Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 39

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So then, when he stood praying in the place of worship, the angels called out to him saying: “Allah gives you the good news of YaHyā who shall come to confirm a word of Allah and shall be a chief, abstinent (from women), a prophet and one of the righteous.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So the angels called out to him while he stood praying in the sanctuary, “Allah gives you good news of ˹the birth of˺ John who will confirm the Word of Allah and will be a great leader, chaste, and a prophet among the righteous.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

The angels called out to him while he was standing in the chamber praying, “Allah gives you glad tidings of John, who will believe in the Word of Allah and will be honorable, abstinent [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous.”

A. J. Arberry

And the angels called to him, standing in the Sanctuary at worship, 'Lo, God gives thee good tidings of John, who shall confirm a Word of God, a chief, and chaste, a Prophet, righteous.'

Abdul Haleem

The angels called out to him, while he stood praying in the sanctuary, ‘God gives you news of John, confirming a Word from God. He will be noble and chaste, a prophet, one of the righteous.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then the angels called unto him even while he stood Praying in the apartment: verily Allah announceth unto thee Yahya confessing to a word from Allah, and a leader, and a chaste and a prophet of the righteous one.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

While he was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him; "Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a prophet,- of the (goodly) company of the righteous."

Abul Ala Maududi

As he stood praying in the sanctuary, the angels called out to him: 'Allah gives you good tidings of John (Yahya), who shall confirm a command of Allah, shall be outstanding among men, utterly chaste, and a Prophet from among the righteous.'

Ahmed Ali

Then the angels said to him as he stood in the chamber at prayer: "God sends you good tidings of John who will confirm a thing from God and be noble, continent, and a prophet, and one of those who are upright and do good."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the angels called out to him while he was standing, offering prayer at his place of worship, “Indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), who will confirm a Word (or sign) from Allah, – a leader, always refraining from women, a Prophet from one of Our devoted ones.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Then, as he stood praying in the sanctuary the angels called out to him: ‘Allah gives you the good news of John, as a confirmer of a Word of Allah, eminent and chaste, a prophet, and one of the righteous.’

Ali Ünal

It was when he stood praying in the Sanctuary after some time that the angels called to him: "God gives you the glad tidings of John to confirm a Word from God, and as one lordly, perfectly chaste, a Prophet, among the righteous."

Amatul Rahman Omar

So the angels called to him as he stood praying in the Sanctuary, `Allâh bears you the glad tidings of John, who shall confirm the word of God and who shall be noble, utterly chaste, a Prophet from among the righteous.´

English Literal

So the angels called him, and he is standing/keeping praying, in the prayer`s niche : "That God announces good new to you with John confirming with a word from God and a master and restricting himself (chaste) , and a prophet from the correct/righteous people."

Faridul Haque

And the angels called out to him while he was standing, offering prayer at his place of worship, “Indeed Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), who will confirm a Word (or sign) from Allah, - a leader, always refraining from women, a Prophet from one of Our devoted ones.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And an angel called out to him as he was standing praying in the chamber (and said) "Allah gives you the glad tidings of John, to confirm the Word from Allah, a noble and a chaste one, and a prophet of the righteous."

Hilali & Khan

Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John), confirming (believing in) the Word from Allah [i.e. the creation of 'Iesa (Jesus), the Word from Allah ("Be!" - and he was!)], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

There did Zacharias pray to his Lord. He said: My Lord, grant me from Thee goodly offspring; surely Thou art the Hearer of prayer.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Then the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: That Allah gives you the good news of Yahya verifying a Word from Allah, and honorable and chaste and a prophet from among the good ones.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.

Muhammad Sarwar

When he was standing during prayer in his place of worship, the angels called him saying, "God gives you the glad news of the birth of your son, John who will be a confirmation of (Jesus) the Word of God. He will become a chaste, noble leader and one of the righteous Prophets.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And the angels called out to him when he was standing in the sanctuary worshipping, saying: 'Allah gives you glad tidings of John, who shall confirm a Word from Allah. He shall be a master and chaste, a Prophet and from the righteous'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab, (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, believing in the Word from Allah, and Sayyidan, and Hasuran, a Prophet, from among the righteous."

Wahiduddin Khan

As he stood praying in the chamber, the angels called out to him, saying, "God gives you the good news of John, who shall confirm the Word from God, and [shall be] outstanding among men, and utterly chaste, and a prophet from among the righteous."

Talal Itani

Then the angels called out to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary: “God gives you good news of John; confirming a Word from God, and honorable, and moral, and a prophet; one of the upright.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And the angels, namely, Gabriel, called to him, standing in the sanctuary, in the temple, at worship that (anna, means bi-anna; a variant reading has inna, implying a direct speech statement) `God gives you good tidings (read yubashshiruka, or yubshiruka) of John, who shall confirm a Word, being, from God, namely, Jesus, that he is God's Spirit; he is referred to as [God's] `Word', because he was created through the word kun, `Be'; a lord, with a following, and one chaste, forbidden from women, and a prophet of the righteous'; it is said that he never sinned and never so intended.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَليِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَايِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي 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 اللّهَ 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,

مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ

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,
مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
(believing in the Word from Allah) means,

"Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam."

وَسَيِّدًا

And Sayyidan,

Abu Al-Aliyah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;
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, (chaste),

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 لِي 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 الصَّالِحِينَ



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 رَادُّوهُ 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.

Allah said