Say, "If you love God, follow me and God will love you and forgive you your sins. God is most forgiving, and most merciful." 31 Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger": But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith. 32 ۞ Truly Allah chose Adam and Noah and the descendants of Abraham and of 'Imran above all mankind. 33 They were descendants of one another; and God hears all and knows everything. 34 when a woman of [the House of] 'Imran prayed: "O my Sustainer! Behold, unto Thee do I vow [the child] that is in, my womb, to be devoted to Thy service. Accept it, then, from me: verily, Thou alone art all-hearing, all-knowing!" 35 So when she brought forth, she said: My Lord! Surely I have brought it forth a female-- and Allah knew best what she brought forth-- and the male is not like the female, and I have named it Marium, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from the accursed Shaitan. 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 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 said to him as he stood in the chamber at prayer: "God sends you good tidings of John who will confirm a thing from God and be noble, continent, and a prophet, and one of those who are upright and do good." 39 "How can I have a son, O Lord," he said, "for I am old and my wife is barren?" "Thus," came the answer, "God does as He wills." 40 Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.' The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.' 41