women of Paradise. Just as the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “There are four leaders of women in Paradise, Maryam, Fāṭimah  Khadījah, and Āsiyah (رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْہُنَّ اَجْمَعِیْن).”^[1]

The Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states,

Even after the birth of sayyidunā ʿĪsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, sayyidatunā Maryam رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا was a virgin. She remained a virgin, she will be raised a virgin, and she will enter Paradise as a virgin, where she will be honoured to wed the beloved Prophet Muhammad sing صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم .^[2]

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه! You have heard of how the noble mother of sayyidunā ʿĪsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was a woman of determination and excellences, whose virtues have been mentioned in hadith. She will be honoured through being married to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in Paradise. Her status is so high, that whilst sayyidunā ʿĪsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was still in her blessed womb, miracles manifested at her hands.

The Tree of Maryam and the Stream of Jibril

The renowned scholar of hadith, ʿAbd al-Muṣṭafā ʿAzami رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه mentions:

Sayyidunā ʿĪsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was born without a father from the  womb of sayyidatunā Maryam رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا. When the time of his birth approached, sayyidatunā Maryam رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا retreated to a dry date-palm tree away from the people, and it was under this tree that sayyidunā ʿĪsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was born.