An in depth study of the traditional scholarship examining the life and characteristics of Mary from the perspective of Sunni Islam in the classical period, which took place over centuries in a region stretching from Central Asia to Spain. The author was a specialist in Islamic Studies and a professor at the American University in Cairo.

“Christians often find it curious that Mary figures so prominently in the Qur’an and in Muslim spiritual life. She is seen as a faithful servant of the Lord who allows God’s word to bring Jesus to life in her miraculously, and so give the world a Prophet whom Muslims revere. This work shows in inspiring detail the manner in which Muslim life and practice bring Mary to life as a faithful servant of the one God.”

About Author:

Dr. Aliah Schleifer lived, studied and worked in the Middle East for thirty years. Her interests and publications in the field of Islamic Studies range from the classical commentaries on the Qur’an, the prophetic traditions and Islamic jurisprudence, to Morisco Studies and Islamic mysticism. A previous work, Motherhood in Islam, is a popular reference on the subject, and has been used as a textbook at the American University in Cairo where Dr. Schleifer was a professor for many years. The present work on Mary is the text of her doctoral dissertation at The University of Exeter in England.

Timothy Winter (Abdul Hakim Murad) of Cambridge University’s Faculty of Divinity contributed a foreword as well as a useful list of short biographical notes on the scholars and commentators whose works were drawn upon. The introduction is by Dr. Ali Jum’a, Professor of Law at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.