Mary (Maryam)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Kaf. Ha. Ya. 'Ayn. Sad. 1 AN ACCOUNT of the grace which thy Sustainer bestowed upon His servant Zachariah: 2 When he called out to his Sustainer in the secrecy of his heart, 3 He said: "Lord! My bones have grown feeble and my head is glistening with age; yet, never have my prayers to You, my Lord, been unfruitful. 4 Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor 5 Who should inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqoub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom Thou art well pleased. 6 "Zachariah, We bring you good news of a son whose name shall be John. We have not given such a name to anyone 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 He said: So shall it be, your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and indeed I created you before, when you were nothing. 9 [Zachariah] prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said [the angel]: "Thy sign shall be that for full three nights [and days] thou wilt not speak unto men". 10 Then Zachariah came forth from the shrine to his people and told them by signs to glorify the Lord morning and evening. 11 (We said:) "O John, hold fast to the Book;" and We gave him wisdom right from boyhood, 12 And tenderness from Us and purity, and he was one who guarded (against evil), 13 And was good to his parents and not forceful, nor disobedient. 14 'Peace be upon him, the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised up alive!' 15