أَثَّرَتِ السِّنُونُ فِي النَّبِيِّ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. كَانَ الآنَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا مُنْحَنِيَ الظَّهْرِ قَدْ بَلَغَ التِّسْعِينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ. وَعَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنْ ضَعْفِهِ، كَانَ يَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمِحْرَابِ يَوْمِيًّا لِيُلْقِيَ مَوَاعِظَهُ.

The years had taken their toll on the Prophet Zakariyah (pbuh). He was now old and bent with age, in his nineties. Despite his feebleness, he went to the temple daily to deliver his sermons.

کان زکریا رجلاً غیرَ غنيٍّ، لكنه كان دائماً مستعداً لمساعدة المحتاجين. وكانت خيبته الوحيدة في الحياة أنه لم يُرزق بأولاد، إذ كانت زوجته عاقراً. وكان هذا يُقلقه، لأنه كان يخشى ألا يكون بعده من يتولى رسالته. وكان الناس بحاجةٍ إلى قائدٍ قوي، لأنهم إن تُركوا وحدهم، فسيبتعدون عن تعاليم الله ويُغيّرون الشرائع المقدسة بما يوافق أهواءهم.

Zakariyah was not a rich man, but he was always ready to help those in need. His one disappointment in life was that he had no children, for his wife was barren. This worried him, for he feared there was no one after him to carry out his work. The people needed a strong leader, for it they were left on their own, they would move away from Allah's teachings and change the Holy Laws to suit themselves.

خلال إحدى زياراته للمحراب، ذهب ليتفقد مريم، التي كانت تعيش في حجرة منعزلة في المحراب. فوجئ بوجود فاكهة طازجة في غير موسمها في حجرتها. ولم يكن يدخل حجرتها أحد غيره. فلما سألها، أخبرته أن الفاكهة من عند الله، فهي تجدها كل صباح. ثم سألته: لماذا يتعجب؟ أما يعلم أن الله يرزق من يشاء بغير حساب؟

During one of his visits to the temple, he went to check on Mary, who was living in a secluded room of the temple. He was surprised to find fresh out of season fruit in her room. Besides him, no one had entry to her room. When he inquired, she told him that the fruit was from Allah. She found it every morning. But why was he so surprised, she asked him. Did he not know that Allah provides without measure for whom He wills?

هذه الفتاة الكريمة فتحت عينيه على فكرة مذهلة. أفلا يستطيع أن يسأل ربه أن يرزقه ولداً في شيخوخته؟ حتى لو كانت زوجته قد تجاوزت سن الإنجاب، فلا شيء مستحيل على ربه الكريم!

This noble girl had opened this eyes to a startling idea. Could he not ask his Lord to bless him with a child in his old age? Even if his wife was past childbearing age, nothing was impossible for his Gracious Lord!

قال الله تعالى:

Allah the Almighty revealed:

كٓهيعٓصٓ (هذه الحروف من معجزات القرآن، ولا يعلم معانيها إلا الله وحده). هذا ذكرُ رحمةِ ربِّك عبدَه زكريّا. إذ نادى ربَّه (الله) نداءً خفيًّا، قال: ﴿رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِن وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا * يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا﴾ (الميراث هنا ميراث العلم والنبوة، لا المال ونحوه). فقال الله: ﴿يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا﴾. قال: ﴿رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا﴾. قال: ﴿كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا﴾. قال زكريّا: ﴿رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّي آيَةً﴾. قال: ﴿آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا﴾. فخرج على قومه من المحراب (مكان العبادة أو الغرفة الخاصة ونحو ذلك)، فأوحى إليهم بالإشارة أن سبِّحوا الله بكرةً وعشيًّا.

'Kaf, Ha, Ya, Ain, Sad, (These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran, and none but Allah Alone knows their meanings). This is a mention of the Mercy of your Lord to His slave Zakariyah. When he called out his Lord (Allah) - a call in secret, saying: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and gray hair has spread on my head, and I have never been unblest in my invocation to You, O my Lord! And Verily! I fear my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir, - who shall inherit me, and inherit also the posterity of Jacob (inheritance of the religious knowledge and Prophethood, not the wealth, etc.) And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are Well-pleased!" Allah said: "O Zakariyah! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son. His name will be Yahya (John). We have given that name to none before him." He said: "My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age." He said: "So (it will be). Your Lord says, It is easy for Me. Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing." Zakariyah said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect." Then he came out to his people from Al Mihrab (a praying place or a private room, etc.), he told them by signs to glorify Allah's Praises in the morning and in the afternoon.

قيل لابنه: «يَا يَحْيَىٰ خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ». وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا، وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَاةً، وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا، وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا. وَسَلَامٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ، وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ، وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا!

It was said to his son: "O John! Hold fast to the Scripture (The Torah)." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child, and made him sympathetic to men as a mercy or a grant from Us, and pure from sins (John) and he was righteous, and dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to Allah or to his parents). And Salamun (peace) on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life again! (Ch 19:1-15 Quran)