Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." 31 Say, "Obey God and the Messenger," and if they turn away, God does not love those who deny the truth. 32 ۞ Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations. 33 Progeny, one of the other, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. 34 (Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: 'Lord, I have vowed to You in dedication that which is hidden inside me. Accept this from me. You are the Hearer, the Knower' 35 And when she gave birth to her she said, 'Lord, I have given birth to her, a female.' (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female.) 'And I have named her Mary, and commend her to Thee with her seed, to protect them from the accursed Satan.' 36 Her Lord graciously accepted her. He made her grow with a fine upbringing and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah went to her in the sanctuary, he found that she had provision with her. 'Mary' he said, 'how does this come to you' 'It is from Allah' she answered. Truly, Allah provides whomsoever He will without 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 And the angels called out to him when he was standing in the sanctuary worshipping, saying: 'Allah gives you glad tidings of John, who shall confirm a Word from Allah. He shall be a master and chaste, a Prophet and from the righteous' 39 He said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to me, and old age has already come upon me, and my wife is barren? He said: even thus does Allah what He pleases. 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