بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Maryam 19:8
Mary · Juz 16 · Page 305
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِيّٗا ٨
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 19:8–9
His amazement after the acceptance of His Supplication
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 Angel
قَالَ
(He said:) That is, the angel, in his response to Zakariyya and his was amazement.
كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ 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,
وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئاً
(Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!) This is similar to Allah's statement,
هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنسَنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئاً مَّذْكُوراً
(Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning) 76:1
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19:1
كٓهيعٓصٓ ١
Kāf, Hā, Yā, ʿAyn, Ṣād.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
19:2
ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبۡدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ ٢
[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
19:3
إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيّٗا ٣
When he called to his Lord a private call [i.e., supplication].
19:4
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّي وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَيۡبٗا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيّٗا ٤
He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled1 with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "ignited." The spread of white hair throughout the head is likened to that of fire in the bush. ↩
19:5
وَإِنِّي خِفۡتُ ٱلۡمَوَٰلِيَ مِن وَرَآءِي وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا فَهَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيّٗا ٥
And indeed, I fear the successors1 after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir
1 translator’s note
- Those relatives from the father's side who would inherit religious authority. ↩
19:6
يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَۖ وَٱجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيّٗا ٦
Who will inherit me1 and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."
1 translator’s note
- Inherit from me religious knowledge and prophethood. ↩
19:7
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيّٗا ٧
[He was told],1 "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."
1 translator’s note
- By Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) through the angels. ↩
19:8
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِيّٗا ٨
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"
19:9
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٞ وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـٔٗا ٩
[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.'"
19:10
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّيٓ ءَايَةٗۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالٖ سَوِيّٗا ١٠
[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."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., without illness or defect. ↩
19:11
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكۡرَةٗ وَعَشِيّٗا ١١
So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allāh] in the morning and afternoon.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy