كٓهٰیٰعٓصٓ

۟۫ۚ

Kāf, Hā Yā, ‘Ain, Sād

This is a narration of your Lord’s mercy to His servant Zakariyyā,

When he called his Lord in a low voice.

He said, “My Lord, I am in a state that bones in my body have turned feeble, and the head has flared up grey with old age, and I never remained, My Lord, unanswered in my prayer to You.

I fear (my) kinsmen after me, and my wife is barren, so bless me with an heir, from Your own side,

who inherits me and inherits the house of Ya‘qūb. And make him, My Lord, a favourite one.”

(Allah said) “O Zakariyyā, We give you the good news of a boy whose name is YaHyā. We did not create any one before him of the same name.”

He Said, “My Lord, how shall there be a boy for me while my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme of old age?”

He said, “So it is; your Lord said ‘it is easy for Me, and I did create you before, when you were nothing.’”

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 (consecutive) nights, even though you will be sound in health.”

Then he came out to his people from the place of prayer, and directed them by gestures to proclaim the purity of Allah at morning and evening.

(When the child was born, Allah said to him,) “O YaHyā, hold on to the Book firmly.” And We gave him wisdom, while he was still a child,

and (blessed him with) love from our own, and purity; and he was God-fearing,

and he was good to his parents; and he was not oppressive (or) disobedient.

Peace on him the day he was born, the day he dies and the day he will be raised alive.

And mention in the Book (the story of) Maryam, when she secluded herself from her people to a place towards East,

then she used a barrier to hide herself from them. Then, We sent to her Our Spirit, (Jibra’īl) and he took before her the form of a perfect human being.

She said, “I seek refuge with the All-Merciful (Allah) against you, if you are God-fearing.”

He said, “I am but a message-bearer of your Lord (sent) to give you a boy, purified.”

She said, “How shall I have a boy while no human has ever touched me, nor have I ever been unchaste?”

He said, “So it is; your Lord said, ‘It is easy for Me, and (We will do this) so that We make it a sign for people and a mercy from Us, and this is a matter already destined.’”

So she conceived him, and went in seclusion with him to a remote place.

Then the labour pains brought her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She said “O that I would have died before this, and would have been something gone, forgotten.”

Then he called her from beneath her: “Do not grieve; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you.

Shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards yourself and, it will drop upon you ripe fresh dates.

So eat, drink and cool your eyes. Then if you see any human being, say (to him), “I have vowed a fast (of silence) for the All-Merciful (Allah,) and therefore, I shall never speak to any human today.”

Then she came to her people carrying him (the baby). They said, “O Maryam you have committed something grave indeed.

O sister of Hārūn, neither your father was a man of evil nor was your mother unchaste.”

So, she pointed towards him (the baby). They said, “How shall we speak to someone who is still a child in the cradle?”

Spoke he (the baby), “Verily I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Book, and made me a prophet,

and He has made me a blessed one wherever I be, and has enjoined Salāh and Zakāh upon me as long as I am alive,

and (He has made me) good to my mother, and he did not make me oppressive (or) ill-fated.

And peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised alive again.”

That is ‘Īsā, the son of Maryam, to say the truth in which they (Christians) are disputing.