[7]. Mary (Maryam عليها السلام) lived many generations after Prophet Moses (Mūsā) and his brother Aaron (Hārūn).
So, this “Aaron” mentioned here cannot literally be the brother of Moses.
Instead, Mary was a descendant of the family of ʿImrān, the priestly lineage descending from Aaron.
Thus, the name Hārūn (Aaron) in this verse is symbolic of lineage and virtue, not of direct sibling relationship.
A companion of the Prophet said:
When I went to the people of Najrān, they said: “You read in your Qur’an, ‘O sister of Aaron,’ yet Moses came long before Jesus!”
I returned to the Prophet ﷺ and told him what they said. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“They used to name their people after the prophets and righteous men who had gone before them.”
Meaning: “sister of Aaron” was an honorary or genealogical title, referring to her descent from the family of Aaron or resemblance to his piety — not literal sisterhood.
In ancient Semitic usage (Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic), calling someone “brother” or “sister” of a past figure could mean:
Descent or family lineage (i.e., from the tribe or clan of so-and-so), or Moral likeness (i.e., a woman as pious as Aaron).
Hence “O sister of Aaron!” likely meant:
“O woman of the lineage or devotion of Aaron (the priestly family).”
[8]. Some believed that Jesus was God or the son of God, whereas those who truly followed him considered him only human and God's servant and messenger.