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: "Pay heed unto God and the Apostle." And if they turn away - verely, God does not love those who deny the truth. 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 the offspring of one another. Allah is Hearing, and 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 But when she gave birth to a female child, she said: 'O Lord! I have given birth to a female' - and Allah knew full well what she had given birth to - 'and a female is not the same as a male. I have named her Mary and commit her and her offspring to You for protection from Satan, the accursed.' 36 Then her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance and made her grow up with a goodly growth, and He made Zakariyya take care of her. So oft as Zakariyya entered the apartment to see her, he found provision by her. He said: O Maryam! whence hast thou this! She said: this is from before Allah. Verily Allah provideth for whomsoever He will without reckoning. 37 Then prayed Zachariah to his Lord: "O Lord, bestow on me offspring, virtuous and good, for You answer all prayers." 38 When he was standing during prayer in his place of worship, the angels called him saying, "God gives you the glad news of the birth of your son, John who will be a confirmation of (Jesus) the Word of God. He will become a chaste, noble leader and one of the righteous Prophets. 39 He said, "How can there be a son for me when I am already senile and my wife is barren." The angel replied, "God does as 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