Maryam

Maryam — Mary, the mother of Isa — is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran, with an entire surah (Surah Maryam, the nineteenth) bearing her name. Ibn Kathir presents her as the greatest woman who ever lived, citing the prophetic hadith: 'The best of the women of Paradise are Khadijah, Fatimah, Maryam, and Asiya.' Her upbringing in the temple under Zakariyya's guardianship, her miraculous provision of food, and her exemplary chastity throughout her life made her spiritually prepared for the announcement that would shatter every expectation of the possible. Ibn Kathir's attention to Maryam before Isa establishes that the miracle of Isa was not spontaneous but prepared — the vessel was itself formed across a lifetime of divine care.

As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.