Prophet Zakariyya
زكرياعليه السلام
Guardian of Maryam and father of Yahya. He prayed for a righteous heir in old age, and Allah granted him Yahya as a miraculous gift.
Guardian of Maryam
Zakariyya was a righteous priest and prophet among the Israelites who was appointed as the guardian of Maryam (Mary), the mother of Isa. He would find her provided with food from Allah whenever he visited her prayer chamber. Witnessing this miracle inspired him to make his own supplication for a child.
كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًا ۖ قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ
“Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, 'O Maryam, from where is this [coming] to you?' She said, 'It is from Allah.'”
The Prayer for a Son
Seeing Allah's provision for Maryam, Zakariyya prayed for a righteous heir despite being elderly and his wife being barren. He called upon Allah secretly, and his prayer is one of the most beautiful and humble supplications in the Quran.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا
“He said, 'My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy [i.e., disappointed].'”
The Gift of Yahya
Allah answered his prayer and gave him glad tidings of a son named Yahya — a name that had never been given to anyone before. As a sign, Zakariyya was unable to speak to people for three days, while still being able to glorify Allah. This was a confirmation of the miracle.
يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا
“O Zakariyya, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be Yahya. We have not assigned to any before [this] name.”
Key Lessons
- ◆Never consider yourself too old or your situation too impossible for du'a
- ◆Witnessing Allah's blessings on others should inspire hope, not jealousy
- ◆Humility and sincerity in supplication are key to having prayers answered
References & Sources
- Quran: Surah Maryam (19:1-15), Aal-E-Imran (3:37-41), Al-Anbiya (21:89-90)
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya