Fatwa ID: 05399

 

Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah

 

Question

 

Who is Haroon, i.e., the one referred to in the ayat يا اخت هارون (Surah Maryam)?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Verse 28 of Surah Maryam is;

يَا أُخْتَ هَارُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا ﴿٢٨﴾

“O  sister of Harun! Your father was not an indecent man, nor was your mother unchaste”.

 

In this verse, Maryam(عليها السلام) is called the sister of Harun.

 

There are various Tafsir and exegeses mentioned in the books of Tafsir in regards to this verse.

 

Imam Mawurdi (رحمه الله) has related four opinions in his Tafsir regards to this person.

 

(1) He was a pious man of the Banu Israel. Those who would be pious would be given likeness or association with this Harun.

 

(2) He was the brother of the Prophet Musa (عليه السلام). Maryam (عليه السلام) was from the progeny of Harun (عليه السلام). Hence, she is being referred to him through progeny just like one would say ‘O brother of such and such person’.

 

(3) He was the biological brother of Maryam(عليه السلام).

 

(4) He was a man known for his transgression. She was referred with him in the sense of similarity. They perceived that Maryam(عليه السلام) had committed a sin. [1]

 

Similar exegesis are mentioned in the Tafsir of Imam Tabri[2] (رحمه الله),Tafsir of Imam Ibn Abi Hatim [3] ( رحمها الله), Tafsir of Imam Samani [4] (رحمه الله), Tafsir of Imam Zamakhshari [5] (رحمه الله),  and in the Tafsir of Imam Razi[6](رحمه الله).

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

[1]وفي هذا الذي نسبت إليه أربعة أقاويل: أحدها: أنه كان رجلًا صالحًا من بني إسرائيل ينسب إليه من يعرف بالصلاح، قاله مجاهد وكعب، والمغيرة بن شعبة يرفعه للنبي ﷺ

الثاني: أنه هارون أخو موسى فنسبت إليه لأنها من ولده كما يقال يا أخا بني فلان، قاله السدي.

الثالث: أنه كان أخاها لأبيها وأمها، قاله الضحاك.

الرابع: أنه كان رجلًا فاسقًا معلنًا بالفسق ونسبت إليه، قاله ابن جبير. ﴿وما كانَتْ أُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا﴾ أي زانية. وسميت الزانية بغيًا لأنها تبغي الزنا أي تطلبه

Tafsir Mawurdi, 378-379/3, Darul Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon.

 

[2] Tafsir Tabri, 522-523/15, Dar Hijrah, 1422 H.

 

[3] Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim, 2407/7, Maktabah Nizar, Saudi Arabia, 1419 H.

 

[4] Tafsir Samani, 288/3, Darul Watan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1418 H.

 

[5] Tafsir Zamakhshari, 14/3, Darul Kitab, Beirut, Lebanon, 1407 H.

 

[6] Tafsir Razi, 560/21, Dar Ihyath Turath, Beirut, Lebanon, 1420 H.