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Ayah
Word by Word
قَالَ
He said
رَبِّ
My Lord!
أَنَّىٰ
How
يَكُونُ
can
لِي
I have
غُلَٰمٞ
a boy
وَكَانَتِ
while is
ٱمۡرَأَتِي
my wife
عَاقِرٗا
barren
وَقَدۡ
and indeed
بَلَغۡتُ
I have reached
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡكِبَرِ
the old age
عِتِيّٗا
extreme
قَالَ
He said
رَبِّ
My Lord!
أَنَّىٰ
How
يَكُونُ
can
لِي
I have
غُلَٰمٞ
a boy
وَكَانَتِ
while is
ٱمۡرَأَتِي
my wife
عَاقِرٗا
barren
وَقَدۡ
and indeed
بَلَغۡتُ
I have reached
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡكِبَرِ
the old age
عِتِيّٗا
extreme
Translation
He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"
Tafsir
He said, 'My Lord, how shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?' ('itiyyan, [derives] from [the verb] 'ataa, 'it became withered') in other words, [he had reached] extreme old age, 120 years; and his wife had reached the age of 98 ('atiya in terms of its root derives from 'utuwwun, but the taa' is vowelled as -ti-, to soften it, the first waaw [vowel] is changed into a yaa' to be in harmony with the -ti- vowelling, while the second [waaw letter] is changed into a yaa' so that the [previous] yaa' can be assimilated with it).
The acceptance of His Supplication
This statement implies what is not mentioned, that his supplication was answered.
It was said to him,
يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسۡمُهُ يَحۡيَى
(Allah said:) O Zakariyya! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son, whose name will be Yahya...
Similarly Allah, the Exalted, said;
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِى مِن لَّدُنۡكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَأءِ
فَنَادَتۡهُ الۡمَلَـيِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَايِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى الۡمِحۡرَابِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيَـى مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ
At that time Zakariyya invoked his Lord, saying:O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.
Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab, (saying):Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, confirming (believing in) the word from Allah, noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous. (3:38-39)
Allah said,
لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيًّا
We have given that name to none before (him).
Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Zayd said,
This means that no one had this name before him.
Ibn Jarir preferred this interpretation, may Allah have mercy upon him
His amazement after the acceptance of His Supplication
Allah tells:
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا
وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ الۡكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا
He (Zakariyya) said:My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age.
Zakariyya was amazed when his supplication was answered and he was given the good news of a son. He became extremely overjoyed and asked how this child would be born to him, and in what manner he would come. This was particularly amazing because his wife was an old woman who was barren and had not given birth to any children in her entire life. Even Zakariyya himself had become old and advanced in years, his bones had become feeble and thin, and he had no potent semen or vigor for sexual intercourse.
The Answer of the Ange
قَالَ
He said:
That is, the angel, in his response to Zakariyya and his was amazement.
كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ
Thus says your Lord:`It is easy for Me...'
Meaning the birth of the son will be from you and from this wife of yours and not from any other (woman).
هَيِّنٌ
(easy), Meaning, it is simple and easy for Allah to do.
Then he (the angel) mentioned to him that which is more amazing than what he was asking about. The angel said that the Lord said,
وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡيًا
Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!
This is similar to Allah's statement,
هَلۡ أَتَى عَلَى الاِنسَـنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهۡرِ لَمۡ يَكُن شَيۡياً مَّذۡكُوراً
Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning! (76:1
The Sign of the Pregnancy
Allah, the Exalted, informed about Zakariyya that he said,
قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَل لِّي ايَةً
He (Zakariyya) said:My Lord! Appoint for me a sign.
Give me a sign and a proof of the existence of that which You have promised me, so that my soul will be at rest and my heart will be at ease with Your promise.
Similarly Ibrahim said,
رَبِّ أَرِنِى كَيۡفَ تُحۡىِ الۡمَوۡتَى
قَالَ أَوَلَمۡ تُوۡمِن
قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطۡمَيِنَّ قَلۡبِى
My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.
He (Allah) said:Do you not believe
He said:Yes (I believe), but to put my heart at ease. (2:260)
Then Allah says,
قَالَ ايَتُكَ
He said:Your sign is...
meaning, Your sign will be...
أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا
that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect.
Meaning, `your tongue will be prevented from speaking for three nights while you are healthy and fit, without any sickness or illness.'
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Wahb, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others said,
His tongue was arrested without any sickness or illness.
Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,
He used to recite and glorify Allah, but he was not able to speak to his people except by gestures.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,
ثَلَثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا
(three nights, though having no bodily defect),
The nights were consecutive.
