Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle
Question
Who is Harun referred to in Sura Maryam as the brother of Our Lady Maryam [Quran, 19:28]?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Thank you kindly for your valued and essential question.
There are two positions regarding the individual referred to as the brother of Our Lady Maryam. [Quran, 19:28] His name is undoubtedly Harun [Aron].
One position is that it is indeed the Prophet Harun [Aron] (Blessings and peace be upon him) and that this appellation (O Sister of Harun) is purely honorific. The other position is that Harun was a righteous man known for his piety and uprightness in her time, and she was merely ascribed to him by comparison. [Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari; Ibn Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
Tabari preferred this later position because of the hadith he and others narrated. Mughira ibn Shuba (Allah be well pleased with him) was asked by the Christians of Najran about the verse and brought the issue back to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). He replied, “They used to name people after their prophets.” (Tabari; Muslim; Ahmad; Others]
Ibn Ashur believed that both positions were sound and not in conflict. He also mentioned that the Gospel of Luke says that Elizabeth, the wife of the Prophet Zakariyya (Blessings and peace be upon him), was of the descendants of Harun [Aron] and that Maryam was of her relatives. [Ibn Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir; Luke, 1:5 and 1:36]
Whatever explanation is given, it is very clear from the tafsir literature that neither the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) nor the Early Muslims ever imagined that Maryam was ever the actual blood-sister of the Prophet Harun (Blessings and peace be upon him). [Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari]
Please also see:
Are ‘Isa And Yahya (Allah be pleased with them) Considered Cousins In Islam?
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid Dingle
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic Language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, He has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the Language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.