Does the Quran mistake Mary as sister of Aaron?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The Quran refers to Mary, upon her be peace, as the โsister of Aaronโ in reference to her descent from the lineage of the Prophet Aaron, upon him be peace. This type of reference is common in ancient Semitic languages and in the Bible.
Allah said:
ููุง ุฃูุฎูุชู ููุงุฑูููู ู ูุง ููุงูู ุฃูุจูููู ุงู ูุฑูุฃู ุณูููุกู ููู ูุง ููุงููุชู ุฃูู ูููู ุจูุบููููุง
O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.
Surah Maryam 19:28
The Christians at the time of the Prophet objected to this verse on the grounds that it was meant literally, but the Prophet answered their question.
Mughira ibn Shuโba reported: When I came to Najran, the Christian monks asked me, โYou recite the verse: O sister of Aaron (19:28), whereas Moses was born long before Jesus by such-and-such years.โ When I came back to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, I asked him about it and he said:
ุฅููููููู ู ููุงูููุง ููุณูู ููููู ุจูุฃูููุจูููุงุฆูููู ู ููุงูุตููุงููุญูููู ููุจูููููู ู
Verily, they would name people with the names of prophets and righteous people who had gone before them.
Source: Sahih Muslim 2135, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Kathir reported:
ุนูู ุจู ุฃุจู ุทูุญุฉ ูุงูุณุฏู ููู ููุง ููฐุฃูุฎูุชู ููููฐุฑูููู ุฃู ุฃุฎู ู ูุณู ููุงูุช ู ู ูุณูู
Alli ibn Abu Talha and As-Suddi said: It was said to her: O sister of Aaron (19:28), meaning the brother of Moses because she was from among his descendants.
Ibn Kathir added:
ูู ุง ููุงู ููุชู ูู ู ูุง ุฃุฎุง ุชู ูู ูููู ุถุฑู ูุง ุฃุฎุง ู ุถุฑ
This is like saying to somebody from the Tamimi tribe: O brother of at-Tamim, or to somebody from the al-Mudari tribe: O brother of Mudar.
Source: Tafseer Ibn Kathir, verse 19:28
Muhammad Asad comments on the verse, saying:
In ancient Semitic usage, a personโs name was often linked with that of a renowned ancestor or founder of the tribal line. Thus, for instance, a man of the tribe of Banu Tamim was sometimes addressed as โson of Tamimโ or โbrother of Tamim.โ Since Mary belonged to the priestly caste, and hence descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses, she was called a โsister of Aaron,โ in the same way as her cousin Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah, is spoken of in Luke 1:5 as one of โthe daughters of Aaron.โ
Source: Message of the Quran
Therefore, the verse is not a historical mistake, but rather it is in perfect agreement with the Semitic languages and ancient custom.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.