Mary (Maryam)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Kaf. Ha'. Ya'. Ayn. Sad. 1 AN ACCOUNT of the grace which thy Sustainer bestowed upon His servant Zachariah: 2 Recall what time he cried unto his Lord with a cry secret. 3 saying: 'O my Lord, my bones are enfeebled, and my head glows silver with age. Yet, never Lord, have I been unblessed in prayer to You. 4 And verily I fear my kindred after me, and my wife hath been barren; so bestow on me from before Thee an heir. 5 who shall be my inheritor and the inheritor of the House of Jacob; and make him, my Lord, well-pleasing.' 6 'O Zachariah, We give thee good tidings of a boy, whose name is John. No namesake have We given him aforetime.' 7 [Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when my wife has always been barren and I have become utterly infirm through old age?" 8 Said He, 'So it shall be; thy Lord says, "Easy is that for Me, seeing that I created thee aforetime, when thou wast nothing."' 9 [Zechariah] said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, [being] sound." 10 So he came from the chamber to his people, and suggested to them (by signs) to sing the praises of the Lord morning and evening. 11 To John We said, "Hold fast the Book," and while he was still a child, We bestowed upon him wisdom, 12 And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins [i.e. Yahya (John)] and he was righteous, 13 And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious. 14 Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive! 15