Qur'an 19:20-22; see also 3:47, 21:91, 66:12). Some argue by implication that the Qur'an also asserts Mary's perpetual virginity so that Islam teaches that Mary was a virgin ante partum, in partu, et post partum (before, during, and after birth), but this is highly doubtful since Islam does not not give any particular religious or spiritual value to virginity.

She appears, like in the Gospels though with markedly different theological meaning, to be the most blessed of women: "Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee--chosen thee above the women of all nations." (Qur'an 3:42) Mary is an example of fidelity and holiness. "And Mary the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants)." (Qur'an 66:12)

She is called by the Muslims Sayyidatuna Maryam (loosely translated as "Our Lady," or "Our Mistress"), an honorific title not unique to her and which she shares with three other women, Khadijah and 'Aisha (two wives of Muhammad), and the wife of the Pharaoh Ramses II named Asiya (who, according to the Qur'an 28:7-9 saved Moses, though here it contradicts Exodus 2:7, which states it was the daughter of the Pharaoh, not his wife, who saved Moses from death.) In assessing this honorific title, it should be noted that Mary is not considered one of the Ummahat al-Muʾminin, "mothers of the faithful," an honorific title reserved to Muhammad's many wives. (Qur'an 33:6)

In the Qur'an, Mary's birth is perceived as miraculous, the result of the pious prayers of her parents 'Imran (a likely confusion by Muhammad with Amran, the father of Moses and Aaron and their sister Miriam, since the name has no relationship to the traditional name Joachim) and Hannah (whom Christians call Anne). (Qur'an 3:36-38)

Some commentators even go so far as to suggest that Muhammad taught the immaculate conception of Mary (e.g., Patrick Hughes in his Dictionary of Islam), and point to a hadith where Muhammad reportedly said, "'There is none born among the off-spring of Adam, but Satan touches it. A child therefore, cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of Satan, except Mary and her child . . . ." E.g., Sahih al-Bukhari, 4.55.641. However, inasmuch as Muhammad clearly rejected the doctrine of original sin, it is not reasonable to interpret this hadith in favor of the doctrine of immaculate conception which presupposes an understanding of the former doctrine.

There is, finally, no mention of Mary's assumption into heaven one way or other in the Qur'an.

Despite the differences, then, it seems nevertheless significant that Mary is the only woman in the entire Qur'an mentioned by name. She has an entire chapter named after her (Chapter 19, Sura Maryam). She is mentioned 34 times in the Qur'anic text, and so, superficially at least, would appear to be given great importance by Muhammad.

Given the rigorously antichristian position of Muslims in all other major doctrines, Catholics with their sensitivity for things Marian have been particularly tempted to see the Qur'anic emphasis on, and positive view about, Mary as a source of possible inroads into the conversion of Muslims. For example, it was the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen's belief that Muslims, who are notoriously difficult to bring to Christianity, would be converted not through the direct proclamation of the truths of Christ, but rather indirectly, through the "summoning of the Moslems to a veneration of the Mother of God" and through Mary to the fullness of Christ.

The perception is that the Qur'anic veneration given to Mary is a chink in the Islamic armor that allows the the arrow of the Gospel to touch the heart of the Muslim. This is a popular and widely-held perception.

However, in my view, while undoubtedly well-intentioned, this seems to me to be a theological cul de sac. While this view is without doubt advanced in good faith, sincerely, and with the desire to spread the Gospel, it is my belief that it may be built upon a mistaken and superficial understanding of Islam and its understanding of Mary.

The reason for this is that Mary's titles and privileges, which mean so much to ...

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1 - 10 of 14 Comments

judy claar
4 months ago
abey, Yes, all the people of the planet are God's children since He created them. I am very familiar with the Biblical text. Of what book do you get your statements of Medjugorje and who was the author? I am also aware of Eastern Orthodox Catholic Christians who are devoted to Our Blessed Mother. I also understand that Muslims do not envision Mary as Catholics, Christians, or their Orthodox brethren. I do hope I read and understood your post correctly.
In the Sacred Hearts Of Jesus And Mary, Blessings...
abey
4 months ago
But then Our lady at Medjugorje, said to be the last of the Marian appearances did say that Catholics, Orthodox & Muslims are my Children & hence the Mariam stated in the Quran can deemed to be The Mary who is off the Truth signified by her golden belt, the belt of Truth which the people of the Eastern block have great reverence & also known from Genesis as "The Woman" & her enmity is with satan , that which God put between them. On this it would be wise to look up the matter through the truth of Mary who being off Christ.
judy claar
4 months ago
Andrew M. Greenwell, Thank you for your clarity in yet another wonderful article.

@Anita, No one is not being polite and listening to the view of another. In my perspective, Andrew Greenwell's article was "enlightening" us with the differences that are between Islam and Catholicism. OUR Reality of Mary. Our Blessed Mother, is significantly different than Islam because she was and is the Son of God's chosen Virgin Mother. The Second of the Trinity. The Christ is not a mere prophet. We can not have Mary and Jesus as separate.

Islam does. It seems strange to me that Jesus is merely a prophet, while Mary seems to be held in high esteem for being His Mother. This then, is what I conclude since reading this series.

