3:41 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

{ رب اجعل لي آية } أي: علامة على وجود الولد قال { آيتك ألا تكلم الناس ثلاثة أيام إلا رمزًا } أي: ينحبس لسانك عن كلامهم من غير آفة ولا سوء، فلا تقدر إلا على الإشارة والرمز، وهذا آية عظيمة أن لا تقدر على الكلام، وفيه مناسبة عجيبة، وهي أنه كما يمنع نفوذ الأسباب مع وجودها، فإنه يوجدها بدون أسبابها ليدل ذلك أن الأسباب كلها مندرجة في قضائه وقدره، فامتنع من الكلام ثلاثة أيام، وأمره الله أن يشكره ويكثر من ذكره بالعشي والإبكار، حتى إذا خرج على قومه من المحراب { فأوحى إليهم أن سبحوا بكرة وعشيًّا } أي: أول النهار وآخره.

" قال رب اجعل لي آية" أي علامة أستدل بها على وجود الولد مني "قال آيتك ألا تكلم الناس ثلاثة أيام إلا رمزا" أي إشارة لا تستطيع النطق مع أنك سوي صحيح كما في قوله "ثلاث ليال سويا" ثم أمر بكثرة الذكر والتكبير والتسبيح في هذه الحال فقال تعالى "اذكر ربك كثيرا وسبح بالعشي والإبكار" وسيأتي طرف آخر في بسط هذا المقام في أول سورة مريم إن شاء الله تعالى.

The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's Birth

When Zakariyya saw that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own. By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones feeble and his head full of gray hair. His wife was an old women who was barren. Yet, he still supplicated to Allah and called Him in secret,

رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ

(O my Lord! Grant me from Ladunka,) from You,

ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً

(A good offspring) meaning, a righteous offspring,

إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَآءِ

(You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.) Allah said,

فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّى فِى الْمِحْرَابِ

(Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab,) meaning, the angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship. Allah told us about the good news that the angels delivered to Zakariyya,

أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى

(Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, ) of a child from your offspring, his name is Yahya. Qatadah and other scholars said that he was called Yahya (literally, `he lives') because Allah filled his life with faith.

Allah said next,

مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(believing in the Word from Allah) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, and also Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, and several others said that the Ayah,

مُصَدِّقاً بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(believing in the Word from Allah) means, "Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam."

Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Allah's statement,

وَسَيِّدًا

(And Sayyidan) means, a wise man. Ibn `Abbas, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that Sayyidan means, "The noble, wise and pious man." Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Sayyid is the scholar and Faqih. `Atiyah said that Sayyid is the man noble in behavior and piety. `Ikrimah said that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger, while Ibn Zayd said that it refers to the noble man. Mujahid said that Sayyidan means, honored by Allah.

Allah's statement,

وَحَصُورًا

(And Hasuran) does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women, but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations. This does not mean that he does not marry women and have legal sexual relations with them, for Zakariyya said in his supplication for the benefit of Yahya,

هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً

(Grant me from You, a good offspring), meaning, grant me a son who will have offspring, and Allah knows best.

Allah's statement,

وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(A Prophet, from among the righteous) delivers more good news of sending Yahya as Prophet after the good news that he will be born. This good news was even better than the news of Yahya's birth. In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa,

إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَـعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

(Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers.) 28:7

When Zakariyya heard the good news, he started contemplating about having children at his age. He said,

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَـمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌ قَالَ

("O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren" (He) said...) meaning the angel said,

كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ

("Thus Allah does what He wills.") meaning, this is Allah's matter, He is so Mighty that nothing escapes His power, nor is anything beyond His ability.

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّى ءَايَةً

(He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me") meaning make a sign that alerts me that the child will come,

قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَـثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا

((Allah) said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals.") meaning, you will not be able to speak except with signals, although you are not mute. In another Ayah, Allah said,

ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً

(For three nights, though having no bodily defect.) 19:10

Allah then commanded Zakariyya to supplicate, thank and praise Him often in that condition,

وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِىِّ وَالإِبْكَـرِ

(And remember your Lord much and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning. )

We will elaborate more on this subject in the beginning of Surah Maryam (chapter 19), Allah willing.

He said ‘My Lord! Appoint for me a sign’ that is an indication of my wife’s pregnancy. He said ‘Your sign for this is that you shall not speak to men that is you shall refrain from speaking to them but not from remembrance of God save by tokens gestures for three days and nights. And remember your Lord often and glorify perform prayer at evening and dawn’ at the end of the day and at its beginning.

2. With reference to verse 41, Sayyidna Zakariyya's purpose behind requesting a sign (of pregnancy) was to be happy at the prospect and thus be enabled to show their gratitude all along even prior to the actual birth of the child. So, Allah gave him the sign stated above.

The sign given was remarkably suitable to its purpose. His request for a sign was prompted by his wish to show his gratefulness. Now, the sign set for him leaves him incapable of doing anything but this. Even a hundred signs would have not done what this one sign did and, of course, the noble purpose he had on his mind was all too well-accomplished. (Bayn al-Qur'an)

The last phrase: (except through gestures) in this verse tells us that in a situation where speech is not possible because of a valid reason, gesture would be deemed as its substitute. Consequently, it appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked a maid-servant: این اللہ ؟ I ('Where is Allah?' ). She pointed out towards the sky. He said: 'This maid-servant is a Muslim.' (al-Qurtubi)

He said, “My Lord, appoint for me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days, except by intimation. And remember thy Lord often and glorify Him at evening and dawn.” Zachariah asked for a mark of his child's existence. It was said to him, “The mark is that I will stop your tongue from talking to the people for three days so that all your secret whispering will be with Me, and all on your tongue will be talk of Me.” By way of allusion He is saying, “I will give you a child whom I will cut off from this world and the creatures and the face of whose heart I will turn toward Me. Then he will know that his kiblah is nothing but My Presence and he will be at ease only in talking with Me.” Only Your name, image, and passion, O Spirit of the world, appear to me in speech, heart, and eyes. This is why He commanded Zachariah, “And remember thy Lord often and glorify Him at evening and dawn.” He commanded the faithful in general to the same thing: “And remember your Lord often” [8:45]. He is saying, “Remember God, and carry out your days in obedience and service to Him. Belong totally to Him, calling upon Him and knowing Him in every state and every work! If you are at ease, be at ease with His remembrance and message, and if you are joyful, be joyful in His name and mark. Once in a while knock on the door of My house- it is not right to pass by like a stranger. And if you talk, talk only of Me, and if you drink, drink only in remembrance of Me. And remember thy Lord often. It is said that remembrance of God has three degrees: The first is outward remembrance with the tongue of laudation and supplication. God says, “And remember thy Lord often.” Second is concealed remembrance in the heart. Thus God says, “Or with more intense remem- brance” [2:200]. The Prophet said, “The best remembrance is the concealed and the best provision the sufficient.” Third is true remembrance, which is witnessing God's remembrance of you. That is His words, “And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest” [18:24].