Interviewing Religion – A Chat With Younus Y. Mirza

Welcome to Part Four of the project “Interviewing Religion,” where I interview scholars of Middle Eastern religions about their research, discuss how their work connects to broader public issues, and ask for suggestions for further reading. [You can read the other interviews here!] A huge thank you to the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Luce Foundation, who supported my work with one of their Advancing Public Scholarship Grants. I couldn’t have launched this project without their assistance.

For my fourth interview, I’m excited to introduce Dr. Younus Y. Mirza. Mirza is a Visiting Researcher at Georgetown University and the Founding Director of Global Virtual Learning at Shenandoah University. He received his Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University and has taught at Millsaps and Allegheny Colleges. His current research focuses on the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an and the shared stories between them. Mirza is a co-author of the book The Bible and the Qur’an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition and has published in a variety of journals including Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and the Journal of Qur’anic Studies. I find his work on the Islamic Mary particularly fascinating and I think you will too.

I recently spoke to Mirza, who graciously answered a few questions about his research and publications. I encourage you to get a copy of his book, read his other work, and check out the great resources he mentions here.

1) How did you first get interested in studying the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an and the shared stories between them?

Mirza: I have a blog post “What’s in a Name?” which discusses how my interest in the Bible and the Qur’an developed through my name Younus, which is the equivalent to the Biblical Jonah.  My grandfather grew up in what is now known as Pakistan and he had a fascination with prophetic names.  He named his first child Ishmael/Isma‘il, his second son Abraham/Ibrahim, his third Isaac/Ishaq, and his last, my father, Jacob/Yaqub. When my mother was pregnant with me, my father asked my grandfather, “What should I name my child?” He responded that if the child was a boy, he should name him Younus or Jonah.  I did not know my grandfather that well because I was born in the United States and he died when I was young. But my name always connects me to him, his legacy and story. 

Growing up in the United States, I quickly realized that Younus was not a common name and that people had trouble pronouncing it. I was frequently the only Younus in my class or entire school. Having an “unusual” name made me curious about what it meant, its origins and history. I learned that the name Younus is a prophet in the Qur’an and is known as Jonah in the Bible. It could be said that my name led me on a vocational journey that resulted in my interest in the Qur’an and the Bible. 

Throughout my research, I have also been fascinated by the various Qur’anic and Muslim names that are a part of Islamic intellectual and cultural tradition. I have been interested in the debates around names and how names represent stories and narratives of how to live one’s life. The research has led me to learn more about the Bible, since many Qur’anic names are also found within the scripture, which has introduced me to a host of other names.

2) You’ve been asked to present your work at a local community center. How would you describe your research on the Islamic Mary and your studies of Ibn Kathir and Ibn Taymiyya?

Mirza: My interest in the Islamic Mary originated out of my interest in Ibn Kathir and Ibn Taymiyya who wrote extensively on the relationship between the Qur’an and Bible. Ibn Taymiyya, for instance, wrote one of the longest responses to Christianity in Islamic history where he engaged the Bible and biblical arguments. Ibn Kathir was one of his students and he continues the comparison between the Bible and Qur’an in his famous “Stories of the Prophets” (qisas al-anbiya’) which is still popular in modern times. In fact, it is frequently used as a textbook in Islamic seminaries and Muslim devotional circles.

Specifically, I recently wrote an article “The Islamic Mary: Between Prophecy and Orthodoxy” which discusses how Ibn Kathir devotes a sizable portion of his Qur’anic commentary (tafsir) and Stories of the Prophets to the question of whether Maryam was a prophet, a debate within his time and local. He eventually comes to the conclusion that she was not a prophet as there is nothing in the Qur’an and Prophetic tradition that explicitly states such. But he contends that she was the best woman of all time and affirms the Qur’anic statement that she was truthful, sincere, and honest (siddiqa).

3) Tell me about your recent projects and publications. Which works are your favorites and why?

Mirza: I am currently writing a book on the Islamic Mary that stems from my first book The Bible and the Qur’an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition. There, I became keenly aware of how many shared figures there are between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but realized that their discussion is not always explored and examined. My co-author John Kaltner and I compared the stories of 48 shared figures between the Bible and the Qur’an and then how they are understood within Muslim exegesis and literature.

In particular, I became increasingly fascinated by the character of Mary/Maryam which is shared between Christianity and Islam. While Christian-Muslim relations often focus on the divinity or prophecy of Jesus, Mary/Maryam opens new possibilities such as questions over female leadership, spirituality, and parenthood. Mary continues to be an influential woman who shapes the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of modern people.

This interest in Mary/Maryam compelled me to write the blog post “Is Mary the New Common Link Between Christians and Muslims?” which examines how after 9/11 Abraham was presented as the common figure between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (the “Abrahamic” religions). However, a recent series of books and articles have focused on Mary as a shared figure and common link. The research made me realize that Mary/Maryam should not only be seen as the “mother of Jesus” but rather a figure in her own right with a Qur’anic birth story of her own. I discuss this finding in my recent article “The Islamic Mary as a Protagonist and Qur’anic Daughter” in a special Christian-Muslim relations issue of Interpretation: a Journal of Bible and Theology.

