The Prophets — Verse 89
21:89 · al-Anbiya`
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وَزَكَرِیَّاۤ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرۡنِی فَرۡدࣰا وَأَنتَ خَیۡرُ ٱلۡوَ ٰرِثِینَ ٨٩
wazakariyyā idh nādā rabbahu rabbi lā tadharnī fardan wa-anta khayru l-wārithīn
The Prophets / al-Anbiya` (21:89)
Remember Zachariah, when he cried to his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me childless, though You are the best of heirs.’
wazakariyyā idh nādā rabbahu rabbi lā tadharnī fardan wa-anta khayru l-wārithīn
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Tafsir Commentary
Zakariyya and Yahya
Allah tells us of His servant Zakariyya, who asked Allah to grant him a son who would be a Prophet after him. The story has already been given in detail at the beginning of Surah Maryam and also in Surah `Imran. Here an abbreviated version is given.
إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ
(when he cried to his Lord) means, in secret, hiding it from his people.
رَبِّ لاَ تَذَرْنِى فَرْداً
(O My Lord! Leave me not single,) means, with no child and no heir to stand among the people after me.
وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَرِثِينَ
(though You are the Best of the inheritors.) This is a supplication and form of praise befitting the topic. Allah says:
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَى وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ
(So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya, and cured his wife for him.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "She was barren and never had a child, then she gave birth."
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ يُسَارِعُونَ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ
(Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds,) means, acts of worship and acts of obedience towards Allah.
وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَباً وَرَهَباً
(and they used to call on Us with hope and fear,) Ath-Thawri said, "Hoping for that (reward) which is with Us and fearing that (punishment) which is with Us."
وَكَانُواْ لَنَا خـشِعِينَ
(and they were Khashi`in before Us.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means, sincerely believing in that which was revealed by Allah. Mujahid said: "Truly believing." Abu Al-`Aliyah said: "Fearing." Abu Sinan said: "Khushu` means the fear which should never leave our hearts." It was also reported from Mujahid that the Khashi`in are those who are humble." Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said, "The Khashi`in are those who humble themselves before Allah." All of these suggestions are close in meaning.
And mention Zachariah Zakariyyā is substituted by the following idh nādā rabbahu … when he cried out to his Lord saying ‘My Lord do not leave me without an heir without a son to inherit from me and You are the best of inheritors’ the One that endures after all of your creation has perished.
And Zachariah, when he supplicated his Lord, “My Lord, leave me not solitary.” In the tasting of the recognizers and the allusion of the realizers, the meaning is “Leave me not empty of Your protection from sin or turning away from Your remembrance or occupying myself with anything but You.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “God has no use for treasuries and no need for anything. Whatever He has, He has it for the servants. Tomorrow He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedient and the treasury of bounty to the helpless so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasuries, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due with what they have of their own. When a sultan gives his daughter to a beggar, the beggar does not have a dower worthy of the sultan's daughter. From his own treasury the sultan sends the dower to the beggar so that the beggar may give the dower to the princess from his treasury.” When the servant obeys Him, he does so with His success-giving and protection from sin. He discharges what is rightfully due to Him with His confirmation and bestowal of strength. Then through His bounty He praises the servant for the excellence of his obedience and through His generosity He approves of him. What He shows to the world's folk is this:
And Zachariah, when he supplicated his Lord, “My Lord, leave me not solitary.” In the tasting of the recognizers and the allusion of the realizers, the meaning is “Leave me not empty of Your protection from sin or turning away from Your remembrance or occupying myself with anything but You.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “God has no use for treasuries and no need for anything. Whatever He has, He has it for the servants. Tomorrow He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedient and the treasury of bounty to the helpless so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasuries, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due with what they have of their own. When a sultan gives his daughter to a beggar, the beggar does not have a dower worthy of the sultan's daughter. From his own treasury the sultan sends the dower to the beggar so that the beggar may give the dower to the princess from his treasury.” When the servant obeys Him, he does so with His success-giving and protection from sin. He discharges what is rightfully due to Him with His confirmation and bestowal of strength. Then through His bounty He praises the servant for the excellence of his obedience and through His generosity He approves of him. What He shows to the world's folk is this:
