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Ali 'Imran (The Family of Imran)

Verse 40of 200

قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ﴿٤٠

Translation (Sahih International)

He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills."

Word-by-word meaning

قَالَqālaHe said
رَبِّrabbiMy Lord
أَنَّىٰannāhow
يَكُونُyakūnucan (there) be
لِىfor me
غُلَـٰمٌۭghulāmuna son
وَقَدْwaqadand verily
بَلَغَنِىَbalaghaniyahas reached me
ٱلْكِبَرُl-kibaru[the] old age
وَٱمْرَأَتِىwa-im'ra-atīand my wife
عَاقِرٌۭ ۖʿāqirun(is) [a] barren
قَالَqālaHe said
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
يَفْعَلُyafʿaludoes
مَاwhat
يَشَآءُyashāuHe wills

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Supplication of Zakariyya, and the Good News of Yahya's BirthWhen Zakariyya saw that Allah provided sustenance for Maryam by giving her the fruits of winter in summer and the fruits of summer in winter, he was eager to have a child of his own. By then, Zakariyya had become an old man, his bones feeble and his head full of gray hair. His wife was an old women who was barren.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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