(Muhammad), tell them, "If you love God, follow me. God will love you and forgive your sins. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful." 31 Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers. 32 ۞ Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations. 33 (for His messengership) - a people alike and the seed of one another. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 34 Recall what time the wife of 'lmran said: my Lord, verily I have vowed unto Thee that which is in my belly to be dedicated; accept Thou then of me. Verily Thou! Thou art the Hearer, the Knower. 35 And when she had given birth to the child, she said: "O Lord, I have delivered but a girl." -- But God knew better what she had delivered: A boy could not be as that girl was. "I have named her Mary," (she said), "and I give her into Your keeping. Preserve her and her children from Satan the ostracized." 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 At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." 38 As he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out to him: 'Allah gives you good tidings of John (Yahya), who shall confirm a command of Allah, shall be outstanding among men, utterly chaste, and a Prophet from among the righteous.' 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 [Zachariah] prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said [the angel]: "Thy sign shall be that for three days thou wilt not speak unto men other than by gestures. And remember thy Sustainer unceasingly, and extol His limitless glory by night and by day." 41