[567] Upon this Zachariah’s hopes were revived. Seeing that Mary was provided with fruits out of their season, he wished for fruits of his loins out of season; him being old and his wife being infertile.
[568] As a son.
[569] The ‘Word of Allah’ is Jesus who was conceived by God’s Word and command. (al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[570] Ḥaṣūr, lit. withholder, living ascetically and abstaining from sins and staying aloof from the desires of the flesh. (Ibn ʿAṭiyyah)
[571] It is not specified who this reply came from. It is perceivable, however, that God communicated with him through the conduit of an angel. It is also worth noting here that Zachariah did not address the angel or ask him for anything but rather, being fully cognizant that God is ever near and answering of Prayers, directed his Prayers to God and not the intermediary.
[572] Sabbiḥ, lit. glorify ˹your Lord˺, is to extol, exalt and venerate God. He was commanded to dedicate himself to God at all times.
[573] That God made her purity inherent to her and known to her immediate community was for the very good reason to preempt any aspersions that would be cast on her when the time came for her delivery of Jesus. (Riḍā)
[574] In return for honouring her over all other women, Mary is told to devote herself to God. (al-Saʿdī)
[575] al-Ghayb, lit. the Unseen, what is beyond the reach of perception. Such stories, in the manner and detail told here, were not known to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his community. This is a Sign from God signifying that Muhammad (ﷺ) conveyed nothing of his own and that all was inspired by God; the accounts of Mary and her mother, Zachariah, John and Jesus given here are different from the narratives prevalent at the time. (al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, Ibn Kathīr)
[576] Yulqūna aqlāmahum, lit. to throw their pens. It was their habit at the time to draw lots by casting reeds, which were sharpened and used as pens.
[577] Jesus was not conceived by any human act of procreation but rather, like Adam, through God’s commanding Word: Be! Thus he is called “the Word of God”. (Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī)
[578] al-Muqarrabīn, lit. the drawn near, are the select few who are close to God.