Imam al-Baqir has said how Maryam was given good tidings of ‘Isa: One day she was sitting in the prayer room of the house of worship when Archangel Gabriel came down in form of a man and dropped his saliva into the collar of her frock. She at once conceived ‘Isa who was born the same day. Till that time, on the surface of the earth there was no tree which did not have fruits and also no tree had thorns until the sinner offspring of Adam attributed wife and son to Allah made the earth shiver. Fruits disappeared from the trees and thorns came up in place of fruits. ‘Isa appeared from the trees and thorns came up in place of fruits. Shaitans gathered around their chief Iblis and said, “Tonight a child is born because of whom every idol in the world has toppled down.” Hearing this, the accursed Iblis became worried. He went from east to west to find the child but could not find any trace of him until he approached a Monastery. There he saw that the angels had encircled that house. The accursed Satan tried to enter the house but the angels ordered him to go away from there. He asked who the father of the newborn child was. They said his case was an example of Adam whom Allah had created without a father. Iblis retorted “I will destroy four out of five parts of human population due to this son.”
‘Ali ibn Ibrahim narrates that Archangel Gabriel blew into the neckline of Maryam thus passing air into her belly. It resulted in conception of ‘Isa the same night and she delivered the next morning. The time of this pregnancy was only nine hours that became equal to the period of nine months required by other women. Imam al-Baqir is reported to have said that Archangel Gabriel blew into the neckline of Maryam holding her garment and it resulted in instant perfection of ‘Isa in her womb the same way offspring develop in their mother’s wombs in nine months. Then she came out of the bathing place with a child’s burden like those ladies who have completed their period of pregnancy and who are on the verge of delivery. When her aunt saw her she became astonished. Feeling ashamed Maryam went away from Zakariyya and his wife as mentioned by Allah,
“So she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place.” (19:22)
al-Qutb al-Rawandi has with authentic proofs, narrated from Yahya bin ‘Abdullah that, “I was with Imam as-Sadiq in Heerah. One day we went riding and reached a village in the vicinity of Nasirah and came near river Euphrates.” Imam said, ‘Here it is, Here it is’ and then dismounted, prayed two Rak’ahs of prayers and asked me, ‘Do you know where ‘Isa was born?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said ‘It is here, where I am now sitting.’ Then he said, ‘Where was the palm tree which was shaken by Maryam for its fruits?’
I replied that I did not know. He pointed to his back with his hand and said it was at this spot. Thereafter he asked me whether I knew the meaning of Rabawah, mentioned in the Divine Ayat of Holy Qur’an reading:
“And we made the son of Maryam and his mother a sign, and we gave them shelter on a lofty ground (rabwah) having meadows and springs.(23:50)’
This means we sheltered ‘Isa and his mother on a high ground that we turned into a living place with abundance of fruits and populace and running streams of water. I said I did not know. He pointed to his right with his hand toward Najaf and said this is that hill. Then he said the ‘Maaum Maeen’ mentioned by the Lord is the river Euphrates and added when the pregnancy of Maryam became apparent she was in that valley where five hundred virgin girls were busy praying to Allah and that her (Maryam’s) period of pregnancy was nine hours. When she suffered labor pains she came out of the worship place and came home that was her monastery. Therefrom she approached the palm tree that was old. ‘Isa was born there. She carried him and came to her people. They became fearful on seeing her in that condition and were astonished. The Israelites fell in dispute about ‘Isa. Some said, ‘He is the son of Allah’ some other said ‘He is a servant of Allah and His Messenger’ and the Jews said Allah forbid. “He is the fruit of adultery” and that palm tree was Ajwah.”