some Mohammedan writers have imagined that the same individual Mary, the sister of Moses, was miraculously preserved alive from his time till that of Jesus Christ, purposely to become the mother of the latter.2 y The Imrân here mentioned was the father of the Virgin Mary, and his wife's name was Hannah, or Ann, the daughter of Fakudh. This woman, say the commentators, being aged and barren, on seeing a bird feed her young ones, became very desirous of issue, and begged a child of GOD, promising to consecrate it to his service in the temple; whereupon she had a child, but it proved a daughter.3 z The Arabic word is free, but here signifies particularly one that is free or detached from all worldly desires and occupations, and wholly devoted to GOD'S service.4 a Because a female could not minister in the temple as a male could.5 b This expression alludes to a tradition, that Abraham, when the devil tempted him to disobey God in not sacrificing his son, drove the fiend away by throwing stones at him; in memory of which, the Mohammedans, at the pilgrimage of Mecca, throw a certain number of stones at the devil, with certain ceremonies, in the valley of Mina.6 It is not improbable that the pretended immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary is intimated in this passage; for according to a tradition of Mohammed, every person that comes into the world is touched at his birth by the devil, and therefore cries out: Mary and her son only excepted, between whom and the evil spirit God placed a veil, so that his touch did not reach them.7 And for this reason, they say, neither of them were guilty of any sin, like the rest of the children of Adam:8 which peculiar grace they obtained by virtue of this recommendation of them by Hannah to God's protection. 2 Al Zamakhshari, al Beidâwi. 3 Kor. c. 19. 4 Vide Reland. de Rel. Moh. p. 211 Marracc. in Alc. p. 115, &c. Prideaux, Letter to the Deists, p. 185. 5 Exod. vi. 18. 6 Al Zamakh. al Beidâwi. 7 Vide Reland. ubi sup. D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. p. 583. 1 Cap. 19. 2 Vide Guadagnol. Apolog. pro Rel. Christ. contra Ahmed Ebn Zein al Abedin. p. 279. 3 Al Beidâwi, al Thalabi. 4 Jallalo'ddin, al Zamakhshari. 5 Jallalo'ddin. 6 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. IV. 7 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 8 Kitada.