Well, c0de, there are many Quranic statements that contradict what you think.
Salaam DIB,
If this were a court of law and you were heading the prosecution, you would lose your case. Because all the evidence you have presented above would be considered
circumstantial and I can provide counter-arguments against all of these claims, which will be equally based in speculation. This is why I said both views can be supported via the Quran.
The only fact we know is that nowhere is it stated that Jesus PBUH was conceived via a virgin birth or Mary (pbuh) was impregnated by the holy spirit etc.
I will admit that there is a hint towards this conclusion, but it is also equally possible that these "hints" are a result of our own misconceptions because we have been brainwashed into believing something, which is basically a Christian concept. But I will respond to each of your points just to show you how they can all be countered:
1- The Quran refers to Jesus as the son of Mary, a statement that is repeated many times to assure the virgin birth of Jesus peace be upon him.
This does not "
assure" the virgin birth. It only proves that Jesus (pbuh) was born of Mary (pbuh), the best of all women.
It is a title of honor. You can use it is an
indication of a virgin birth, but not as conclusive evidence.
2- The attacks Mary peace be upon her experienced from her tribe after giving birth to Jesus peace be upon him is a clear evidence that Mary didnt get married. If she had got married as you said, her tribe would have been the first to know.
But we already know from the Quran that she was not with her tribe (or even her familly)
before, during or after conception. We have no way of knowing how long she stayed away, or what happened to her during her absence either. All we know is that when she returned, her tribe accused her of indecency. This could be due to any number of reasons. For example: this accusation could have been an attack
not on Mary (pbuh) but on Jesus (pbuh) directly, as he was the one who was now the real threat to the priestly establishment. They might have been using her absence from the tribe to fabricate lies against her to discredit Jesus (pbuh).
There are some key things to note here. First of all, we must ask why Jesus (pbuh) in order to defend himself against these accusations
never says that he was born of a virgin. If this is the accusation against Mary (pbuh) that she committed this great sin, then why does Jesus (pbuh) not counter this accusation by saying that he was born via a virgin birth?
Secondly, the Bible says that she was arranged to be married to Joseph. The Quran also states that lots were cast, presumably for her marriage. So there is a hint in both the Bible and the Quran that she was due to be married around this time. The bible I think even states that she was already married by the time the holy spirit appeared to her.
However, there is a key difference between the Bible narrative, and the Quran. In the Bible, we are told that the holy spirit "
overshadowed" Mary (pbuh) and thus she conceived a son. However, the Quran does not state this, why? For what reason is this detail left out? Instead God just states that she
conceived him, and does not state that the holy spirit "
overshadowed" her or played any part in the process of conception. This is a key difference, and this is what makes this whole issue ambiguous.
For all we know, she was away from her tribe for decades (with or without her husband, we do not know). We do not even know what happened to her husband. It is very possible that she only returned to the area when Jesus (pbuh) was fully grown and began his ministry at the age of 30. And when the priests attacked her, she pointed to Jesus (pbuh) as he was now a prophet of God and they should have submitted to him instead of accusing him and his mother of such sins. But they would not listen to Jesus (pbuh) because he was so much younger then the elderly priests. This explains why they ridiculed him as being a "
child in the cradle".
3- When the Quran makes a comparaison between the creation of Adam and Jesus peace be upon them, the purpose is to reply against those who took Jesus's virgin birth as a proof of his divinity. If Jesus had had a father, the Quran would have replied by showing up this fact. Yet, the Quran's purpose through that verse is to show that as Jesus was created out of a mother only. His birth is as miraculous as that of Adam peace be upon them all.
I could easily use the same argument against you: if God wanted to "
prove" that Jesus (pbuh) was born via a virgin birth, then why did He not state it clearly in the Quran? Why does the Quran avoid the statement of the holy spirit "
overshadowing" Mary (pbuh) that is stated in the bible? In the Quran, the actual verse which states that Mary (pbuh)
concieved does not contain any referrence to the holy spirit, or to any virgin birth. It just says that she "concieved".
This is why arguing over speculation is discouraged in the Quran. I am not saying that there is not a possibility that Jesus (pbuh) was born via a virgin birth. All I am saying is that the Quran does not explicitly say that he was, so you can not claim that he was
for sure. You do not know, and neither do I.
There is much in the Quran which can be seen from different perspectives. We do not really know what happened because we were not there. And I think these ambiguities in these narratives are left for a good reason because this allows different people with different ideas to all find a basis for their ideas in the Quran. What is important is not whether Jesus (pbuh) was born of a virgin birth or not, but to act on what the prophets tell us to do and turn our focus towards God alone.
PeAcE