Fatima and Islam

Fatima begins

The story of Fatima did not begin in 1917. It began some 700 years earlier, and possibly  reflects a deeper underlying significance of why Our Lady appeared in Fatima. And this history reveals the possibility that Our Lady of Fatima may eventually (or maybe even now) be an instrument to convert Muslims to Christianity. You be the judge of what God’s amazing grace can do.

Fatima is the name of the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s favorite daughter. Consequently, many Muslim women are named Fatima. In the late 1100’s a party of Moorish (Muslims) occupiers were ambushed and taken captive. The prisoners included a young woman whose name was Fatima and they were taken to the Portuguese king in Santarem, which is about 40 miles south of the present site of Fatima.

The leader of the Christian knights fell in love with her. She converted to Christianity and, with the king’s permission and blessing, was joined in marriage to the knight. She was given the name Oureana – the Golden One. The king’s wedding gift was a village which was then renamed Oureana in her honor (now known as Ourém, located about 6 miles northeast of Fatima).

Oureana died young and her grieving husband eventually had her body moved, and there he built a small commemorative chapel which (probably because her Christian name had already been used to rename the village) became known by her former Muslim name, Fatima. And this is where, in 1917, Our Lady of Fatima appeared.

One more important detail: Of all women, Islam considers Mary to be the most favored by God. As quoted by Monsignor Pope on October 12, 2015, Archbishop Sheen tells us that the Koran:

“has many passages concerning the Blessed Virgin. First of all, the Koran believes in her Immaculate Conception, and also, in her Virgin Birth … The Koran also has verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying, Oh Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth. In the 19th chapter of the Koran there are 41 verses on Jesus and Mary. There is such a strong defense of the virginity of Mary here that the Koran in the fourth book, attributes the condemnation of the Jews to their monstrous calumny against the Virgin Mary.”

The name, Our Lady of Fatima, takes on a completely different meaning and significance when we understand that Fatima is more than a place. She is Our Lady for both Christians and Muslims, and Muslims already know about and revere Mary. Is it possible that Our Lady of Fatima may be a bridge from Islam to Christianity? If you’re a skeptic, please consider the possibility that God knows what he is doing, even if his timeline doesn’t match yours. As Archbishop Sheen tells us, “Since nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as “Our Lady of Fatima” as pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son too”.

Finding Jesus

In view of the overwhelmingly credible stories about Fatima, how is it possible to dismiss the Incarnation, Passion and Resurrection? Once again, just as she did 2,000 years ago, Mary presents Jesus to the world. When we turn towards Mary we turn toward her son. She doesn’t divert. She magnifies. She delivers. God has written his love and commandments into all our hearts and he is asking us to open the door for him. He has commissioned the Blessed Virgin to help in this task. Maybe she can deliver Islam to Christ.

Some websites and references

Footnotes and Attributions

The statue is “Mother Mary in the Park of the Dialogue” located in Iran. The picture was retrieved from the article, “Jesus and The Virgin Mary in Islam” appearing on the Muslims for Peace website.

Last modified on September 9, 2019