زَكَرِيَّا
Zakariya (Zechariah)
An old, childless prophet's private prayer, answered against every expectation
Zakariya's story turns on a single prayer, made quietly and alone, at an age when he had every reason to have stopped hoping for a son. The Quran gives his own words for that prayer twice, in two different surahs, and both times follows it with the same answer: a son named Yahya, a name given to no one before him, granted not because Zakariya's circumstances changed but because, as the angel tells him, it is easy for God, who created him before, when he was nothing.
My bones have weakened
The mercy of Zakariya's Lord to His servant is recalled through the moment he called to his Lord privately, saying that his bones had weakened and his head had filled with white, and that he had never once been left disappointed in his supplication. Fearing what his relatives would do after him, and with his wife barren, he asks God for an heir to inherit from him and from the family of Yaqub — and to make that son pleasing to God. Elsewhere the same prayer is given more simply: my Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring; indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.
ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ
[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّۭا
When he called to his Lord a private supplication.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَٱشْتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأْسُ شَيْبًۭا وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّۭا
He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy.
وَإِنِّى خِفْتُ ٱلْمَوَٰلِىَ مِن وَرَآءِى وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًۭا فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّۭا
And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir
يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَٱجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّۭا
Who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."
Such is God; He does what He wills
The angels called to him while he stood in prayer in the chamber: God gives you good tidings of a son named Yahya, confirming a word from God, honorable, abstaining, and a prophet among the righteous — a name given to no one before him. Zakariya asks how he can have a boy at his age, with a barren wife; he is told, in one account, that such is God — He does what He wills, and in the other, that it is easy for God, who created Zakariya himself before, when he was nothing.
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّۭا
[He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًۭا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ ٱلْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّۭا
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌۭ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْـًۭٔا
[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.' "
فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌۭ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًۭا وَحَصُورًۭا وَنَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous."
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills."
Three days, except by gesture
Zakariya asks for a sign. He is told that his sign is that he will not be able to speak to people for three days, or in the other account three nights, except by gesture, though he remains otherwise sound — and he is told to remember his Lord much, exalting Him in the evening and the morning. He comes out to his people from the prayer chamber and signals to them to glorify God, unable to do more than gesture himself.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۚ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالٍۢ سَوِيًّۭا
[Zechariah] said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, [being] sound."
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكْرَةًۭ وَعَشِيًّۭا
So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allah] in the morning and afternoon.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًۭا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَٰرِ
He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."
Do not leave me without an heir
A companion account gives the same episode in briefer form: Zakariya called to his Lord, saying, my Lord, do not leave me alone, while You are the best of inheritors. God responded, gave him Yahya, and amended his wife for him — closing with a description of the household this prayer produced: they used to hasten to good deeds, and call upon God in hope and fear, humbly submissive to Him.
وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ
And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the best of inheritors."
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًۭا وَرَهَبًۭا ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَٰشِعِينَ
So We responded to him, and We gave to him John, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.