岁月给先知撒迦利亚（愿主赐他平安）带来了磨损。他如今年迈体衰，已近九十岁，腰背佝偻。尽管身体虚弱，他仍每天前往圣殿讲道。

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.

撒迦利亚并不富有，但他总是乐于帮助那些需要帮助的人。他一生中唯一的遗憾是没有孩子，因为他的妻子不能生育。这让他很忧虑，因为他担心在他之后没有人能继承他的工作。人们需要一位坚强的领袖，因为如果他们被留下独自面对，他们就会远离安拉的教导，并随心所欲地修改神圣的律法。

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.

在他的一次圣殿探访中，他去看望住在圣殿一间僻静房间里的玛利亚。他惊讶地发现她的房间里有反季节的新鲜水果。除他之外，没有其他人可以进入她的房间。他询问时，她告诉他，这些水果来自安拉。她每天早晨都能找到它们。她问他，为什么他如此惊讶？难道他不知道，安拉会给予他所意欲者无量的供给吗？

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?

这位高贵的女孩为他打开了一个令人震惊的想法。他难道不能在年老之时向他的主祈求，赐他一个孩子吗？即使他的妻子已过生育之龄，对于他仁慈的主来说，又有什么是不可能的呢！

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!

安拉至高无上启示道：

Allah the Almighty revealed:

卡夫，哈，亚，艾因，萨德（这些字母是《古兰经》的奇迹之一，唯有安拉独自知晓其含义）。这是对你的主怜悯其仆人宰凯里亚的提述。当他秘密地呼求他的主（安拉）时，他说："我的主啊！我的骨骼确已衰弱，我的头上白发丛生；我向你祈祷，从未徒劳，我的主啊！我确实担心我身后的亲属，而我的妻子不能生育。求你从你那里赐我一个继承人，他将继承我，也继承叶尔孤白的后裔（继承的是宗教知识和先知地位，而非财产等）。我的主啊，求你使他成为你所喜悦的人！"安拉说："宰凯里亚啊！我确实向你报喜，给你一个儿子，他的名字叫叶哈亚（约翰）。在他之前，我没有给任何人取过这个名字。"他说："我的主啊！我的妻子不能生育，而我已到了极度衰老的年纪，我怎么会有儿子呢？"安拉说："事情就是这样。你的主说：这对我来说是容易的。我确实在你之前创造过你，那时你还什么都不是。"宰凯里亚说："我的主啊！请为我指定一个迹象。"安拉说："你的迹象是：你三夜不能与人说话，但你的身体并无残疾。"于是他从米哈拉布（祈祷的场所或私室等）出来，走到他的族人面前，用手势示意他们早晚赞颂安拉的圣名。

'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.

对他的儿子说:"约翰啊!你要坚守经典(《讨拉特》)。"我在他幼年时就赐给他智慧,使他对人心怀慈悯,并作为我的恩惠和赏赐,使他纯洁无罪(约翰),他虔诚敬畏,孝敬父母,既不骄傲,也不违抗(不违抗真主或父母)。愿他出生之日、去世之日和复活之日都获得平安!(古兰经第19章第1至15节)

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)

全能的真主也说：

Almighty Allah also said:

那时,撒迦利亚向他的主祈祷,说:"我的主啊!求你从你那里赐我一个善良的后裔,你确是听取祈祷的主。"当他在密拉布(即祈祷的场所或私室)中站着礼拜时,天使呼唤他说:"安拉向你报喜,(告诉你)约翰将证实安拉的一句话(即'有!',于是就有了耶稣的降生),他将成为领袖、清心寡欲、不近女色、是正人君子中的一位先知。"他说:"我的主啊!我已经年老,我的妻子又不能生育,我怎么会有儿子呢?"安拉说:"安拉就这样做他所意欲的事。"他说:"我的主啊!求你为我定一个迹象。"安拉说:"你的迹象是,你三天不能对世人说话,只能用手势示意。你应该多多纪念你的主,应在晚上和清晨赞颂他。"(古兰经 3:38-41)