A whole chapter of the Qur'an is named after Mary, the only woman mentioned by name in it. This passage tells of the angel's visit, the birth of Jesus without a father, and Jesus speaking as a newborn to defend his mother. It ends with the Qur'an's view of Jesus as a great prophet and servant of Allah.
Maryam 19:16–36
Listen on Quran.comوَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا
19:16And mention in the Book (the story of) Maryam, when she secluded herself from her people to a place towards East,
فَٱتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا
19:17then she used a barrier to hide herself from them. Then, We sent to her Our Spirit, (Jibra’īl) and he took before her the form of a perfect human being.
قَالَتْ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا
19:18She said, “I seek refuge with the All-Merciful (Allah) against you, if you are God-fearing.”
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَـٰمًا زَكِيًّا
19:19He said, “I am but a message-bearer of your Lord (sent) to give you a boy, purified.”
قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَـٰمٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا
19:20She said, “How shall I have a boy while no human has ever touched me, nor have I ever been unchaste?”
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ ۖ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا
19:21He said, “So it is; your Lord said, ‘It is easy for Me, and (We will do this) so that We make it a sign for people and a mercy from Us, and this is a matter already destined.’”
۞ فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتْ بِهِۦ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا
19:22So she conceived him, and went in seclusion with him to a remote place.
فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلْمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَـٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسْيًا مَّنسِيًّا
19:23Then the labour pains brought her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She said “O that I would have died before this, and would have been something gone, forgotten.”
فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحْتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحْزَنِى قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا
19:24Then he called her from beneath her: “Do not grieve; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you.
وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا
19:25Shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards yourself and, it will drop upon you ripe fresh dates.
فَكُلِى وَٱشْرَبِى وَقَرِّى عَيْنًا ۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِىٓ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِنسِيًّا
19:26So eat, drink and cool your eyes. Then if you see any human being, say (to him), “I have vowed a fast (of silence) for the All-Merciful (Allah,) and therefore, I shall never speak to any human today.”
فَأَتَتْ بِهِۦ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُۥ ۖ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْـًٔا فَرِيًّا
19:27Then she came to her people carrying him (the baby). They said, “O Maryam you have committed something grave indeed.
يَـٰٓأُخْتَ هَـٰرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ ٱمْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا
19:28O sister of Hārūn, neither your father was a man of evil nor was your mother unchaste.”
فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا
19:29So, she pointed towards him (the baby). They said, “How shall we speak to someone who is still a child in the cradle?”
قَالَ إِنِّى عَبْدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِىَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيًّا
19:30Spoke he (the baby), “Verily I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and made me a prophet,
وَجَعَلَنِى مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَـٰنِى بِٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا
19:31and He has made me a blessed one wherever I be, and has enjoined Salāh and Zakāh upon me as long as I am alive,
وَبَرًّۢا بِوَٰلِدَتِى وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِى جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا
19:32and (He has made me) good to my mother, and he did not make me oppressive (or) ill-fated.
وَٱلسَّلَـٰمُ عَلَىَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
19:33And peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised alive again.”
ذَٰلِكَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قَوْلَ ٱلْحَقِّ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ
19:34That is ‘Īsā, the son of Maryam, to say the truth in which they (Christians) are disputing.
مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ ۖ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
19:35It is not for Allah to have a son. Pure is He. When He decides a thing, He simply says to it, “Be” and it comes to be.
وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ هَـٰذَا صِرَٰطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
19:36And (O Prophet, say to the people,) “Allah is surely my Lord and your Lord. So, worship Him. This is the straight path.”
English translation: Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, The Meanings of the Noble Qur'an, via Quran.com. Arabic: Uthmani script.
What surprised you about how the Qur'an speaks of Mary and Jesus?