Is it permissible to call Maryam, the mother of the Messiah (peace be upon him) a “saint”?
Question

                Last night I was reading Qur’an and my mother said to me: “They are going to show a film about the ‘saint’ Maryam.” I said: “She is not a saint,” meaning that we should not call her by this name. Is it correct to call her a saint?
Praise be to Allah.
    The word 
    saint (qiddees) comes from a root meaning holy or pure [this is 
    applicable to both the English and Arabic words]. Al-Quddoos (the Most Holy) 
    is one of the names of Allah, and refers to the One Who is pure and free of 
    all faults and defects, as it says in Lisaan al-‘Arab, 6/168-169. 
    However, Maryam (may Allah be pleased with her) is not described as a 
    qiddeesah or saint, either in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of the 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Rather this 
    title is given to her by the Christians, by way of exaggerated veneration, 
    to the extent that they elevated her to the status of “the mother of God” – 
    exalted be Allah far above what they say.

    Allah, may 
    He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “And 
    (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O ‘Eesa 
    (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: Worship me and my 
    mother as two gods besides Allah?’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not 
    for me to say what I had no right (to say)’”

    
    [al-Maa’idah 5:116]. 

    Shaykh 
    al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    … The 
    Oriental Orthodox Christians wrote a document in which they affirmed their 
    beliefs, in which they said: ‘Verily the saint (or holy) Virgin Mary gave 
    birth to a god, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is like his Father in nature and 
    like people in humanity.’ They affirmed that he had two natures and one 
    entity, and is one person of the godhead, and they cursed the Nestorians. 

    End quote 
    from al-Jawaab as-Saheeh li man baddala Deen al-Maseeh, 4/248 

    See also
    Hidaayat al-Hayaara by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 178-179; al-Bidaayah 
    wa’n-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 2/121 

    Rather 
    Maryam (may Allah be pleased with her) is described in the Book of Allah and 
    the Sunnah of His Messenger as a siddeeqah and virgin. 

    Allah, may 
    He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “The 
    Messiah (‘Eesa (Jesus)), son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; 
    many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Maryam 
    (Mary)) was a Siddeeqah (i.e. she believed in the words of Allah and His 
    Books). They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allah 
    does not eat). Look how We make the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, 
    lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are 
    deluded away (from the truth)”

    
    [al-Maa’idah 5:75]. 

    Ahmad 
    (1742) narrated that the Negus sent for Ja‘far ibn Abi Taalib and his 
    companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who had migrated to Abyssinia, 
    to ask them about the Messiah (peace be upon him) and what they said about 
    him. 

    Umm 
    Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The people met together and 
    said to one another: What will you say about ‘Eesa when he asks you about 
    him? They said: By Allah, we will say about him what Allah said and what our 
    Prophet brought, 
    
    no matter what the consequences. 
    When they entered upon him, he [the Negus] said: 
    
    What do you say about ‘Eesa ibn Maryam? Ja‘far ibn Abi Taalib 
    said to him: We say about him what our Prophet taught: he is the slave of 
    Allah and His Messenger, a Spirit created by Him and His word that He 
    bestowed upon Maryam the Virgin. The Negus struck his hand on the ground and 
    picked up a stick, then he said: Eesa ibn Maryam is no different than what 
    you said, not even as much as this stick.

    Classed as 
    saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh as-Seerah 

    What we 
    must do is say about ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) and his mother (may Allah be 
    pleased with her) what Allah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said about him, and we should not 
    go beyond that and adopt what the people of the Book say or believe, whether 
    that is the exaggeration of the Christians about them or the disrespect of 
    the Jews towards them. 

    Hence 
    Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “O 
    people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in 
    your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa 
    (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and 
    His Word, (‘Be!’ - and he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a 
    spirit (Rooh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say 
    not: ‘Three (trinity)!’ Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allah is (the 
    only) One Ilaah (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a 
    son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. 
    And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs”

    
    [an-Nisa’ 4:171]. 

    See also 
    the answers to questions no. 10836 and
    7181. 

    And Allah 
    knows best.