And Zachariah, when he supplicated his Lord, “My Lord, leave me not solitary.” In the tasting of the recognizers and the allusion of the realizers, the meaning is “Leave me not empty of Your protection from sin or turning away from Your remembrance or occupying myself with anything but You.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “God has no use for treasuries and no need for anything. Whatever He has, He has it for the servants. Tomorrow He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedient and the treasury of bounty to the helpless so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasuries, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due with what they have of their own. When a sultan gives his daughter to a beggar, the beggar does not have a dower worthy of the sultan's daughter. From his own treasury the sultan sends the dower to the beggar so that the beggar may give the dower to the princess from his treasury.” When the servant obeys Him, he does so with His success-giving and protection from sin. He discharges what is rightfully due to Him with His confirmation and bestowal of strength. Then through His bounty He praises the servant for the excellence of his obedience and through His generosity He approves of him. What He shows to the world's folk is this:
And Zachariah, when he supplicated his Lord, “My Lord, leave me not solitary.” In the tasting of the recognizers and the allusion of the realizers, the meaning is “Leave me not empty of Your protection from sin or turning away from Your remembrance or occupying myself with anything but You.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “God has no use for treasuries and no need for anything. Whatever He has, He has it for the servants. Tomorrow He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedient and the treasury of bounty to the helpless so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasuries, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due with what they have of their own. When a sultan gives his daughter to a beggar, the beggar does not have a dower worthy of the sultan's daughter. From his own treasury the sultan sends the dower to the beggar so that the beggar may give the dower to the princess from his treasury.” When the servant obeys Him, he does so with His success-giving and protection from sin. He discharges what is rightfully due to Him with His confirmation and bestowal of strength. Then through His bounty He praises the servant for the excellence of his obedience and through His generosity He approves of him. What He shows to the world's folk is this:
And Zachariah, when he supplicated his Lord, �My Lord, leave me not solitary.�In the tasting of the recognizers and the allusion of the realizers, the meaning is �Leave me not empty of Your protection from sin or turning away from Your remembrance or occupying myself with anything but You.�The Pir of the Tariqah said, �God has no use for treasuries and no need for anything. Whatever He has, He has it for the servants. Tomorrow He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedient and the treasury of bounty to the helpless so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasuries, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due with what they have of their own. When a sultan gives his daughter to a beggar, the beggar does not have a dower worthy of the sultan's daughter. From his own treasury the sultan sends the dower to the beggar so that the beggar may give the dower to the princess from his treasury.�When the servant obeys Him, he does so with His success-giving and protection from sin. He discharges what is rightfully due to Him with His confirmation and bestowal of strength. Then through His bounty He praises the servant for the excellence of his obedience and through His generosity He approves of him. What He shows to the world's folk is this:
واذكر - أيها الرسول - قصة عبد الله زكريا حين دعا ربه أن يرزقه الذرية لما كَبِرت سنُّه قائلا رب لا تتركني وحيدًا لا عقب لي، هب لي وارثًا يقوم بأمر الدين في الناس من بعدي، وأنت خير الباقين وخير مَن خلفني بخير.
يخبر تعالى عن عبده زكريا حين طلب أن يهبه الله ولدا يكون من بعده نبيا وقد تقدمت القصة مبسوطة في أول سورة مريم وفي سورة آل عمران أيضا وههنا أخصر منها " إذا نادى ربه " أي خفية عن قومه " رب لا تذرني فردا " أي لا وله لى ولا وارث يقوم بعدي في الناس " وأنت خير الوارثين " دعاء وثناء مناسب للمسألة.
ثم ساقت السورة الكريمة بعد ذلك جانبا من قصى زكريا ويحيى فقال - تعالى - : ( وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ . . . . ) .وزكريا هو ابن آزن بن بركيا ، ويتصل نسبه بسليمان - عليه السلام - ، وكان عيسى قريب العهد به ، حيث كفل زكريا مريم أم عيسى .أى : واذكر - أيها المخاطب - حال زكريا - عليه السلام - وقت أن نادى ربه وتضرع إليه فقال : يا رب لا تتركنى فردا أى : وحيداً بدون ذرية ( وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الوارثين ) أى : وأنت خير حى باق بعد كل الأموات .
يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم:واذكر يا محمد زكريا حين نادى ربه ( رَبِّ لا تَذَرْنِي ) وحيدا(فَرْدًا ) لا ولد لي ولا عقب ( وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ ) يقول: فارزقني وارثا من آل يعقوب يرثني ، ثم ردّ الأمر إلى الله فقال وأنت خير الوارثين .
