How many angels appeared to Mariam, according to the Quran?
The standard Islamic narrative tells us that the angel Jibreel appeared to Mariam and foretold the news of the birth of Isa to her. However, when we take a look at what the Quran actually says, we find that the story related in the Quran is a huge mess of contradictions and conjectures.
Let me show you what I mean. Let’s begin with the following verse.
And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit (RUH) and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.
Sura 19:17 Pickthall
Here we have Allah stating that he sent “Our Spirit” to Mariam. And Allah’s Spirit took the form of a man before her.
Who or what is this Allah’s Spirit (RUH)?
Muslims explain that it is the Holy Spirit. i.e. the angel Jibreel, although the Quran does not identify the Holy Spirit as an angel nor does the Quran state that it was Jibreel that spoke to Mariam. You have to wonder how Muslims made this baseless connection that Jibreel is the Holy Spirit.
In fact, a number of English translations of the Quran perpetrate a false translation of 19:17. The Arabic word is RUH but popular translations like Sahih International and Yusuf Ali have deceptively reinterpreted “ruh” as “angel”. (As you can see, I quoted Pickthall above, which, at least, offers the proper translation for ruh, i.e. spirit.)
For arguments’ sake, let’s assume that the Holy Spirit that appeared to Mariam was indeed the angel Jibreel. This makes it worse.
Why? Notice how Mariam addresses the one speaking to her in Sura 3:47.
She said: MY LORD (RABBI)! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is.
The title My LORD (RABBI) is used for Allah throughout the Quran in hundreds of verses. (e.g. 2:126, 6:45, 26:169, etc.)
In the very same chapter, just a couple of verses earlier, the same word, “rabbi”, is used and Mariam is commanded to prostrate in worship to her Lord.
“O Mary! Be obedient to thy Lord (LIRABBIKI), prostrate thyself and bow with those who bow (in worship).” (3:43)
Why was Mariam addressing Jibreel with the same title as Allah? Why was she instructed to prostrate in worship? Is Jibreel equal to Allah? Even if Mariam was mistaken, surely Jibreel must have corrected her or Allah must have rebuked her. Yet, we find Jibreel “participating” in Mariam’s unforgiveable sin of shirk, i.e. associating a creature with Allah. Why did Allah overlook this most grevious sin of Mariam and Jibreel? Was he distracted with something else that he missed it?
Now let’s look at Sura 3:45.
And remember when the angels said, “O Maryam! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Eisa the son of Maryam – he will be honourable in this world and in the Hereafter, and among the close ones (to Allah).”
Remember the question I opened this article with? How many angels appeared to Mariam, according to the Quran?
Sura 3:45 says “angels”, indicating there was more than one angel that appeared to Mariam. Two? Three? Five? We’re not told. In 19:17, Allah says he sent His Spirit, whom Muslims interpret as the sole angel Jibreel. Did Allah send one angel or more than one angel to Mariam? This is a clear contradiction in the Quran. Many more contradictions on this page: Contradictions In The Quran
“Do they not then meditate on the Quran? And if it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many a contradiction.”Sura 4:82
We’ve only looked at a couple of verses but we’ve found a ton of confusion and conjectures that Muslims are forced to juggle.
If there were multiple angels that appeared to Mariam and talked to her, according to 3:45, then using the argument of Muslims, that it was the Holy Spirit that appeared Mariam, then we have to ask how many Holy Spirits are there in Islam?
Finally, let’s look at Sura 66:12.
In this verse Allah details exactly how he accomplished the conception of Isa. On the contrary, according to the standard Islamic narrative, Allah simply said, “Be” (3:47), and lo and behold, Isa was created. Once again, The Quran stumbles over itself in yet another contradiction. Was Isa created when Allah simply pronounced “kun fa ya kun” (as in 3:47) or did Allah also have to blow into Mariam’s private part (as in 66:12 and 21:91)?
Sura 66:12 is a prime example of how the English translations of the Quran fabricate lies. You can look at 20 different translations and none of them translate the Arabic word FARJAHA correctly. I have found only Dr Ghali’s translation gets it spot on. The rest are probably too embarrassed about what Allah did to Mariam. You can look up the translation of فرج yourself in any Arabic-English translator online.
According to Sura 66:12, it was Allah himself who blew into Mariam’s private part. “WE breathed in it…”.
It was Allah himself who was present, taking the form of a man, to do the blowing! No wonder Mariam correctly addressed him as “My Lord.”
It all makes sense now.
Or does it?
Very Good article bro. I also love your book. I cannot wait till the next book. will it be this year ?.
Good article. As is your book.
When will your next book come out?.
Thanks.
Thanks Marvin.
Would you be able to leave a positive review for me on Amazon?
I would appreciate that very much.
I do have plans for another book in the future.
Yes If I know how amazon it works on amazon to leave a positive review. Then yes I can do it. Oh what is that book about ?. And when in the future ?.
To leave a positive review, you can sign in to your Amazon account.
Go to your Orders page.
Find the book in your order history and click on it.
Scroll down to Customer Reviews.
Thanks again Marvin.
The book idea I have is about the cult of Muhammad. To show how everything in Islam hinges on one man. No plans yet for when to publish it.
All praise be to God who sent down onto us the Quran without any contradictions. I repeat, “without any contradictions!” The problem is that you read the Quran with bias. You don’t try to understand nor contemplate about what you have read. But let me clarify for whoever is open minded, seeking nothing but the truth.
The “RUH” (Holy Spirit) that the Quran talks about in the verses (19:17) you quoted is indeed the Angel Gabriel. Please refer to Quran (97:4) which states “……therein descend the angels and the ‘RUH'(holy spirit / Angel Gabriel) by Allah’s permission with all Decrees,..” In that verse, Allah / God distinguishes Himself from the RUH / holy spirit / Gabriel.
you need to realize that Gabriel holds a special status among the Angels just like how Jesus or Moses hold special status among mankind.
NEXT YOU STATED THAT:
(” Why? Notice how Mariam addresses the one speaking to her in Sura 3:47.
Why was Mariam addressing Jibreel with the same title as Allah? Why was she instructed to prostrate in worship? Is Jibreel equal to Allah?”)
The right position is: Mariam received the news more than once. first was from Angel Gabriel alone then with other angels at different time. Notice that the first time, Mariam challenged the Gabriel of how she could conceive without a man because she was still doubtful. the second time, when more angels spoke to her about the same news, she now turned onto praying/asking God. That’s why the word ‘Rabb’ comes about.
Dear Ismail,
1. No where in the Quran is “RUH” identified as the angel Gabriel. You pointed out 97:4 but that verse does not say so. Give me one verse that says RUH is Gabriel. There is none.
2. 97:4 actually makes a distinction between RUH and angels, meaning that the RUH is different from an angel. Once again, no where does the Quran say that the RUH is an angel.
3. You claimed that Mariam had more than one visitation. According to you, the first time Gabriel failed in his mission because Mariam challenged Gabriel.
And second time, Allah was forced to send more angels as backup to convince Mariam. Your explanation is not supoorted by your Quran. All you have done is shame Allah and Gabriel for their initial failure.
4. You failed to explain why Mariam adddressed the RUH as RABB.