Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad

This is an account of your Lord’s grace towards His servant, Zachariah,

when he called to his Lord secretly, saying,

‘Lord, my bones have weakened and my hair is ashen grey, but never, Lord, have I ever prayed to You in vain:

I fear [what] my kinsmen [will do] when I am gone, for my wife is barren, so grant me a successor––a gift from You––

to be my heir and the heir of the family of Jacob. Lord, make him well pleasing [to You].’

‘Zachariah, We bring you good news of a son whose name will be John––We have chosen this name for no one before him.’

He said, ‘Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I am old and frail?’

He said, ‘This is what your Lord has said: “It is easy for Me: I created you, though you were nothing before.” ’

He said, ‘Give me a sign, Lord.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to anyone for three full [days and] nights.’

He went out of the sanctuary to his people and signalled to them to praise God morning and evening.

[We said], ‘John, hold on to the Scripture firmly.’ While he was still a boy, We granted him wisdom,

tenderness from Us, and purity. He was devout,

kind to his parents, not domineering or rebellious.

Peace was on him the day he was born, the day he died, and it will be on him the day he is raised to life again.

Mention in the Quran the story of Mary. She withdrew from her family to a place to the east

and secluded herself away; We sent Our Spirit to appear before her in the form of a perfected man.

She said, ‘I seek the Lord of Mercy’s protection against you: if you have any fear of Him [do not approach]!’

but he said, ‘I am but a Mes-senger from your Lord, [come] to announce to you the gift of a pure son.’

She said, ‘How can I have a son when no man has touched me? I have not been unchaste,’

and he said, ‘This is what your Lord said: “It is easy for Me- We shall make him a sign to all people, a blessing from Us.”’

And so it was ordained: she conceived him. She withdrew to a distant place

and, when the pains of childbirth drove her to [cling to] the trunk of a palm tree, she exclaimed, ‘I wish I had been dead and forgotten long before all this!’

but a voice cried to her from below, ‘Do not worry: your Lord has provided a stream at your feet

and, if you shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you, it will deliver fresh ripe dates for you,

so eat, drink, be glad, and say to anyone you may see: “I have vowed to the Lord of Mercy to abstain from conversation, and I will not talk to anyone today.”’

She went back to her people carrying the child, and they said, ‘Mary! You have done something terrible!

Sister of Aaron! Your father was not an evil man; your mother was not unchaste!’

She pointed at him. They said, ‘How can we converse with an infant?’

[But] he said: ‘I am a servant of God. He has granted me the Scripture; made me a prophet;

made me blessed wherever I may be. He commanded me to pray, to give alms as long as I live,

to cherish my mother. He did not make me domineering or graceless.

Peace was on me the day I was born, and will be on me the day I die and the day I am raised to life again.’

Such was Jesus, son of Mary. [This is] a statement of the Truth about which they are in doubt: