Tarikh (al-Tabari) 294
The story of Zakariyyā and Yaḥyā (peace be upon them both)
حياة زكريا عليه السلام قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ الْعَزِيزِ: كهيعص ذِكْرُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِنْ وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ قَبْلٌ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنَ الْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْ سَبِّحُوا بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيًّا يَا يَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا وَحَنَانًا مِنْ لَدُنَّا وَزَكَاةً وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا وَسَلَامٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا [ مَرْيَمَ: 1 - 15 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا رِزْقًا قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَى مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ [ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: 37 - 41 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى فِي سُورَةِ " الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ": وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَى وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ [ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: 89، 90 ]. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ [ الْأَنْعَامِ: 85 ]. اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ رَسُولَهُ ﷺ أَنْ يَقُصَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ خَبَرَ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ حِينَ وَهَبَهُ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا عَلَى الْكِبَرِ، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ عَاقِرًا فِي حَالِ شَبِيبَتِهَا، وَقَدْ أَسَنَّتْ أَيْضًا ; حَتَّى لَا يَيْأَسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، وَلَا يَقْنَطَ مَنْ فَضْلِهِ، تَعَالَى وَتَقَدَّسَ، فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ذِكْرُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا قَالَ قَتَادَةُ عِنْدَ تَفْسِيرِهَا: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ الْقَلْبَ النَّقِيَّ وَيَسْمَعُ الصَّوْتَ الْخَفِيَّ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ: قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَنَادَى رَبَّهُ مُنَادَاةً أَسَرَّهَا عَمَّنْ كَانَ حَاضِرًا عِنْدَهُ ; مُخَافَتَةً فَقَالَ: يَا رَبِّ، يَا رَبِّ، يَا رَبِّ. فَقَالَ اللَّهُ: لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ. قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي أَيْ: ضَعُفَ وَخَارَ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ. وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا اسْتِعَارَةٌ مِنَ اشْتِعَالِ النَّارِ فِي الْحَطَبِ، أَيْ غَلَبَ عَلَى سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ شَيْبُهُ، كَمَا قَالَ ابْنُ دُرَيْدٍ فِي مَقْصُورَتِهِ: إِمَّا تَرَى رَأْسِي حَاكَى لَوْنُهُ طُرَّةَ صُبْحٍ تَحْتَ أَذْيَالِ الدُّجَى وَاشْتَعَلَ الْمُبْيَضُّ فِي مُسْوَدِّهِ مِثْلَ اشْتِعَالِ النَّارِ فِي جَزْلِ الْغَضَا وَآضَ رَوْضُ اللَّهْوِ يَبْسًا ذَاوِيًا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا قَدْ كَانَ مَجَّاجَ الثَّرَى يَذْكُرُ أَنَّ الضَّعْفَ قَدِ اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِ بَاطِنًا وَظَاهِرًا، وَهَكَذَا قَالَ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَقَوْلُهُ: وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا أَيْ: مَا عَوَّدْتَنِي فِيمَا أَسْأَلُكَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الْإِجَابَةَ. وَكَانَ الْبَاعِثُ لَهُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ.
Translation
✧ The Life of Zakariyyā ﷺ Allah, Exalted is He, said in His Mighty Book: Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād. A mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyyā, when he called out to his Lord with a secret call. He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has flared with grey hair, and I have never been, in my supplication to You, my Lord, wretched. And indeed I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so grant me from Yourself a heir who shall inherit me and inherit from the family of Yaʿqūb, and make him, my Lord, pleasing." "O Zakariyyā, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name is Yaḥyā; We have not assigned to anyone before this name." He said, "My Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?" He said, "Thus. Your Lord has said: 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, when you were nothing.'" He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three nights, [while being] sound." Then he came out to his people from the sanctuary and signified to them to glorify [Allah] morning and evening. "O Yaḥyā, take the Book with strength." And We gave him judgement while yet a child, and tenderness from Ourselves and purity; and he was devout, and dutiful to his parents, and was not arrogant or disobedient. And ﷺ the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he is raised alive. [Maryam: 1–15]. And He, Exalted is He, said: And Zakariyyā took charge of her. Whenever Zakariyyā entered the sanctuary to her, he found with her provision. He said, "O Maryam, whence comes this to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without reckoning." Thereupon Zakariyyā called upon his Lord. He said, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." Then the angels called him while he was standing, praying in the sanctuary: "Allah gives you good tidings of Yaḥyā, confirming a word from Allah, a lord, and one abstinent, and a prophet from among the righteous." He said, "My Lord, how can I have a boy when old age has reached me and my wife is barren?" He said, "Thus. Allah does whatever He wills." He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him] in the evening and the early morning." [Āl ʿImrān: 37–41]. And He, Exalted is He, said in Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ: And Zakariyyā, when he called out to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me alone, and You are the best of inheritors." So We responded to him, and We granted him Yaḥyā, and We set right for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were humbly submissive to Us. [Al-Anbiyāʾ: 89, 90]. And He, Exalted is He, said: And Zakariyyā and Yaḥyā and ʿĪsā and Ilyās, each was among the righteous. [Al-Anʿām: 85]. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded His Messenger ﷺ to recount to the people the story of Zakariyyā ﷺ, and what was of his affair when Allah granted him a son in old age, while his wife had been barren in the time of her youth and had also aged, so that no one should despair of Allah's bounty and mercy, nor lose hope in His favor, Exalted and Sanctified is He. Thus He, Exalted is He, said: A mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyyā, when he called out to his Lord with a secret call. Qatādah said in interpreting it: Allah knows the pure heart and hears the hidden voice. Some of the early scholars said: He rose at night and called out to his Lord with a call that he concealed from those present with him, in a low voice, saying: O Lord, O Lord, O Lord. Then Allah said: At your service, at your service, at your service. He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened," meaning: they became weak and feeble from old age. "And my head has flared with grey hair," a metaphor borrowed from the flaring of fire in firewood, meaning: the greyness of his hair overcame its blackness, as Ibn Durayd said in his Maqṣūrah: Do you not see that my head's color resembles the forelock of dawn beneath the trains of darkness, and the white has flared in its blackness like the flaring of fire in dry ghaḍā wood, and the meadow of diversion has become withered and dry after it had been abundant in moisture. He mentions that weakness had overwhelmed him inwardly and outwardly, and thus Zakariyyā ﷺ said: Indeed my bones have weakened and my head has flared with grey hair. And his saying: "And I have never been, in my supplication to You, my Lord, wretched," meaning: You have accustomed me, in whatever I ask of You, to nothing but answering. And the motive for this request was.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.