Say: "If you love God then follow me that God may love you and forgive your faults; for God is forgiving and kind." 31 Say: 'Obey Allah and the Messenger' But if they turn away, then truly, Allah does not love the unbelievers. 32 ۞ Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. 33 Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. 34 Remember when Imran's wife prayed to her Lord saying, "I have made a vow to dedicate to Your service whatever is in my womb. Lord, accept it from me. You are All-hearing and All-knowing". 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 So her Lord fully accepted her (Maryam), and gave her an excellent development; and gave her in Zakaria’s guardianship; whenever Zakaria visited her at her place of prayer, he found new food with her; he said, “O Maryam! From where did this come to you?” She answered, “It is from Allah; indeed Allah gives to whomever He wills, without limit account.” (Miracles occur through the friends of Allah.) 37 There did Zakariya pray to his Lord; he said: My Lord! grant me from Thee good offspring; surely Thou art the Hearer of prayer. 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