The Bible and the Qur’an describe the birth of Jesus with different details, and to find the story of a blessed tree associated with Jesus’ birth, one must look to the Qur’an.  

First, the annunciation as it appears in the Qur’an:

Remember when angels said, “O Mary, truly Allah has chosen you and purified you and preferred you over all other women of the world. O Mary, remain faithful to your Lord. Prostrate in worship. Bow with those who bow.”

This is news unseen [by you], we reveal it to you. You were not with them when they cast rods to see who should be Mary’s guardian. You were not with them when they argued [about the outcome of casting rods].

Remember when angels said, “O Mary, truly Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name will be the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary. He will be honored in this world and in the hereafter. He will be among those brought near [to Allah]. From the cradle, he will speak to people, as well as speak as an adult. He will be among the righteous.”

She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has even touched me?”

(An angel) said, “So be it. Allah creates what He will. When He decides a thing, He only says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.

“He will teach him the Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. He will make him a messenger to the Children of Israel [saying], ‘Truly, I come to you with a message from your Lord. I will create for you, from clay, the shape of a bird. I will breathe into it, and it will become a [living] bird, by Allah’s will. I will heal the blind and the lepers. I will restore life to the dead, by Allah’s will. I will tell you what you should eat and what you should store in your houses. Truly, in all these things is a sign for you, if you are believers.

“‘I confirm that Torah which came before me. I make lawful for you some of that which was forbidden to you. I come to you with a sign from your Lord. Fear Allah, and obey me. Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord. Worship Him. That is the Straight Way.’” [Surah 3: 42-51]

Mary conceived the child, which the Qur’an describes as “Allah’s messenger, His Word breathed into Mary, and a spirit emanating from Him” [Surah 4: 171].  

The Qur’an points out how accusations were made against Mary: 

“They rejected faith when they uttered against Mary a serious, false charge.”
[Surah 4: 156].  

In the Talmud (rabbinical writings), it is written that Mary was impregnated by Ben Pandera, a Roman soldier. Based on this, Celsus, a Greek philosopher, claimed that Mary had been turned away by her husband because of adultery. According to the Acts of Pilate – an extracanonical work – the elders of the Jews stated to Pilate during the trial of Jesus that he had been conceived through fornication.  Muhammed bin Ishaq (an Arab historian, d 761 or 767) wrote that the Children of Israel were saying, 

“Verily, her partner (in fornication) was Joseph because there was no one else in the temple with her except him.”  

Based on various records, we can see that rumors were flying around about Mary. She was greatly distressed and reportedly, to get relief for her from all of the gossip, her husband Joseph took her from Jerusalem to his home in Bethlehem. It may have been during this trip that she had this experience described in the Qur’an:

(Mary) conceived him, and she isolated herself with him to a remote place. The discomfort of bearing a child drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She cried, “O, I would rather have died and been forgotten and out of sight!”

Then [a voice] came to (Mary) from beneath her, “Do not grieve. Truly, your Lord has opened a spring beneath you. Also, shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree, and fresh, ripe dates will fall for you. Eat and drink and freshen your eyes. If you see anyone, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious that I will not converse with any person this day.’” [Surah 19: 22-26]

Both a tree and a spring blessed Mary and comforted her from her distress at, not only becoming pregnant out of wedlock but also at the malicious rumors surrounding the event. Mary, however, would be vindicated as the Qur’an continues:

Finally (Mary) returned to her people, carrying the infant.

They said, “O Mary, truly you have brought an astonishing thing! O sister of Aaron [in the family of priests], your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not unchaste!”

She pointed to (the baby) [as if to say, “Ask him”].  

They said, “How can we talk with an infant from the cradle?”

(The baby Jesus) said, “I am indeed a servant of Allah. He has given me Scriptures and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and has instilled in me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother and not arrogant or rebellious. Peace was upon me the day I was born and will be upon me the day that I die, and the day I shall be resurrected.” [Surah 19: 27-33]

In Islam, Mary (peace upon her) is the most honored woman to have ever lived. From her life, we can find the inspiration to endure our struggles and to always have hope of overcoming them. Jesus (peace upon him) was born into an overbearing, patriarchal society. The virgin birth emphasized the value of women. The nativity story is just as much about Mary as it is about Jesus. The virgin birth is also a sign of Jesus’ unique relationship with God, and Jesus’ message of repentance – redemption being the guiding light for receiving God’s grace in the form of forgiveness and salvation. May every heart be blessed with the spirit of love, peace, and goodwill for all.

[Linda “iLham” Barto is an author and illustrator in North Carolina, USA.  She has an author page on Amazon. The translated passages from the Qur’an in this article are copyrighted by her and have been approved/endorsed by Islamic scholar Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Pandor. This article is copyrighted by her.]