Mary (Maryam)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
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 Recall what time he cried unto his Lord with a cry secret. 3 He submitted, “O my Lord – my bones have become weak and old age shines forth from my head, and O my Lord, I have never been disappointed in my prayer to you.” 4 "Now, behold, I am afraid of [what] my kinsfolk [will do] after I am gone, for my wife has always been barren. Bestow, then, upon me, out of Thy grace, the gift of a successor 5 Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable (unto Thee). 6 'O Zachariah, We give you good tidings of a son, and he shall be called John (Yahya); a name We have never given before' 7 He said: "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached an extremely old age?" 8 Allah said: even so! Thy Lord saith: it is unto Me easy, whereas surely I created thee afore when thou wast not aught. 9 [Zakariya (Zachariah)] said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect." 10 Thereupon Zechariah came out from the sanctuary and directed his people by gestures to extol His glory by day and by night. 11 (It was said to his son): "O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child. 12 And compassion from Us, and goodness. So he was devout, 13 and full of piety towards his parents; and never was he haughty or rebellious. 14 'Peace be upon him, the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised up alive!' 15