Page 64 - Prayer in the Qur'an

62 PRAYER IN THE QUR'AN

As the verses above highlight, the Prophet Zakariyya (as) called
on his Lord secretly. This is one of the most evident signs of sincer-
ity. Indeed, Allah answered his prayer which was truly heartfelt:

We responded to him and gave him Yahya, restoring for him
his wife's fertility. They outdid one another in good actions,
calling out to Us in yearning and in awe, and humbling them-
selves to Us. (Surat al-Anbiya': 90)
Zakariyya! We give you the good news of a boy named Yahya,

a name we have given to no one else before. (Surah Maryam: 7)
The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer
in the Upper Room: "Allah gives you the good news of Yahya,
who will come to confirm a Word from Allah, and will be a
leader and a celibate, a prophet and one of the righteous."
(Surah Al Imran: 39)

According to another verse, the Prophet Zakariyya (as) was in
awe at the notion of having been granted a son despite his old age.
The angel whom Allah sent to give him glad tidings of a son re-
minded him of Allah's might:
He said, "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is bar-
ren and I have reached advanced old age?" [An angel] said, "It
will be so! Your Lord says, 'That is easy for me to do. I created

you before, when you were not anything.' " (Surah Maryam: 8-
9)
In previous sections, we emphasized that Allah answers His ser-
vants' prayers and that He is the sole friend and helper of people
who wholeheartedly call on Him. This being the case, Allah

granted a son to the Prophet Zakariyya (as), even though it seemed
impossible.