Context
The canonical Gospels say little about Mary. Many episodes of her life are thus absent from the Gospel accounts. Conversely, the Quran offers several details concerning her, particularly in Surahs 3 and 19. Indeed, these two surahs present the stories of Mary's conception as well as her childhood1. As we will see, the Islamic narratives about Mary's life are heavily inspired by apocryphal gospels, especially the Protoevangelium of James.The Quran and the Protoevangelium of James
The Protoevangelium of James is an apocryphal gospel centered on the figure of Mary. It roughly recounts the first part of her life, from her conception to the birth of Jesus. The text is attributed to James, the half-brother of Jesus (from Joseph's first marriage). However, historians have long recognized that this is a "literary fiction" intended to make it appear as though its author was an eyewitness of the events described2. In reality, the Protoevangelium of James was composed in the 2nd century by an author from Syria or Egypt3. Moreover, errors and historical inconsistencies have been pointed out in the Protoevangelium4. The author's goal was to provide a romanticized account of Mary’s life, drawing on certain Greek-Roman myths on some points5. It is therefore important to keep in mind that the Protoevangelium is not recounting the true history of Mary, but rather a mythological story designed to fill in the gaps left by the canonical Gospels. Of course, this did not prevent the widespread dissemination and popularity of the Protoevangelium among early Christians. The Protoevangelium was also translated into Syriac, which greatly contributed to its popularity among Eastern Christians—and, likely, among the authors of the Quran.An initial detail of the Quranic account that puzzled Muslim scholars concerns the "temple" (mihrâb) in which Mary was dedicated from childhood. The Arabic term mihrâb was understood in various ways by exegetes: some suggested it referred to a synagogue, a chamber, or even a mosque. In fact, this passage makes more sense in light of the Protoevangelium, where Anne, Mary's mother (not named in the Quran), dedicates Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem when she reaches the age of three, in accordance with her promise: “And the months went by for the child. She reached two years of age, and Joachim [= Mary's father according to the Protoevangelium] said: ‘Let us take her to the temple of the Lord to fulfill the vow we made, lest the Almighty send a messenger to us and reject our offering.’ And Anne said: ‘Let us wait for the third year so that the child does not seek her father and mother’” (7:1).
In Surah 19, it is also specified that the child Mary “retired from her family to an eastern place.” This passage has caused some perplexity among Muslim commentators, who wondered what was meant by this “eastern place” mentioned in the Quran. Most have suggested that the text refers not to a physical location but rather to the direction of prayer towards which Christians faced. This explanation is unconvincing. Muslim exegeses failed to see that the “eastern place” refers to the Temple of Jerusalem. Indeed, the Quranic passage relates to Ezekiel’s vision, where the eastern gate of the Temple is closed because God entered through it (Ezekiel 44:1-2). Jewish and Christian literature from antiquity documents a belief that this gate would only reopen at the end of times, allowing the Messiah to enter the Temple6. In the Church Fathers’ writings, the closing of the Temple gate eventually came to symbolize Mary’s virginity7. According to this interpretation, Mary is the embodiment of the Temple; she hosts the Messiah (Jesus) within her through the sealed eastern gate (i.e., her virginity)8.
The reference to the “eastern place” in the Quran can only be understood in light of Jewish and (especially) Christian traditions regarding the Temple of Jerusalem. By mentioning the “eastern place” where Mary withdrew, the Quranic text unmistakably refers to these traditions, which associate the eastern gate of the Temple with Mary’s virginity and the Messiah she would give birth to. This interpretation is confirmed by the following verse, which speaks of the veil separating Mary and her family (19:17). This veil alludes to the curtain of the Temple, which Mary, according to the Protoevangelium, had woven under the priests’ instructions (10:1). Moreover, the Temple curtain symbolizes Mary’s modesty and virginity in Syrian Christian tradition9.
Surah 3:37 specifies that the child’s guard was entrusted to Zechariah, which precisely matches the details found in the Protoevangelium (8:3). The Quran then recounts: “Every time he [= Zechariah] entered near her in the Sanctuary, he found near her some food. He said: ‘O Mary, where does this food come from?’ — She said: ‘It comes from Allah’…. He indeed provides for whom He wills without account.” The scene of miraculous food again echoes a passage from the Protoevangelium, where Mary receives her food from an angel: “And Mary was in the Lord’s temple, nourishing herself like a dove, and she received her food from the hand of an angel” (8:1).
Further into the story, the divine voice in the Quran states: “These are the unseen tidings We reveal to you. You were not with them when they cast lots to determine who would take charge of Mary! You were not there when they disputed!” This passage may leave the reader perplexed, who will search in the canonical Gospels for a story that fits this Quranic verse. To understand the story, one must again turn to the Protoevangelium. The text recounts that the priests of the Temple were worried that Mary, having reached puberty, might defile the sacred place because of her menstruation. An angel then appears to Zechariah, saying: “Zechariah, Zechariah, go out and gather those of the people who are widows, and each bring a staff, and to whoever the Lord sends a miracle, she will be his wife.” The story continues by saying the high priest took each of the widows’ staffs and that Joseph was ultimately chosen to marry Mary. This precisely corresponds to the Quranic passage, which mentions the “calames” (aqlâm, singular: qalâm) used to “decide who would take charge of Mary.” It is well known that the Arabic qalâm derives from the Greek kalamos (Káλαμος), meaning literally “reed”10. This fine stick was once used for writing—hence the fact that qalâm in Arabic also means “pen” or “stylus”—but in this context, it clearly refers to a stick, in relation to the “staff” mentioned in the Protoevangelium11.
