Mary (Maryam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Kaf-Ha-Ya-A’in-Sad. (* Alphabets of the Arabic language – Allah and to whomever He reveals know their precise meanings.) 1 This is an account of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah 2 When he called out his Lord (Allah) a call in secret, 3 Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord. 4 But I fear my relatives after me; and my wife is barren. So grant me a successor as a favour from You 5 who will be my heir as well as an heir [to the dignity] of the House of Jacob; and make him, O my Sustainer, well-pleasing to Thee!" 6 [Thereupon the angels called out unto him: "O Zachariah! We bring thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son whose name shall be John. [And God says,] "Never have We given this name to anyone before him." 7 He said: O my Lord! in what wise shall there be for me a boy, whereas my wife hath been barren, and surely have reached an age of extreme degree? 8 Said He, 'So it shall be; thy Lord says, "Easy is that for Me, seeing that I created thee aforetime, when thou wast nothing."' 9 [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." 10 Then Zachariah came forth from the shrine to his people and told them by signs to glorify the Lord morning and evening. 11 "O John! Hold the Book with all your strength." We had bestowed wisdom upon him while he was still a child; 12 And tenderness from Our presence and purity, and he was God-fearing. 13 And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to Allah or to his parents). 14 And peace on him on the day he was born, and on the day he dies, and on the day he is raised to life 15