Stories Of The Prophets

 Prophet Zakariyah
(Zechariah)

Description of Zakariyah

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.

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.

Zakariyah Talks to
Mary

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?

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!

Zakariyah Asks for a
Son - Quranic

Allah the Almighty revealed:

'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.

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)

Almighty Allah also said:

"At that time Zakariyah
invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good
offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation."

Then the angels called him, while he was standing in
prayer in Al- Mihrab ( a praying place or a private room), saying:
"Allah gives you glad tidings of John confirming (believing in) the
Word from Allah ("Be!" - and he was! (i.e. the creation of Isa (Jesus),
son of Mariam (Mary), noble keeping away from sexual relations with
women, a Prophet, from among the righteous."

He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am
very old, and my wife is barren?"

Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills." He said:
"O my Lord! Make a sign for me." Allah said: "Your sign is that you
shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And
remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify
Him in the afternoon and in the morning." (Ch 3:38-41 Quran).