Is it true that Hz. Maryam (Mary) did not menstruate and that she had a fiancé?

- A question about the life of Hz. Maryam: There are two narrations whose sources are not explained in the life of Hz. Maryam: 
1. Hz. Maryam never menstruated.
2. It is said that when the divine miracle took place, that is, when a word was given to Maryam from our Lord, she was engaged or married to Yusuf (Joseph), her cousin (but it is definite that Hz. Maryam was a virgin at that time according to the verses of the Quran).

- Will you give information about those narrations?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Answer 1:

- There is no information in verses or sound hadiths stating that Hz. Maryam never menstruated. Besides, some scholars state that she menstruated twice before she was pregnant with Hz. Isa (Jesus). (see Razi, the interpretation of verses 22-23 of the chapter of Maryam)

- Hz. Maryam’s quality called “Batul” is famous. BATALA lexically means to cut off / break off. Some people may have interpreted it as “she never menstruated”. However, it is wrong. The quality “Batul” was given to Hz. Maryam because she devoted her life to Allah in the temple and cut off her relationships with the world and anything except Allah, not because she never menstruated.  

- One of the qualities of Hz. Fatima is also BATUL. For, she was distinguished from the women of her age with her chastity, worship and taqwa and had a different position. Therefore, she was deemed worthy of this quality of Hz. Maryam’s.

To sum up, we have no definite information showing that Hz. Maryam did not menstruate.

Answer 2:

There is no sign or trace of such information in the Quran.

- There is hardly any information stating that Yusuf Najjar was Hz. Maryam’s fiancé in the Islamic resources. The information that exists is of Israiliyat. The following information generally exists in the Islamic resources:

When Hz. Maryam stayed in the temple, one of her paternal uncles’ son, Yusuf Najjar, also worshipped there (in another part of the temple). Once, Yusuf saw that Maryam looked like pregnant and had to talk to her about it despite his good thoughts about her and asked her: “Maryam! Have you ever seen grains coming into being without a seed, a tree without a pip, a plant without water and a child without a father?”

Hz. Maryam, who was aware of the situation, said, “Yes, why not? Did Allah not create grains for the first time without a seed? Did Allah not create trees for the first time without pips? Did Allah not create Hz. Adam and his wife without parents?”

Yusuf continued to believe her after this answer. However, when it was heard that she was pregnant, people tried to associate her pregnancy with Yusuf Najjar. (see Tabari, Razi, Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of verses 22of the chapter of Maryam)

- The information that Yusuf Najjar is Hz. Maryam’s fiancé exists in the Bible:

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew: 1/18-21)

Thus, it is understood that the information about Yusuf’s being Hz. Maryam’s fiancé existing in some resources is of Israiliyat because there is no such information in the Quran and hadiths.

Questions on Islam