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: 'Obey God, and the Messenger.' But if they turn their backs, God loves not the unbelievers. 32 ۞ Verily did Allah choose Adam and Nuh and the house of lbrahim and the house of 'lmran out of the worlds 33 Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. 34 (Remember) When the wife of Imran said, “My Lord! I pledge to you what is in my womb – that it shall be dedicated purely in Your service, so accept it from me; indeed You only are the All Hearing, the All 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 Thereupon Zachariah prayed to his Lord, saying, "Lord, grant me by Your own grace virtuous offspring. You are the hearer of all prayers." 38 Thereupon, as he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out unto him: "God sends thee the glad tiding of [the birth of] John, who shall confirm the truth of a word from God, and [shall be] outstanding among men, and utterly chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous." 39 Zechariah exclaimed: 'My Lord! How shall I have a son when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?' He said: Thus shall it be; Allah does what He wills.' 40 He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning." 41