Al-Qur'an Surah Ali 'Imran Verse 41

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He said: “O my Lord, set for me a sign.” Said He: “Your sign is that you shall not be able to speak to people for three days except through gestures. Remember your Lord much; and proclaim His purity in the evening and the morning.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Zachariah said, “My Lord! Grant me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three days except through gestures. Remember your Lord often and glorify ˹Him˺ morning and evening.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except by gestures. And remember your Lord often and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning.”

A. J. Arberry

'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'appoint to me a sign.' 'Thy sign,' God said, 'is that thou shalt not speak, save by tokens, to men for three days. And mention thy Lord oft, and give glory at evening and dawn.'

Abdul Haleem

He said, ‘My Lord, give me a sign.’ ‘Your sign,’ [the angel] said, ‘is that you will not communicate with anyone for three days, except by gestures. Remember your Lord often; celebrate His glory in the evening and at dawn.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He said: my Lord! appoint unto me a sign. Allah said: thy sign is that thou shalt not speak unto mankind for three days save by beckoning; and remember thy Lord much and hallow Him in the evening and morning.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He said; "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning."

Abul Ala Maududi

Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.' The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.'

Ahmed Ali

And Zachariah said: "Give me a token, O Lord." "The token will be," was the reply, "that you will speak to no man for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much, and pray at evening and sunrise."

Ahmed Raza Khan

He said, “My Lord! Determine a sign for me”; He said, “The sign is that you shall not be able to speak to mankind for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord profusely, and proclaim His Purity before sunset and at dawn.”

Ali Quli Qarai

He said, ‘My Lord, grant me a sign.’ Said He, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except in gestures. Remember Your Lord much, and glorify Him morning and evening.’

Ali Ünal

"Lord," he (Zachariah) entreated, "appoint a sign for me." "Your sign," He said, "is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days except by gesture. And (meanwhile) remember and mention your Lord much and glorify Him in the afternoon and the early hours of morning."

Amatul Rahman Omar

He said, `My Lord! give me some instruction.´ (The Lord) said, `The instruction for you is that you shall not speak to the people for three days (and nights) except by gestures, and remember your Lord a good deal and glorify (Him) in the evening and early (in the) morning.´

English Literal

He said: "My Lord, make for me a sign/evidence." He said: "Your sign/evidence (is) that you not converse/speak (to) the people (for) three days, except (by) signaling/pointing. And mention/remember your Lord much, and praise/glorify with the evening and the daybreaks/early mornings ."

Faridul Haque

He said, “My Lord! Determine a sign for me”; He said, “The sign is that you shall not be able to speak to mankind for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord profusely, and proclaim His Purity before sunset and at dawn.”

Hamid S. Aziz

He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." The angel said, "The sign unto you is that you shall not speak to men for three days, save by gesture; but remember your Lord much, and celebrate His praises in the evening and the morning."

Hilali & Khan

He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." Allah said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: My Lord, how can I have a son when old age has already come upon me, and my wife is barren? He said: Even thus does Allah do what He pleases.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He said: My Lord! appoint a sign for me. Said He: Your sign is that you should not speak to men for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and the morning.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He said: My Lord! Appoint a token for me. (The angel) said: The token unto thee (shall be) that thou shalt not speak unto mankind three days except by signs. Remember thy Lord much, and praise (Him) in the early hours of night and morning.

Muhammad Sarwar

Zachariah prayed to God saying, "Lord, show me the evidence (that it is Divine revelation)." The Lord replied, "You must not speak to people for three days except with gestures. Commemorate your Lord often and glorify Him in the early mornings and the evenings."

Qaribullah & Darwish

He said: 'Lord, appoint for me a sign' He said: 'Your sign is that you shall not speak to people except by signs for three days' And remember your Lord abundantly, exalt Him in the evening and at the dawn'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." (Allah) said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals. And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning."

Wahiduddin Khan

He said, "My Lord, grant me a sign." [The angel] said, "Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days except by signs. Remember your Lord much and glorify Him morning and evening."

Talal Itani

He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days, except by gestures. And remember your Lord much, and praise in the evening and the morning.”

Tafsir jalalayn

He said, `My Lord! Appoint for me a sign', that is, an indication of my wife's pregnancy. He said, `Your sign, for this, is that you shall not speak to men, that is, you shall refrain from speaking to them, but not from remembrance of God, save by tokens, gestures, for three days, and nights. And remember your Lord often, and glorify, perform prayer, at evening and dawn', at the end of the day and at its beginning.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّيَ ايَةً

He said;"O my Lord! Make a sign for me."

meaning make a sign that alerts me that the child will come.

قَالَ ايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا

(Allah) said;"Your sign is that you shall not speak to the people for three days except by signals."

meaning, you will not be able to speak except with signals, although you are not mute.

In another Ayah, Allah said,

ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً

For three nights, though having no bodily defect. (19;10)

Allah then commanded Zakariyya to supplicate, thank and praise Him often in that condition,

وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالاِبْكَارِ



And remember your Lord much and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning.

We will elaborate more on this subject in the beginning of Surah Maryam, Allah willing