˹This is˺ a reminder of your Lord’s mercy to His servant Zachariah,

when he cried out to his Lord privately,

saying, “My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair

has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in

my prayer to You, my Lord!

And I am concerned about ˹the faith of˺ my relatives after me, since

my wife is barren. So grant me, by Your grace, an heir,

who will inherit ˹prophethood˺ from me and the family of Jacob, and

make him, O  Lord, pleasing ˹to You˺!”

˹The angels announced,˺ “O Zachariah! Indeed, We give you

the good news of ˹the birth of˺ a son, whose name will be

John—a name We have not given to anyone before.”

He wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife

is barren, and I have become extremely old?”

An angel replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for

Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!’”

Zachariah said, “My Lord! Grant me a sign.” He responded, “Your sign

is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three nights, despite

being healthy.” So he came out to his people from the sanctuary,

signalling to them to glorify ˹Allah˺ morning and evening.

˹It was later said,˺ “O John! Hold firmly to the Scriptures.” And We

granted him wisdom while ˹he was still˺ a child, as well as purity and

compassion from Us. And he was God-fearing, and kind to his parents.

He was neither arrogant nor disobedient. Peace be upon him the day

he was born, and the day of his death, and the day he will be raised

back to life!

(SURAH MARYAM AYAH 2-15)