The Story of Jesus son of Mary—servant of Allah, His Messenger, and the son of His bondwoman—upon him be the most excellent blessings and peace from Allah.

Allah, Exalted is He, says in Sūrat Āl ʿImrān. The opening of this sūrah—eighty-three verses—was revealed as a refutation of the Christians (1), upon whom are the curses of Allah, who claim that Allah has a son. Transcendent is Allah, immeasurably exalted above what they assert. A delegation from Najrān (2) had come to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and began to expound their false doctrine of a trinity of hypostases, alleging that Allah is “the third of three”: the Sacred Essence, Jesus, and Mary—though their sects differ in detail. Thereupon Allah revealed the beginning of this sūrah, making it clear that Jesus is a servant among the servants of Allah. He created and fashioned him in the womb just as He fashions the rest of creation. He brought him into being without a father, just as He created Adam without father or mother, and He said to him, “Be,” and he was. He also set forth the account of his mother Mary’s birth, her circumstances, and how she conceived Jesus. The matter is likewise expanded in Sūrat Maryam, as we shall discuss—all by Allah’s help, His gracious enabling, and His guidance.

Thus the Most Truthful of speakers says:

“Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ʿImrān above all peoples—offspring, one of the other. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. When the wife of ʿImrān said, ‘My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, consecrated [to Your service]; accept it from me. Surely You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’ Then, when she delivered her, she said, ‘My Lord, I have delivered a female’—and Allah knew best what she had delivered—‘and the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her and her offspring in You from Shayṭān the accursed.’ So her Lord accepted her with a gracious acceptance, caused her to grow in a goodly growth, and placed her under the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah entered the sanctuary to see her, he found provisions with her and said, ‘O Mary, whence comes this to you?’ She said, ‘It is from Allah; truly Allah provides for whom He wills without reckoning.’” (3:33–37)

He—Glorified be He—states that He chose Adam (peace be upon him) and the select of his descendants who adhered to his law and remained constant in obedience. He then specifies: “and the family of Abraham,” which includes the children of Ishmael and the children of Isaac. Next He mentions the merit of this pure and blessed household, the family of ʿImrān; by ʿImrān here is meant the father of Mary—peace be upon her.

Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq (3) said: He is ʿImrān son of Bāsham son of Āmūn son of Mīshā son of Ḥizqiyā son of Aḥrīq son of Mawtham son of ʿAzāziyā son of Amṣiyā son of Yāwūsh son of Aḥrīhū son of Yāzim son of Bahfāshāṭ son of ʾĪshā son of ʾĪyān son of Reḥoboam son of Solomon son of David.

Abū al-Qāsim Ibn ʿAsākir said: Mary is the daughter of ʿImrān son of Māthān son of al-ʿĀzar son of Alyūd son of Akhnar son of Ṣādūq son of ʿAyāzūr son of Alyāqīm son of ʾAybūd son of Zaryābīl son of Shāltīl son of [Yūḥinnā son of Barshā son of Āmūn son of Mīshā son of