Muhammad was a man of Ego. Making his religion, he was sure to keep as much of the Gospel in Islam that pleased him as well as his converts. And It does make perfect sense why his Ego would replace Jesus.

It also must have been widely circulated history that Mary was a Virgin and held in high esteem as Jesus' Mother. Therefore, He dedicated a whole chapter to her...even though some of it is false, because Muhammad does not declare her as the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, which is the whole point. How can one compare the Mother of God with the mothers of other prophets?

Andrew does well when he answers Dave of 1 Day ago. Catholics always keep the door open and an open mind. We do not wish to alienate anyone. Prayerful Blessings to all...
Anita
4 months ago
Let us not close the door on communication by resuming the demonzation of Islam. Christ asks us repeatedly to take the high road and love our neighbor so that they may find God's truth. It is so much easier to dislike people, dislike their values, than it is to love them and recognize that their frailties are ours as well but for when we do the will of the Father. Next, the author worries about "simple Christians" being finagled, as though the author is more ascended than the "simple" Christian. I suppose I am going to continue to be a Catholic willing to listen to others. I am not looking for a "proof" - I have faith.
Larry
4 months ago
What's the point of a veneration of Mary by Muslims if Jesus was just the latest prophet from God. What about the mother of John the Baptist or mothers of any other profits for that matter. Mary means a lot to Christians because of who Jesus the Christ is for us - the center of our faith. One more thing about the religion from Mohamad that makes little sense.
Andrew M. Greenwell
4 months ago
@Dave: Thanks for your comments. The Church has said that it "respects" Islam. This is written from a human standpoint. It is hard to see how one cannot respect, that is human esteem or deference, to a religion that claims to be universal and that has about one billion adherence. One cannot "respect" the military might of the United States without necessarily consent to the way it was used, or one can "respect" the genius of, say Voltaire, without at all consenting to his false statements and irreligious views. I think this is the way "respect" is used. The Church is realistic, i.e., accepts reality, and it is a reality we confront the resurgence of Islam (or the various Islams, for there is less unity that generally believed in Islam) and distinguish between its more pathological forms and its more reasonable forms.

Dialogue is not opposed to evangelization or catechesis or any part of the Church's salvific mission. This concept is found in the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue's recent document, Dialogue and Proclamation: Reflection And Orientations On Interreligious Dialogue And The Proclamation Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ,

(You can access the document through this address: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_19051991_dialogue-and-proclamatio_en.html)

"[T]he evangelizing mission of the Church is a 'single but complex and articulated reality.' It indicates the principal elements of this mission: presence and witness; commitment to social development and human liberation; liturgical life, prayer and contemplation; interreligious dialogue; and finally, proclamation and catechesis. Proclamation and dialogue are thus both viewed, each in its own place, as component elements and authentic forms of the one evangelizing mission of the Church. They are both oriented towards the communication of salvific truth."

As a consequence, the National Catholic-Muslim Plenary that was held on Oct 3-5, 2012 in Chicago that was titled "Living our faiths together," does not contradict the efforts to proclaim the Gospel and to catechize Catholics as to the truths of Islam so that they may be better prepared to: (i) appreciate their own faith; (ii) appreciate the differences between their faith and Islam; (iii) to recognize the deep antichristian animus present in Islam (which Muslims, especially those who know their faith, recognize); (iv) to aid them in spreading the Gospel; and (v) to help them know the beliefs of Muslims, understood within their own context, so that they might dialogue with them and live in peace with them.

It's not an either/or, but a both/and. To raise dialogue above proclamation is wrong, as it is wrong to raise proclamation above dialogue. In a sense, dialogue is included in proclamation, and proclamation is included in dialogue.

Hope that helps,
Andrew
Dave Lyons
4 months ago
Please help me understand why the Catholic Church acknowledges and accepts Islam as one of the world's major religions? Why is the Catholic hierarchy engaged in talks with leaders of this false religion, such as the National Catholic-Muslim Plenary that was held on Oct 3-5, 2012 in Chicago that was titled "Living our faiths together"? Why does the Catholic Church give this satanic belief system any credence at all?
vance
4 months ago
Thank you for another informative article about islam. Islam is repulsive. It is so inhuman. It's foundation is hate and murder which is the complete opposite of Jesus Christ. I've been long convinced that islam is of satan, by satan, for satan.
andrew
4 months ago
@Lilian
War could spread the religion of Muhammad over Arabia alone. It was however the various hadiths-the 'devil' inside it [such as officiating polygamous sexual relationships-including pedophilia and nikah mut'ah-pleasure marriages, 'taqiyya'-art of lying, 'zakat' versus 'jizya'- kafir tax-read dhimmi, among others] that that enticed conversions and continue to do so even today. A Frenchman preferring Russian citizenship rather than becoming a party to a draconian tax proposal is a situation similar to a dhimma without a choice.
Andrew M. Greenwell
4 months ago
Erratum: "While Muslims see Mary as the mother of Jesus, the Mater Iesu (ibn Maryam)" should read "Umm 'Isa)." Ibn Maryam is "son of Mary," not mother of Jesus. I missed the error in my final edit. Sorry for my oversight.

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