Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 31 Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger": But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith. 32 ۞ God chose (and gave distinction to) Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and Imran over all the people of the world. 33 They were descendants of one another; and God hears all and knows everything. 34 (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: My Lord! I have vowed unto Thee that which is in my belly as a consecrated (offering). Accept it from me. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower! 35 But when she had given birth to the child, she said: "O my Sustainer! Behold, I have given birth to a female" - the while God had been fully aware of what she would give birth to, and [fully aware] that no male child [she might have hoped for] could ever have been like this female - "and I have named her Mary. And verily, I seek Thy protection for her and her offspring against Satan, the accursed." 36 So her Lord fully accepted her (Maryam), and gave her an excellent development; and gave her in Zakaria’s guardianship; whenever Zakaria visited her at her place of prayer, he found new food with her; he said, “O Maryam! From where did this come to you?” She answered, “It is from Allah; indeed Allah gives to whomever He wills, without limit account.” (Miracles occur through the friends of Allah.) 37 There did Zakariya pray to his Lord; he said: My Lord! grant me from Thee good offspring; surely Thou art the Hearer of prayer. 38 Then the angels said to him as he stood in the chamber at prayer: "God sends you good tidings of John who will confirm a thing from God and be noble, continent, and a prophet, and one of those who are upright and do good." 39 "How can I have a son, O Lord," he said, "for I am old and my wife is barren?" "Thus," came the answer, "God does as He wills." 40 'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'appoint to me a sign.' 'Thy sign,' God said, 'is that thou shalt not speak, save by tokens, to men for three days. And mention thy Lord oft, and give glory at evening and dawn.' 41