“Maryam did not fit neatly into Islamic theological categories and continues to occupy an exceptional religious and spiritual space. She shares elements of a prophet in that she was directly communicated to by an angel and mentioned in the Qur’an alongside other prophets. However, unlike other prophets, she did not actively preach nor come with a written scripture. Moreover, she shares attributes of a wali in that God guided her and defends her when she is attacked and maligned. Yet some Muslim theologians had trouble with just categorizing her as a wali because she had direct communication with God, especially through one of his most prominent and revered angels. Similar to both a prophet and wali, Maryam received miracles with the fruits provided to her out of season and gave birth to ‘Isa as a virgin. However, miracles were not the exclusive province of prophets or saints but rather understood to demonstrate the favor and truthfulness of the righteous.”