4) Your neighbor wants to know more about your field. What books, websites, videos, or other resources would you recommend to them? (why?)

Mirza: I would encourage your readers to look at my first book The Bible and the Qur’an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition which we wrote to be accessible to academic and public audiences. Each chapter is relatively short and contains a presentation of the figures in the Bible and the Qur’an and how they are portrayed in the Story of the Prophets literature. The chapters end with several discussion questions that are conducive to a study circle or classroom setting. John also has other books within the same field such as How the Qur’an Interprets the Bible and What Do Our Neighbors Believe?: Questions and Answers on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

I would also encourage folks to read Neighbors: Christians and Muslims Building Community by Deanna Ferree Womack who comes from an academic background but also writes for public audiences. Her interests lie in seeing the various communities not as enemies but as “neighbors” who can “build” together or work on joint projects and goals.

5) How does your research connect to broader public issues?  What overlap do you see between the topics you study and contemporary issues around the world today?

Mirza: In my work, I try to reach multiple audiences whether they be academic or the general public. In terms of the broader public, I try to speak to universities, mosques, churches, and those generally interested in religion.  

First, I do outreach to various Mosque communities and present my work on Mary/Maryam. Muslim communities are generally aware of Maryam as there is an entire chapter in the Qur’an entitled after her and many name their daughters with her name. However, there has not been a detailed discussion about her role throughout Islamic history and how it spans the Qur’an, the biography of the prophet (sira), interreligious affairs, art, and ecumenical relations. In particular, Mary/Maryam could provide a common link between Christianity and Islam, as they both see her as a righteous figure who gave birth to Jesus.  Moreover, Maryam provides a female model of spirituality that could be an example for both men and women. Throughout Islamic history, there are many historical examples of Muslim women teaching classes and providing moral, spiritual, and ethical guidance to their communities.    

Second, I engage Church communities and affiliated universities and discuss how Mary/Maryam is both similar but distinct from the Christian Mary. Many Church communities often “otherize” Islam and see it as foreign and completely different from Christianity. Thus, they are surprised to hear about Jesus and Mary being in the Qur’an and being revered within the Islamic tradition.  While many introduce Islam using the five pillars, I have also found it helpful to use shared stories. This can raise important theological similarities and differences and can help one better understand the nuances of the various religions. Moreover, demographics suggest that Christianity and Islam will continue to be the world’s largest religions thus making positive relations between the religions instrumental to global peace.     

Last, I hope to reach general audiences, many of which are described as “nones” or spiritual but not religious. Many in the general public are unaffiliated from religious institutions but are interested in religion and how it shapes culture and society. Specifically, Mary/Maryam raises important questions regarding scripture, women, and spirituality that are not limited to religious communities, but are of interest to larger audiences. This group of “nones” is especially prominent among younger audiences who often struggle between charting their own course and following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents. Discussion around Mary/Maryam will help them engage in larger questions of organized religion, personal spirituality, and tradition and modernity.

6) What other scholars/writers do you think are doing the most interesting work on religion in the Middle East?

Mirza: There are so many scholars whose work I find interesting and relevant but I will name a few that have been helpful in my research on Mary/Maryam: 

Leyla Ozgur Alhassen has done some interesting research regarding Qur’anic stories and how to read the Qur’an more holistically. For instance, she shows how Qur’anic stories are interconnected and how there are “echoes” in the Qur’an where various verses, narratives, and personalities refer to one another. She has a new book How the Qur’an Works: Reading Sacred Narrative which I look forward to reading.  

Celene Ibrahim has written an important monograph Women and Gender in the Qur’an which I have used in my work on Mary/Maryam in determining how she fits within the paradigm of a Qur’anic woman. She does a great job of analyzing the various female figures and showing how they are both similar and different and contrasts them with the male ones.     

Asma Sayeed has written a classic study entitled Women and Transmission of Religious Knowledge in Islam which demonstrates that women were active in transmitting prophetic traditions in the Middle Ages. Asma’s work has been helpful in my work on Ibn Kathir and Ibn Taymiyya and led me to pay more attention to how women scholars appear in their work.  She is also writing on contemporary Morocco and female scholars’ contributions to the field of Qur’anic Studies.  

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem published a new translation of the Qur’an in 2008 and continues to write articles for the Journal of Qur’anic Studies. He has unique insights into the Qur’an, especially in regard to the Arabic language and its rhetorical style (balagha). He has an article on the chapter of Maryam and how it sought to bring comfort to Muhammad and the early Muslim community. 

7) How can people find out more about you and follow your work?

Mirza: Folks are welcome to visit my website and join my email listserve where I share blogs, podcasts, and my latest publications. I try to write within a community of scholars and practitioners so I always appreciate the comments and feedback!

Thanks so much to Dr. Younus Y. Mirza for speaking with me and sharing these details about his study of the Bible and the Qur’an and the shared stories between them. I really encourage you to check out his book The Bible and the Qur’an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition, read his research on the Islamic Mary, and consult the other great resources he mentioned here. For a complete list of the books, websites, and articles listed in this interview, you can also visit Interviewing Religion’s Books and Resources page.

And look for more interviews like this to come soon! You can subscribe to my blog here to get new posts directly by email.