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زكريا

Prophet Zakariyya

Known in the Bible as Zechariah

Zakariyya was a prophet who looked after Maryam and prayed to Allah for a righteous child.

The story

In the prayer chamber

Whenever Zakariyya enters the chamber where Maryam is, he finds provision with her, and she says that it is from Allah. There he calls on his Lord for good offspring. The angels call him while he prays: Allah gives him good news of Yahya, a prophet from among the righteous. As a sign he will not speak to people for three days except by gesture.

Ali 'Imran 3:37–41

Show the verses (5)

فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿٣٧﴾

So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account."

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ﴿٣٨﴾

At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."

فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌۭ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًۭا وَحَصُورًۭا وَنَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾

So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous."

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ﴿٤٠﴾

He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills."

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًۭا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَٰرِ ﴿٤١﴾

He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."

The prayer of an old man

He calls on his Lord privately, saying that his bones have weakened, his head is white, and his wife is barren. Allah gives him good news of a boy named Yahya, a name that had not been given to anyone before. As a sign he cannot speak to people for three nights while sound, so he comes out to them and signals them to glorify Allah morning and evening.

Maryam 19:2–11

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ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ ﴿٢﴾

[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah

إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّۭا ﴿٣﴾

When he called to his Lord a private supplication.

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَٱشْتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأْسُ شَيْبًۭا وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّۭا ﴿٤﴾

He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy.

وَإِنِّى خِفْتُ ٱلْمَوَٰلِىَ مِن وَرَآءِى وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًۭا فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّۭا ﴿٥﴾

And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir

يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَٱجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّۭا ﴿٦﴾

Who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]."

يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّۭا ﴿٧﴾

[He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًۭا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ ٱلْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّۭا ﴿٨﴾

He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"

قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌۭ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْـًۭٔا ﴿٩﴾

[An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.' "

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۚ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالٍۢ سَوِيًّۭا ﴿١٠﴾

[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."

فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكْرَةًۭ وَعَشِيًّۭا ﴿١١﴾

So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [Allah] in the morning and afternoon.

Arabic text: Uthmani script. Translation: Sahih International.

This story is taken from the Quran only. Details from other books are not added.

Questions about the prophets

Who was Prophet Zakariyya?

Zakariyya was a prophet who looked after Maryam and prayed to Allah for a righteous child.

Where is the story of Zakariyya in the Quran?

It is in Ali 'Imran 3:37–41, Maryam 19:2–11. This page shows these verses in Arabic and in your language.