Ali 'Imran 36: When she gave birth to her and while Allah knew, she said “my Lord, I gave birth to a girl. However, a boy is not like a girl. I have given the name Mary to her. I ask you to protect her and her offspring from Shaytan who was expelled.”

While knowing what she had borne, My Lord, I have given birth to her as a girl, yet the male is not like the female, I have named her Mary, against the accursed Satan I ask Your protection for her and her offspring, she said.

Hannah's prayer. When she gave birth to her as a girl, to the synagogue she gives her as a servant. The head priest there is Zechariah (peace be upon him). There are many stories. Not stories, verses. Events that happened.

All of them want to raise Mary under their own protection. But since she is related to Zechariah (peace be upon him), Zechariah (peace be upon him) says: she is closer to me. He wants her himself. But the others object. Then come, he says, let us throw our pens into the stream. The pens float. Made of wood. Whichever of us has his pen rise to the surface, he says, let him take the child. They throw the pens into the stream. The pen of Zechariah (peace be upon him) rises to the surface. Zechariah (peace be upon him) takes the child, takes Mary. He raises her. He raises her. But every time he comes to her, in Mary's room he sees food of Paradise.

He does not know that it is food of Paradise. O Mary, who brings you these, he says. And she says: my Lord gives them to me. Zechariah (peace be upon him) longs for this too. My Allah, give me a child too, he says. Upon this, Allah Almighty gives him the glad tidings of John.

We will come to that now. Allah Almighty tells the events through His verses. Why does He tell them? There is no god but Allah.

By telling us all of them, one by one, from long past times: they too were human. They too wished like this. And We treated them like this. You too are human. You too wish. We fulfil your desires and wishes too. If you go on the right path, you reach My mercy. If you stray onto the crooked path, you will have tormented your own nafs, He says. All that He tells is for people's own benefit, so that they know their Lord, holding the verses before us as a light.

Yes.

My Lord accepts the prayer. Her Lord accepts the prayer. After Imran's death. Who was Imran? The son of Moses.

And Hannah was his wife. Hannah, the daughter-in-law of Moses. Yes. The mother gives birth to a girl. Although Allah Almighty knows what she has borne, the mother, that is, Mary's mother, the mother: My Lord, I have given birth to a girl, yet the male is not like the female. I have named her Mary, she says. But she is exceedingly saddened by this. Very saddened.

In fact at first she is also bewildered. She does not know what to do. She does not know what to do. Later, to fulfil what she said, she hands her over as a servant to the synagogue. Perhaps she is exceedingly saddened by this. Because in serving at Bayt al-Maqdis and persevering in worship girls are not like boys. Men are more steadfast. Then, because of women's (?), they cannot be as ready for worship as men. So she fears she will not be able to fulfil her vow. That is her sorrow. That is also what bewildered her. She is afraid. My Allah, in Bayt al-Maqdis women cannot serve as men do. But my daughter, whom I dedicated intending a boy, to whom the name Mary, meaning worshipper and servant, I gave, in place of the boy I offered for Bayt al-Maqdis, accept her, my Allah, she says.

Yes.

She pleads to Allah. I ask Your protection for her and her offspring against the accursed Satan, she says. And so Jesus comes into being. From her.