قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكَ اللّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء {40}

40. "He said: ' My Lord! how can I have a son (born) while, indeed, old age has already over taken me, and my wife is barren ? ' He said: 'Even so does Allah whatsoever He pleases'."

Commentary:

By hearing that glad tiding Zachariah became very happy so that he could not conceal his surprise because of such a subject that happened. Therefore:

"He said: ' My Lord! how can I have a son (born) while, indeed, old age has already over taken me, and my wife is barren?' ..."

Then, he was answered thus:

"... He said: ' Even so does Allah whatsoever He pleases'."

With this concise sentence, which laid emphasis on the influence of the Divine Will, Zachariah was convinced.

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قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّيَ آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيراً وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ {41}

41. "He (Zakariya) said: 'My lord! Appoint a token for me'. He said: ' The token for you (will be) that you can not speak unto human beings for three days except by signals; and remember your Lord immensely and glorify (Him) in the evening and early morning."

Commentary:

Here, Zachariah (a) asked Allah for a token for that glad tiding he received, in order to make his heart completely certain. It was similar to the case that Abraham (a) requested Allah to see the scene of resurrection to make his heart certain more than before.

"He (Zakariya) said: 'My Lord! Appoint a token for me' ..,"

In answer to him, Allah said that the token for him was that he could not speak to people for three days, except by signals, and his tongue, without having any disease or natural disorder, would stop talking with men:

"... He said: 'The token for you (will be) that you can not speak unto human beings for three days except by signals..."

Yet, to show his (Zachariah's) gratitude to that bounty, the verse says:

"….and remember your Lord immensely and glorify (Him) in the evening and early morning."

Thus, the Lord accepted the request of Zachariah. But his tongue could not move speaking with people for three days and nights without being involved by any natural cause. Yet, in the meanwhile, he was in a condition that he was still able to be busy murmuring the name of Allah. That wonderful state was a sign of Allah's power dominated over everything. The Lord, Who is able to open the speechless dumb tongue when it starts to invoke the name of Allah, is also able to bring a believing child into existence from a fruitless barren womb. This occurrence can be the manifestation of the remembrance of the Providence, too.

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Section 5

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاء الْعَالَمِينَ {42}

42. "And (remember) when the angels said: 'O' Mary! Verily Allah has chosen you and purified you and preferred you above the women of the worlds '."

Commentary:

It is cited in some commentary books such as: Al-Minar, Qurtubi, Maraqi, Rouhul-Bayan, and Fakhr-Razi that the pre-eminents of the women of the world were four persons: Mary, 'Asiyah, Khadijah, and Fatimah (a). Some Islamic literature, narrated from Ahlul-Bayt (a) also denotes that Mary was the preeminent woman among the women of her time, while Fatimah (a) is the preeminent throughout of the history. [19] It should be noted, of course, that when Allah, the Wise, chooses a person as preeminent it is because of a special series of efficiencies and eligibilities that the one has. So, this preeminence of Mary over all women of the world was not but because of her piety and virtues. Yes, she had been chosen to give birth to a prophet such as Jesus (a).

Explanations:

1. Angels may speak to human beings other than prophets, too.

2. A woman can reach the rank of Divine sainthood so that Allah sends messages to her.

3. Mary was both chosen for virtues and became the preeminent of the women. That is why the Arabic phrase /istafaki/ (has chosen you) has been repeated twice in the verse.

"And (remember) when the angels said:

'O' Mary! Verily Allah has chosen you and purified you and preferred you above the women of the worlds '."

[19] A1-Mizan, vol. 4, p. 65 (Persian version)