However, the first statement that is reported from him and the majority is more correct.
This Ayah is similar to what Allah, the Exalted, said in Surah Al Imran,
قَالَ رَبِّ اجۡعَل لِّيَ ايَةً
قَالَ ايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمۡزًا وَاذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحۡ بِالۡعَشِيِّ وَالاِبۡكَارِ
He said:O my Lord! Make a sign for me.
(Allah) said Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning. (3:41)
This is a proof that he did not speak to his people for these three nights and their days as well.
إِلاَّ رَمۡزًا
(except with signals),
Meaning, with bodily gestures, this is why Allah says in this noble Ayah
فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوۡمِهِ مِنَ الۡمِحۡرَابِ
Then he came out to his people from the Mihrab,
referring to the place where he was given the good news of the child.
فَأَوۡحَى إِلَيۡهِمۡ
he indicated to them by signs,
Meaning he made a gesture to them that was subtle and swift.
أَن سَبِّحُوا بُكۡرَةً وَعَشِيًّا
to glorify (Allah) in the morning and in the afternoon.
That they should be agreeable to what he was commanded to do during these three days, to increase in his deeds and gratitude to Allah for what He had given him.
Mujahid said,
فَأَوۡحَى إِلَيۡهِمۡ
(he indicated to them by signs),
He made a gesture.
Wahb and Qatadah said the same
The Birth of the Boy and His Characteristics
This also implies what is not mentioned, that this promised boy was born and he was Yahya. There is also the implication that Allah taught him the Book, the Tawrah which they used to study among themselves. The Prophets who were sent to the Jews used to rule according to the Tawrah, as did the scholars and rabbis among them. He was still young in age when Allah gave him this knowledge. This is the reason that Allah mentioned it. Because of how Allah favored him and his parents, He says,
يَا يَحۡيَى خُذِ الۡكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ
O Yahya! Hold fast to the Scripture (the Tawrah).
Means, Learn the Book with strength.
In other words, learn it well, with zeal and studious effort.
وَاتَيۡنَاهُ الۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّا
And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
This means he was given understanding, knowledge, fortitude, diligence and zeal for good and the pursuit of good. He was blessed with these characteristics even though he was young.
Allah said
وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا
And (made him) Hananan from Us,
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,
وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا
(And Hananan from Us),
This means mercy from Us.
Ikrimah, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak all said the same.
Ad-Dahhak added,
Mercy that no one would be able to give except Us.
Qatadah added,
With it, Allah had mercy upon Zakariyya.
Mujahid said,
وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا
(And Hananan from Us),
This was gentleness from His Lord upon him.
The apparent meaning is that Allah's statement Hananan (affection, compassion) is directly related to His statement,
وَاتَيۡنَاهُ الۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّا
(and We gave him wisdom while yet a child),
meaning, We gave him wisdom, compassion and purity.
This means that he was a compassionate man, who was righteous.
Hanan means the love for affection and tenderness (towards others).
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَزَكَاةً
and Zakatan,
This is related to His statement,
وَحَنَانًا
(And Hananan).
The word Zakah means purity from filth, wickedness and sins.
Qatadah said,
The word Zakah means the righteous deed.
Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj both said,
The righteous deed is the pure (Zakah) deed.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,
وَزَكَاةً
(and Zakatan),
This means that he was a blessing.
وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا
and he was pious.
meaning that he was pure and had no inclination to do sins.
Allah said;
وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا
And dutiful to his parents, and he was not arrogant or disobedient.
After Allah mentioned Yahya's obedience to his Lord and that Allah created him full of mercy, purity and piety, He attached to it his obedience to his parents and his good treatment of them.
Allah mentioned that he refrained from disobeying them in speech, actions, commands and prohibitions. Due to this Allah says,
وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا
(and he was not arrogant or disobedient).
Then, after mentioning these beautiful characteristics, Allah mentions his reward for this,
وَسَلَمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا
And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!
This means that he had security and safety in these three circumstances.
Sufyan bin Uyaynah said,
The loneliest that a man will ever feel is in three situations.
The first situation is on the day that he is born, when he sees himself coming out of what he was in.
The second situation is on the day that he dies, when he sees people that he will not see anymore.
The third situation is on the day when he is resurrected, when he sees himself in the great gathering.
Allah has exclusively honored Yahya, the son of Zakariyya, by granting him peace in these situations. Allah says,
وَسَلَمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا
And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!
This narration was reported by Ibn Jarir, from Ahmad bin Mansur Al-Marwazi, from Sadaqah bin Al-Fadl, from Sufyan bin Uyaynah.
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