Say: 'If you love God, follow me, and God will love you, and forgive you your sins; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' 31 Say: "Obey God and His Messenger;" and if they refuse (then remember) God does not love disbelievers. 32 ۞ Verily did Allah choose Adam and Nuh and the house of lbrahim and the house of 'lmran out of the worlds 33 Progeny, one of the other, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. 34 Remember when the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, I have dedicated what is in my womb entirely to Your service. So accept this from me. You are the One who hears and knows all." 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 Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness and entrusted her to the care of Zachariah. Every time Zachariah visited her in her chamber he found some provision with her. He asked, "Mary, where did this provision come from?" She replied, "This is from God. God provides for whoever He wills without measure." 37 It is here that Zakaria prayed to his Lord; he said, “My Lord! Give me from Yourself a righteous child; indeed You only are the Listener Of Prayer.” 38 Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), confirming (believing in) the Word from Allah [i.e. the creation of 'Iesa (Jesus), the Word from Allah ("Be!" - and he was!)], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous." 39 He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills." 40 And Zachariah said: "Give me a token, O Lord." "The token will be," was the reply, "that you will speak to no man for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much, and pray at evening and sunrise." 41