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qāla ka-dhālika qāla rabbuka huwa ʿalayya hayyinun wa-qad khalaqtuka min qablu wa-lam taku shayʾan
He said, ‘So shall it be. Your Lord has said, ‘‘It is simple for Me.’’ Certainly I created you before when you were nothing.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Maryam – Verses 9 - 10
9. “He said: ‘So (it will be)’. Your Lord says: ‘It is easy for Me, for indeed I created you aforetime when you were nothing’.”
10. “He (Zachariah) said: ‘My Lord! appoint for me a sign.’ Said He: ‘Your sign is that you shall not be able to speak to the people for three nights, though sound (in health).”
Allah (s.w.t.) is able to do every thing and every work is easy for Him, as in this verse, He says:
In Surah Al-Hadid, No. 57, verse 22 and in Surah At-Taْqabun, No. 64, verse 7, the words are recited:
and in Surah Al-Baqarah, No.2, verses 20 and 106, it is recited:
and in Surah Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 45 the Qur’an says:
Therefore, Zachariah asked Allah how that matter could happen, and He said:
and Allah (s.w.t.) can strengthen his power in old age to give him offspring. In other words, Allah is the One Who is able to create all things from aught, and then it is not surprising that He bestows a child upon Zachariah in his old age and in those conditions. The verse says:
By hearing the abovementioned hope-inspiring statement, Zachariah became very happy and encouraged and the light of hopefulness illuminated his entire being, however, since that message was very magnificent and constructive for him, he asked Allah for a sign, as follows:
No doubt Zachariah believed in Allah’s promise, but, in order to be more assured, he asked Him for such a sign. This was similar to Abraham’s, way who was certain of the Resurrection, yet he asked to see an aspect of the resurrection in this world in order that his heart would become more certain. Then Zachariah (as) received this answer:
During those three days and nights Zachariah’s tongue (as) could move only for prayers to Allah (s.w.t.) as well as in supplicating unto Him. This was a clear sign, of course, in that a person would not able to speak with people while his tongue and his body were utterly sound and he could pray and worship to Allah fluently. In the books of commentaries of Majma‘-ul-Bayan, of At-Tabari, and Al-Mizan, it has been said that, at the time of recitation of the Divine communications and the remembrance of Allah (s.w.t.), Zachariah’s tongue could utter words fluently and correctly, but when he wanted to use his tongue to speak with people, his tongue remained silent.
Of course, Zachariah (as) asked Allah (s.w.t.) for a sign to recognize between right and wrong, and between the divine revelations and satanic delusions.7 This itself is an evidence to the fact that all our actions are under the Will and device of Allah, so that if He let not we are not able to speak even when we are in a complete health.
Footnotes