Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." 31 Say thou: obey Allah and the apostle. If thereafter they turn away; then verily Allah loveth not the infidels. 32 ۞ Truly Allah chose Adam and Noah and the descendants of Abraham and of 'Imran above all mankind. 33 They were the offspring of one another. Allah is Hearing, and Knowing. 34 [Mention, O Muhammad], when the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing." 35 And when she was delivered of her, she said: 'Lord, I have given birth to her, a female' Allah knew of what she had given birth the male is not like the female 'and I have called her Mary. Protect her and all her descendants from satan, the stoned one' 36 Thereupon her Lord graciously accepted Mary and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth and placed her in the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her provided with food. He asked her: 'O Mary, how did this come to you?' She said: 'It is from Allah. Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills beyond all reckoning.' 37 Then prayed Zachariah to his Lord: "O Lord, bestow on me offspring, virtuous and good, for You answer all prayers." 38 As he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out to him: 'Allah gives you good tidings of John (Yahya), who shall confirm a command of Allah, shall be outstanding among men, utterly chaste, and a Prophet from among the righteous.' 39 He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren?" Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills." 40 He said: My Lord! appoint a sign for me. Said He: Your sign is that you should not speak to men for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and the morning. 41