Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 40

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He said: “O my Lord, how shall I have a boy when old age has come upon me and my wife is barren?” Said He: “That is how Allah does what He wills.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Zachariah exclaimed, “My Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old and my wife is barren?” He replied, “So will it be. Allah does what He wills.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

He said: “My Lord, how can I have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?” He said, “Thus Allah does what He wills.”

A. J. Arberry

'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'how shall I have a son, seeing I am an old man and my wife is barren?' 'Even so,' God said, 'God does what He will.'

Abdul Haleem

He said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when I am so old and my wife is barren?’ [An angel] said, ‘It will be so: God does whatever He will.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He said: my Lord! in what wise shall there be unto me a youth whereas age hath overtaken me and my wife is barren. Allah said: even so: Allah doeth whatsoever He listeth.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He said; "O my Lord! How shall I have son, seeing I am very old, and my wife is barren?" "Thus," was the answer, "Doth Allah accomplish what He willeth."

Abul Ala Maududi

Zechariah exclaimed: 'My Lord! How shall I have a son when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?' He said: Thus shall it be; Allah does what He wills.'

Ahmed Ali

"How can I have a son, O Lord," he said, "for I am old and my wife is barren?" "Thus," came the answer, "God does as He wills."

Ahmed Raza Khan

He said, “My Lord! How can I have a son when old age has reached me and my wife is barren?” He said, “This is how Allah brings about, whatever He wills.”

Ali Quli Qarai

He said, ‘My Lord, how shall I have a son while old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?’ Said He, ‘So it is that Allah does whatever He wishes.’

Ali Ünal

"Lord," said he (Zachariah), "How shall I have a son when old age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?" "Just so," he (the angel) said: "God does whatever He wills."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`Lord!´ he said, `How shall I have a son now that old age has already come upon me and my wife is barren?´ (The Lord) said, `Such are the ways of Allâh, He does what He will.´

English Literal

He said: "My Lord, how/from where (can it) be for me a boy , the old age reached me , and my woman (wife is) infertile?" He said: "As/like that God makes/does what He wills/wants."

Faridul Haque

He said, “My Lord! How can I have a son when old age has reached me and my wife is barren?” He said, “This is how Allah brings about, whatever He wills.”

Hamid S. Aziz

He said, "My Lord, how can there be to me a boy when old age has reached me, and my wife is barren?" The angel answered, "Thus Allah does what He pleases."

Hilali & Khan

He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren?" Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah gives thee the good news of John, verifying a word from Allah, and honourable and chaste and a prophet from among the good ones.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to me, and old age has already come upon me, and my wife is barren? He said: even thus does Allah what He pleases.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when age hath overtaken me already and my wife is barren? (The angel) answered: So (it will be). Allah doeth what He will.

Muhammad Sarwar

He said, "How can there be a son for me when I am already senile and my wife is barren." The angel replied, "God does as He wills."

Qaribullah & Darwish

He said: 'Lord, how shall I have a son when I am overtaken by old age and my wife is barren' He said: 'Even so, Allah does what He will'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren" (Allah) said: "Thus Allah does what He wills."

Wahiduddin Khan

"Lord," said Zachariah, "how shall I have a son when I am now overtaken by old age and my wife is barren?" "Such is the will of God," replied [the angel], "He does what He pleases."

Talal Itani

He said, “My Lord, how will I have a son, when old age has overtaken me, and my wife is barren?” He said, “Even so, God does whatever He wills.”

Tafsir jalalayn

He said, `My Lord! How shall I have a boy, a son, when old age has overtaken me, that is, [after] I have reached extreme [old] age, 120 years [old]; and my wife is barren?', having reached the age of 98. He said, `So it, the matter, will be', with God creating a boy from both of you. `God does what He will', nothing can prevent Him therefrom, and in order to manifest this great power he was inspired with the question so that he would be answered through it [this great power]. And when his soul longed for the swift fulfilment of that of which good tidings had been given;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ

"O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren!"

قَالَ

(He) said...,

meaning the angel said,

كَذَلِكَ اللّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء



"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