كٓهيعٓصٓ
KŒf, HŒ, YŒ, ÔAyn, êŒd.[1]
1- See footnote to 2:1
ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبۡدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ
[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah
إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيّٗا
When he called to his Lord a private call [i.e., supplication].
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّي وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَيۡبٗا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيّٗا
He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled[1] with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].
1- Literally, "ignited." The spread of white hair throughout the head is likened to that of fire in the bush.
وَإِنِّي خِفۡتُ ٱلۡمَوَٰلِيَ مِن وَرَآءِي وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا فَهَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيّٗا
And indeed, I fear the successors[1] after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir
1- Those relatives from the father's side who would inherit religious authority.
يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَۖ وَٱجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيّٗا
Who will inherit me[1] and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."
1- Inherit from me religious knowledge and prophethood.
يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيّٗا
[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- By AllŒh (subúŒnahu wa taÔŒlŒ) through the angels.
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرٗا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِيّٗا
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 عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٞ وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـٔٗا
[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.'"
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّيٓ ءَايَةٗۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالٖ سَوِيّٗا
[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- i.e., without illness or defect.
فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكۡرَةٗ وَعَشِيّٗا
So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [AllŒh] in the morning and afternoon.
يَٰيَحۡيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِقُوَّةٖۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيّٗا
[AllŒh said], "O John, take the Scripture [i.e., adhere to it] with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy
وَحَنَانٗا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَوٰةٗۖ وَكَانَ تَقِيّٗا
And affection from Us and purity, and he was fearing of AllŒh
وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيّٗا
And dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant.
وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيّٗا
And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he is raised alive.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مَرۡيَمَ إِذِ ٱنتَبَذَتۡ مِنۡ أَهۡلِهَا مَكَانٗا شَرۡقِيّٗا
And mention, [O Muúammad], in the Book [the story of] Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east.
فَٱتَّخَذَتۡ مِن دُونِهِمۡ حِجَابٗا فَأَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرٗا سَوِيّٗا
And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel [i.e., Gabriel], and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.
قَالَتۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعُوذُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيّٗا
She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of AllŒh."
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَٰمٗا زَكِيّٗا
He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy [i.e., son]."
قَالَتۡ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمٞ وَلَمۡ يَمۡسَسۡنِي بَشَرٞ وَلَمۡ أَكُ بَغِيّٗا
She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?"
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٞۖ وَلِنَجۡعَلَهُۥٓ ءَايَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّاۚ وَكَانَ أَمۡرٗا مَّقۡضِيّٗا
He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed.'"
۞فَحَمَلَتۡهُ فَٱنتَبَذَتۡ بِهِۦ مَكَانٗا قَصِيّٗا
So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.
فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلۡمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ قَالَتۡ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي مِتُّ قَبۡلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسۡيٗا مَّنسِيّٗا
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten."
فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحۡتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحۡزَنِي قَدۡ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحۡتَكِ سَرِيّٗا
But he[1] called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream.
1- There is a difference of opinion among scholars as to whether "he" refers to the baby or to the angel.
وَهُزِّيٓ إِلَيۡكِ بِجِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ تُسَٰقِطۡ عَلَيۡكِ رُطَبٗا جَنِيّٗا
And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.
فَكُلِي وَٱشۡرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيۡنٗاۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡبَشَرِ أَحَدٗا فَقُولِيٓ إِنِّي نَذَرۡتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ صَوۡمٗا فَلَنۡ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ إِنسِيّٗا
So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.'"
فَأَتَتۡ بِهِۦ قَوۡمَهَا تَحۡمِلُهُۥۖ قَالُواْ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ لَقَدۡ جِئۡتِ شَيۡـٔٗا فَرِيّٗا
Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented.
يَـٰٓأُخۡتَ هَٰرُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ ٱمۡرَأَ سَوۡءٖ وَمَا كَانَتۡ أُمُّكِ بَغِيّٗا
O sister [i.e., descendant] of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."
فَأَشَارَتۡ إِلَيۡهِۖ قَالُواْ كَيۡفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَ فِي ٱلۡمَهۡدِ صَبِيّٗا
So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one who is in the cradle a child?"
قَالَ إِنِّي عَبۡدُ ٱللَّهِ ءَاتَىٰنِيَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيّٗا
[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of AllŒh. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.