When he called upon his Lord in a low voice, He said: My Lord!

When he called upon his Lord in a low voice, He said: My Lord! Surely my bones are weakened and my head flares with hoariness, and, my Lord! I have never been unsuccessful in my prayer to Thee: And surely I fear my cousins after me, and my wife is barren, therefore grant me from Thyself an heir, Who should inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom Thou art well pleased. O Zakaria!

Surely We give you good news of a boy whose name shall be Yahya: We have not made before anyone his equal. He said: O my Lord! When shall I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I myself have reached indeed the extreme degree of old age? [1] Prophet Zakaria was yet in the prayer niche praying to Allah when angels addressed him, “O Zakaria!

God gives you good news that He will grant you a son whose name will be Yahya because prior to this none has been named thus.” Zakaria became joyful on hearing this Divine Voice. However, with a view to get peace of mind, as to how could he get a child in that advanced age, he asked his Lord, “My Lord! How will it be so when I have become very old and weak?” Came the voice once again conveying: He has decided to grant you both a son in these days and in these circumstances.

It is very easy for God to do so. The God Who can bring you to life from nothing has the Might to grant you and your wife a son in old age. Prophet Zakaria, for satisfying his heart, again prayed, “My Creator! Kindly give me some sign.” God sent revelation that the sign was that his tongue will remain tied for three days and that he will not be able to converse with anyone except through signals.

[1] Surah Maryam 19:2-8 When the said signal was manifested and a period of six months passed, Almighty God granted Zakaria a son, Yahya and also adorned the child with prophethood in his childhood. The Quran has mentioned it in the following way: He said: So shall it be, your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and indeed I created you before, when you were nothing. He said: My Lord! Give me a sign.

He said: Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to the people three nights while in sound health. [1] Prophet Yahya, even in his childhood, was very handsome, intelligent and attractive, and also endowed with foresight and wisdom to an extraordinary extent. In his young age he kept himself away from worldly affairs busying himself only with the worship of God and leading a life of purity and righteousness.