The Confusion in the Qur’an Between Maryam, Sister of Aaron, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus

The Confusion in the Qur’an Between Maryam, Sister of Aaron, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

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Abstract

The Qur'an, revered by Muslims as the final and perfect revelation, presents numerous narratives drawn from earlier Judeo-Christian traditions. However, a critical textual analysis reveals a historical and genealogical conflation in the identification of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Maryam, the sister of Aaron and Moses. This scholarly article examines the textual and chronological inconsistencies within the Qur’anic narrative regarding Mary, investigates the implications for Islamic theology, and juxtaposes the Qur’anic portrayal with biblical and historical sources. The study highlights how this confusion raises significant questions about the historical reliability and internal consistency of the Qur’anic text.

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1. Introduction

Islamic theology affirms the virgin birth of Jesus (Isa) through Mary (Maryam), who is highly revered in the Qur’an. However, the Qur’anic narrative appears to mistakenly conflate two distinct historical figures separated by approximately 1,500 years: Maryam, the sister of Moses and Aaron from the Old Testament, and Mary, the mother of Jesus from the New Testament. This article critically explores this conflation, analyzing its origins, textual evidence, and implications for Islamic theology and comparative scriptural studies.

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2. The Biblical Maryam and Mary: Historical Context

In the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), Miriam (Maryam) is introduced as the sister of Moses (Moshe) and Aaron (Aharon) (Exodus 15:20; Numbers 26:59). She was a prophetess and a significant figure during the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, living approximately 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

Conversely, Mary (Greek: Μαρία, Hebrew: מִרְיָם), the mother of Jesus, appears in the New Testament as a young Jewish woman of Nazareth, espoused to Joseph, and chosen by God to bear the Messiah (Luke 1:26–38). The genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 situate Mary in the lineage of David, centuries after the era of Moses and Aaron.

Thus, from a historical and genealogical perspective, these two women belong to vastly different eras and family lineages.

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3. The Qur’anic Narrative and the Genealogical Confusion

In Surah Maryam (Chapter 19), the Qur'an narrates the annunciation and virgin birth of Jesus, presenting Maryam as the daughter of Imran (Amram) and the sister of Aaron:

“O sister of Aaron! Your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.”
(Qur'an 19:28)

Additionally, in Surah Al-Imran (Chapter 3), the Qur'an names Maryam’s father as Imran:

“[And mention] when the wife of Imran said, ‘My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me.’”
(Qur'an 3:35)

In the Hebrew Bible, Amram (Arabic: Imran) is explicitly identified as the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Numbers 26:59). The Qur'anic Mary, mother of Jesus, is thus genealogically identified as their sister, a chronological impossibility given the historical gap of over a millennium.

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4. Classical Muslim Exegesis and Apologetic Responses

Early Muslim commentators, such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, recognized this apparent anachronism. Several apologetic interpretations attempted to resolve the issue:

• Some argued that “sister of Aaron” was an honorific title, reflecting piety rather than literal kinship.

• Others claimed that Mary’s brother was coincidentally named Aaron, a figure otherwise absent from credible historical records.

• Another explanation suggested that the family of Mary bore the ancestral title “House of Imran” as a symbol of spiritual heritage.

However, these interpretations lack textual and historical corroboration in either Jewish or Christian traditions and appear as retrospective justifications rather than evidence-based clarifications.

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5. The Theological and Historical Implications

This conflation is significant because it directly challenges the historical reliability of the Qur'anic text and its claimed divine inerrancy. The genealogical misplacement not only distorts biblical history but also introduces inconsistencies in the Qur’anic narrative structure:

• It undermines the Qur'an’s assertion of confirming previous scriptures (Qur'an 5:48).

• It reveals a reliance on apocryphal Christian sources and oral traditions that were circulating in Arabia during Muhammad’s time, which may have contained confused or legendary material.

• It calls into question the claim of the Qur’an being a clear, preserved, and perfect revelation free from error.

This discrepancy provides critical grounds for comparative theological discussions on the integrity of religious texts and the processes of scriptural transmission.

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6. Comparative Scriptural Integrity: Bible vs. Qur’an

The Bible, despite undergoing extensive textual criticism, maintains clear historical distinctions between its characters. Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, is consistently situated in the Exodus narrative, while Mary, mother of Jesus, belongs to the first-century Roman Judea context. The genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 affirm this chronological separation.

By contrast, the Qur'anic confusion points to the limitations of oral transmission and reliance on secondary sources in early Islamic tradition, contrary to its claims of divine preservation and textual perfection (Qur'an 15:9).

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7. Conclusion

The Qur'anic conflation of Maryam, sister of Aaron, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, represents a critical historical and genealogical error with profound implications for the credibility of the Qur'anic text. While Islamic apologetics has sought to explain away the inconsistency through honorific and symbolic interpretations, these remain unsubstantiated by historical evidence. This study underscores the necessity for rigorous historical-critical methodology in examining religious texts and encourages open interfaith dialogue on scriptural authenticity.

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References

• The Holy Qur’an, trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Islamic Foundation.

• The Holy Bible, New King James Version.

• Ibn Kathir. Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim.

• Al-Tabari. Jami’ al-bayan fi tafsir al-Qur’an.

• Geisler, Norman & Saleeb, Abdul. Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross. Baker Books, 2002.

• Guillaume, A. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah. Oxford University Press, 1955.

• Cragg, Kenneth. The Event of the Qur'an: Islam in its Scripture. Oneworld, 1971.

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© 2025 Dr. Maxwell Shimba | Shimba Theological Institute