قوله عز وجل ( وزكريا إذ نادى ربه ) دعا ربه ( رب لا تذرني فردا ) وحيدا لا ولد لي وارزقني وارثا ( وأنت خير الوارثين ) ثناء على الله بأنه الباقي بعد فناء الخلق وأنه أفضل من بقي حيا
وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ (89) { وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نادى رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لاَ تَذَرْنِى فَرْداً وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الوارثين * فاستجبنا }كان أمر زكرياء الذي أشار إليه قوله : { إذ نادى ربه } آية من آيات الله في عنايته بأوليائه المنقطعين لعبادته فخصّ بالذكر لذلك . والقول في عطف { وزكرياء } كالقول في نظائره السابقة .وجملة { رب لا تذرني فردا } مبيّنة لجملة { نادى ربه }. وأطلق الفرد على من لا ولد له تشبيهاً له بالمُنفرد الذي لا قرين له . قال تعالى : { وكلهم آتيه يوم القيامة فرداً } [ مريم : 95 ] ، ويقال مثله الواحد للذي لا رفيق له ، قال الحارث بن هشام :وعَلمتُ أني إن أُقاتل واحداً ... أقتل ولا يَضررُ عدوي مشهديفشُبه من لا ولد بالفرد لأن الولد يصيّر أباه كالشفع لأنه كجزء منه . ولا يقال لذي الولد زوجٌ ولا شفع .وجملة { وأنت خير الوارثين } ثناء لتمهيد الإجابة ، أي أنت الوارث الحق فاقض عليّ من صفتك العلية شيئاً . وقد شاع في الكتاب والسنة ذكر صفة من صفات الله عند سؤاله إعطاء ما هو من جنسها ، كما قال أيوب { وأنت أرحم الراحمين } [ الأنبياء : 83 ] ، ودلّ ذكر ذلك على أنه سأل الولد لأجل أن يرثه كما في آية [ سورة مريم : 6 ] { يرثني ويرث من آل يعقوب } حُذفت هاته الجملة لدلالة المحكي هنا عليها . والتقدير : يرثني الإرثَ الذي لا يداني إرثَك عبادك ، أي بقاء ما تركوه في الدنيا لتصرُّف قدرتك ، أو يرثني مالي وعلمي وأنت ترث نفسي كلها بالمصير إليك مصيراً أبدياً فأرثك خير إرث لأنه أشمل وأبقى وأنت خير الوارثين في تحقق هذا الوصف .وإصلاح زوجه : جعلها صالحة للحمل بعد أن كانت عاقراً .
أي: واذكر عبدنا ورسولنا زكريا، منوها بذكره، ناشرا لمناقبه وفضائله، التي من جملتها، هذه المنقبة العظيمة المتضمنة لنصحه للخلق، ورحمة الله إياه، وأنه { نَادَى رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا } أي: { قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا* وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِنْ وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا* يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا } من هذه الآيات علمنا أن قوله { رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا } أنه لما تقارب أجله، خاف أن لا يقوم أحد بعده مقامه في الدعوة إلى الله، والنصح لعباد الله، وأن يكون في وقته فردا، ولا يخلف من يشفعه ويعينه، على ما قام به، { وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ } أي: خير الباقين، وخير من خلفني بخير، وأنت أرحم بعبادك مني، ولكني أريد ما يطمئن به قلبي، وتسكن له نفسي، ويجري في موازيني ثوابه.
قوله تعالى : وزكريا إذ نادى ربه أي واذكر زكريا . وقد تقدم في ( آل عمران ) ذكره . رب لا تذرني فردا أي منفردا لا ولد لي وقد تقدم . وأنت خير الوارثين أي خير من يبقى بعد كل من يموت ؛ وإنما قال وأنت خير الوارثين لما تقدم من قوله : يرثني أي [ ص: 242 ] أعلم أنك ، لا تضيع دينك ، ولكن لا تقطع هذه الفضيلة التي هي القيام بأمر الدين عن عقبي . كما تقدم في ( مريم ) بيانه .
Prophets are those on whom God has bestowed His special Grace. A most prominent personal characteristic of theirs is that their endeavours are directed not towards the attainment of worldly goals but towards the attainment of things that are valuable from the viewpoint of the Hereafter. They have discovered the Majesty of God to the extent that in their eyes He is everything and nothing else matters. In every circumstance they opt for the path of modesty and humility. These qualities were found in full measure in Zachariah (Zakariyya) and other prophets. On this account, God blessed them with His special grace. Common believers too will be entitled to God’s succour and His blessings, provided that they possess the aforesaid qualities.
Commentary
Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) wished for a son and heir for which he prayed to Allah. But at the same time he made it clear that Allah is the best heir no matter if he had a son or not وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ. You are the best of inheritors - 21:89). This was the manifestation of the prophetic respect in that the main concern of the prophets should always be toward Allah Ta’ ala, and even if someone else came into focus, their attention should not deviate from the main objective.
(And Zachariah) and mention, O Muhammad, Zachariah, (when he cried unto) when he prayed to (his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless) alone without any helper, (though Thou art the best of inheritors) though You are the best of helpers.