Prophet Zakariyya (AS) looked after a young girl called Maryam, who spent her days worshipping Allah in a special room in the temple. Every time Zakariyya visited her, he found fresh food with her, even fruit that wasn't in season. He asked, "Maryam, where did you get this?" She said, "It is from Allah. Allah gives to whomever He wills without limit."
This made Zakariyya think. He was very old, his hair was white, and his wife had never been able to have children. But he knew Allah can do anything. So he made a quiet, secret dua: "My Lord, my bones are weak and my hair is white, but I have never been disappointed when I called on You. Please give me a good child to carry on calling people to You."
The angels called out to him while he stood praying: "Allah gives you good news of a son. His name will be Yahya, a name no one has had before." Zakariyya was amazed. "How can I have a son when I am so old?" Allah said, "It is easy for Me." As a sign, Zakariyya could not speak to people for three nights, though he was well, and he spent the time praising Allah.
Baby Yahya was born. Allah gave him wisdom even as a child. He grew up kind and gentle, good to his parents and never proud. Allah said, "Peace be on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he is raised to life again."
Where this story comes from
Qur'an 3:37–41 · Aal 'Imraan
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنࣲ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنࣰا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّاۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيۡهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزۡقࣰاۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرۡيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَتۡ هُوَ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ 37 هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةࣰ طَيِّبَةًۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ 38 فَنَادَتۡهُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمࣱ يُصَلِّي فِي ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيَىٰ مُصَدِّقَۢا بِكَلِمَةࣲ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدࣰا وَحَصُورࣰا وَنَبِيࣰّا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ 39 قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمࣱ وَقَدۡ بَلَغَنِيَ ٱلۡكِبَرُ وَٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرࣱۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ 40 قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّيٓ ءَايَةࣰۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمۡزࣰاۗ وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرࣰا وَسَبِّحۡ بِٱلۡعَشِيِّ وَٱلۡإِبۡكَٰرِ 41
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Qur'an 19:1–15 · Maryam
كٓهيعٓصٓ 1 ذِكۡرُ رَحۡمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبۡدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ 2 إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيࣰّا 3 قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّي وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَيۡبࣰا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيࣰّا 4 وَإِنِّي خِفۡتُ ٱلۡمَوَٰلِيَ مِن وَرَآءِي وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرࣰا فَهَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيࣰّا 5 يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنۡ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَۖ وَٱجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِيࣰّا 6 يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ يَحۡيَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِيࣰّا 7 قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَٰمࣱ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِي عَاقِرࣰا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِيࣰّا 8 قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنࣱ وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَيۡـࣰٔا 9 قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّيٓ ءَايَةࣰۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَ لَيَالࣲ سَوِيࣰّا 10 فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكۡرَةࣰ وَعَشِيࣰّا 11 يَٰيَحۡيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِقُوَّةࣲۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيࣰّا 12 وَحَنَانࣰا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَوٰةࣰۖ وَكَانَ تَقِيࣰّا 13 وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيࣰّا 14 وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيࣰّا 15
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💬 What did you learn?
Talk about these together. There is no right or wrong answer.
- Zakariyya made dua even though it seemed impossible. Is anything too hard for Allah?
- Yahya was kind to his parents and not proud. How can you be like Yahya at home?