Chosen and Purified

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ

“(Remember the time) when the angels said, ‘O Maryam, Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you over the women of all the worlds’.” (Surah Aal-‘Imraan v42)

Allah Ta‘ala had chosen Maryam (‘alaihas salaam) for the service of Baitul Muqaddas. She was raised by Zakariyya (‘alaihis salaam), received sustenance from the unseen and was the mother of ‘Isa (‘alaihis salaam) without any man touching her. Allah Ta‘ala had purified her from all impurities, external and internal.

Some ‘Ulama are of the opinion that she was the most superior of all the women of her era only as there are ahaadeeth that mention the virtue and superiority of ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), Faatimah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), Khadeejah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) and Aasiya (radhiyallahu ‘anha).

We should endeavour to lead clean and pure lives, keeping the lives of these virtuous women before us so that we may also gain acceptance in the court of Allah Ta‘ala.