Verse 19:8 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

4 قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّی وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّی وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ شَیۡبࣰا وَلَمۡ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَاۤىِٕكَ رَبِّ شَقِیࣰّا ۝٤ qāla rabbi innī wahana l-ʿaẓmu minnī wa-ish'taʿala l-rasu shayban walam akun biduʿāika rabbi shaqiyya ‘Lord, my bones have weakened and my hair is ashen grey, but never, Lord, have I ever prayed to You in vain 5 وَإِنِّی خِفۡتُ ٱلۡمَوَ ٰلِیَ مِن وَرَاۤءِی وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِی عَاقِرࣰا فَهَبۡ لِی مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِیࣰّا ۝٥ wa-innī khif'tu l-mawāliya min warāī wakānati im'ra-atī ʿāqiran fahab lī min ladunka waliyya I fear [what] my kinsmen [will do] when I am gone, for my wife is barren, so grant me a successor––a gift from You–– 6 یَرِثُنِی وَیَرِثُ مِنۡ ءَالِ یَعۡقُوبَۖ وَٱجۡعَلۡهُ رَبِّ رَضِیࣰّا ۝٦ yarithunī wayarithu min āli yaʿqūba wa-ij'ʿalhu rabbi raḍiyya to be my heir and the heir of the family of Jacob. Lord, make him well pleasing [to You].’ 7 یَـٰزَكَرِیَّاۤ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَـٰمٍ ٱسۡمُهُۥ یَحۡیَىٰ لَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُ سَمِیࣰّا ۝٧ yāzakariyyā innā nubashiruka bighulāmin us'muhu yaḥyā lam najʿal lahu min qablu samiyya ‘Zachariah, We bring you good news of a son whose name will be John––We have chosen this name for no one before him.’

8 قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ یَكُونُ لِی غُلَـٰمࣱ وَكَانَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتِی عَاقِرࣰا وَقَدۡ بَلَغۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡكِبَرِ عِتِیࣰّا ۝٨ qāla rabbi annā yakūnu lī ghulāmun wakānati im'ra-atī ʿāqiran waqad balaghtu mina l-kibari ʿitiyya He said, ‘Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I am old and frail?’

9 قَالَ كَذَ ٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَیَّ هَیِّنࣱ وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ تَكُ شَیۡءࣰا ۝٩ qāla kadhālika qāla rabbuka huwa ʿalayya hayyinun waqad khalaqtuka min qablu walam taku shaya He said, ‘This is what your Lord has said: “It is easy for Me: I created you, though you were nothing before.” ’ 10 قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجۡعَل لِّیۤ ءَایَةࣰۖ قَالَ ءَایَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَ لَیَالࣲ سَوِیࣰّا ۝١٠ qāla rabbi ij'ʿal lī āyatan qāla āyatuka allā tukallima l-nāsa thalātha layālin sawiyya He said, ‘Give me a sign, Lord.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to anyone for three full [days and] nights.’ 11 فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ فَأَوۡحَىٰۤ إِلَیۡهِمۡ أَن سَبِّحُوا۟ بُكۡرَةࣰ وَعَشِیࣰّا ۝١١ fakharaja ʿalā qawmihi mina l-miḥ'rābi fa-awḥā ilayhim an sabbiḥū buk'ratan waʿashiyya He went out of the sanctuary to his people and signalled to them to praise God morning and evening 12 یَـٰیَحۡیَىٰ خُذِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِقُوَّةࣲۖ وَءَاتَیۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمَ صَبِیࣰّا ۝١٢ yāyaḥyā khudhi l-kitāba biquwwatin waātaynāhu l-ḥuk'ma ṣabiyya [We said], ‘John, hold on to the Scripture firmly.’ While he was still a boy, We granted him wisdom