إِذ نادىٰ رَبَّهُ نِداءً خَفِيًّا

When he called to his Lord a private supplication.

قالَ رَبِّ إِنّي وَهَنَ العَظمُ مِنّي وَاشتَعَلَ الرَّأسُ شَيبًا وَلَم أَكُن بِدُعائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا

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.

وَإِنّي خِفتُ المَوالِيَ مِن وَرائي وَكانَتِ امرَأَتي عاقِرًا فَهَب لي مِن لَدُنكَ وَلِيًّا

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

يَرِثُني وَيَرِثُ مِن آلِ يَعقوبَ ۖ وَاجعَلهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا

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

يا زَكَرِيّا إِنّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلامٍ اسمُهُ يَحيىٰ لَم نَجعَل لَهُ مِن قَبلُ سَمِيًّا

[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."

قالَ كَذٰلِكَ قالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَد خَلَقتُكَ مِن قَبلُ وَلَم تَكُ شَيئًا

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

قالَ رَبِّ اجعَل لي آيَةً ۚ قالَ آيَتُكَ أَلّا تُكَلِّمَ النّاسَ ثَلاثَ لَيالٍ سَوِيًّا

[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 عَلىٰ قَومِهِ مِنَ المِحرابِ فَأَوحىٰ إِلَيهِم أَن سَبِّحوا بُكرَةً وَعَشِيًّا

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

يا يَحيىٰ خُذِ الكِتابَ بِقُوَّةٍ ۖ وَآتَيناهُ الحُكمَ صَبِيًّا

[Allah] said, "O John, take the Scripture with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy

وَحَنانًا مِن لَدُنّا وَزَكاةً ۖ وَكانَ تَقِيًّا

And affection from Us and purity, and he was fearing of Allah