Kāf HāYā'AīnSād.
[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ān, and none but Allāh (Alone) knows their meanings].
(This is) a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His slave Zakariya (Zachariah).
When he called out his Lord (Allāh) a call in secret,
Saying: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and grey hair has spread on my head, And I have never been unblest in my invocation to You, O my Lord!
"And Verily! I fear my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir,
"Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya'qūb (Jacob) (inheritance of the religious knowledge and Prophethood, not the wealth, etc.). And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are Well-pleased!".
(Allāh said) "O Zakariya (Zachariah)! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son, His name will be Yahya (John). We have given that name to none before (him)."
He said: "My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age."
He said: "So (it will be). Your Lord says; It is easy for Me. Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!"
[Zakariya (Zachariah)] said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect."
Then he came out to his people from Al-Mihrāb (a praying place or a private room, etc.), he told them by signs to glorify Allāh's Praises in the morning and in the afternoon.
(It was said to his son): "O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Taurāt (Torah)]." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins [i.e. Yahya (John)] and he was righteous,
And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither an arrogant nor disobedient (to Allāh or to his parents).
And Salāmun (peace) be on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!
And mention in the Book (the Qur'ān, O Muhammad SAW , the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.
She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.
She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allāh) from you, if you do fear Allāh."
(The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."
She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"
He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allāh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allāh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allāh).' "
So she conceived him[], and she withdrew with him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley about 4-6 miles from Jerusalem).
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"
Then [the babe 'Iesa (Jesus) or Jibrael (Gabriel)] cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream under you;
"And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you."
"So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allāh) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.'"
Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariya (an unheard mighty thing).
"O sister (i.e. the like) of Hārūn (Aaron) [not the brother of Mūsa (Moses), but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary)]! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste woman."
Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?[]"
"He ['Iesa (Jesus)] said: Verily! I am a slave of Allāh, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;[]"
"And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salāt (prayer), and Zakāt, as long as I live."
"And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest.
"And Salām (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!"
Such is 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). (it is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute).
It befits not (the Majesty of) Allāh that He should beget a son [this refers to the slander of Christians against Allāh, by saying that 'Iesa (Jesus) is the son of Allāh]. Glorified (and Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be!" and it is[].
['Iesa (Jesus) said]: "And verily Allāh is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the Straight Path. (Allāh's Religion of Islāmic Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His Prophets)." [Tafsir At-Tabarī]
Then the sects differed [i.e. the Christians about 'Iesa (Jesus)
How clearly will they (polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allāh) see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! But the Zalimūn (polytheists and wrong-doers) today are in plain error.
And warn them (O Muhammad SAW) of the Day of grief and regrets, when the case has been decided, while (now) they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not[].
Verily! We will inherit the earth and whatsoever is thereon. And to Us they all shall be returned,
And mention in the Book (the Qur'ān) Ibrāhim (Abraham). Verily! He was a man of truth, a Prophet.
When he said to his father: "O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything?
"O my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I will guide you to a Straight Path.
"O my father! Worship not Shaitān (Satan). Verily! Shaitān (Satan) has been a rebel against the Most Beneficent (Allāh).
"O my father! Verily! I fear lest a torment from the Most Beneficent (Allāh) overtake you, so that you become a companion of Shaitān (Satan) (in the Hell-fire)." [Tafsir Al-Qurtubī]
He (the father) said: "Do you reject my gods, O Ibrāhim (Abraham)? If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you."
Ibrāhim (Abraham) said: "Peace be on you! I will ask Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto me, Ever Most Gracious.
"And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allāh. And I shall call on my Lord; and I hope that I shall not be unblest in my invocation to my Lord."
So when he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides Allāh, We gave him Ishāque (Isaac) and Ya'qūb (Jacob), and each one of them We made a Prophet.
And We gave them of Our Mercy (a good provision in plenty), and We granted them honour on the tongues (of all the nations, i.e everybody remembers them with a good praise).[]
And mention in the Book (this Qur'ān) Mūsa (Moses). Verily! He was chosen and he was a Messenger (and) a Prophet.
And We called him from the right side of the Mount, and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him [Mūsa (Moses)].
And We bestowed on him his brother Hārūn (Aaron), (also) a Prophet, out of Our Mercy.
And mention in the Book (the Qur'ān) Ismā'il (Ishmael). Verily! He was true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet.
And he used to enjoin on his family and his people As-Salāt (the prayers) and the Zakāt, and his Lord was pleased with him.
And mention in the Book (the Qur'ān) Idris (Enoch).Verily! He was a man of truth, (and) a Prophet.
And We raised him to a high station.
Those were they unto whom Allāh bestowed His Grace from among the Prophets, of the offspring of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nūh (Noah), and of the offspring of Ibrāhim (Abraham) and Israel and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the Verses of the Most Beneficent (Allāh) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping.[]
Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salāt (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salāt (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.] and have followed lusts.[] So they will be thrown in Hell.
Except those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allāh and His Messenger Muhammad SAW), and work righteousness[]. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught.
(They will enter) 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which the Most Beneficent (Allāh) has promised to His slaves in the unseen: Verily! His Promise must come to pass.
They shall not hear therein (in Paradise) any Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), but only Salām (salutations of peace). And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and afternoon. [See (V.40:55)].
Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our slaves who have been Al-Muttaqūn (pious and righteous persons - See V.2:2).
And we (angels) descend not except by the Command of your Lord (O Muhammad SAW). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two, and your Lord is never forgetful,
Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, so worship Him (Alone) and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you know of any who is similar to Him? (of course none is similar or coequal or comparable to Him, and He has none as partner with Him). [There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer][].
And man (the disbeliever) says: "When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?"
Does not man remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?
So by your Lord, surely, We shall gather them together, and (also) the Shayātin (devils) (with them), then We shall bring them round Hell on their knees.
Then indeed We shall drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against the Most Beneficent (Allāh).
Then, verily, We know best those who are most worthy of being burnt therein.
There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished[].
Then We shall save those who use to fear Allāh and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the Zālimūn (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) therein (humbled) to their knees (in Hell).
And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, those who disbelieve (the rich and strong among the pagans of Quraish who live a life of luxury) say to those who believe (the weak, poor companions of Prophet Muhammad SAW who have a hard life): "Which of the two groups (i.e. believers and disbelievers) is best in (point of) position and as regards station (place of council for consultation)."
And how many a generation (past nations) have We destroyed before them, who were better in wealth, goods and outward appearance?
Say (O Muhammad SAW) whoever is in error, the Most Beneficent (Allāh) will extend (the rope) to him, until, when they see that which they were promised, either the torment or the Hour, they will come to know who is worst in position, and who is weaker in forces. [This is the answer for the Verse No.19:73]
And Allāh increases in guidance those who walk aright [true believers in the Oneness of Allāh who fear Allāh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and love Allāh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]. And the righteous good deeds that last, are better with your Lord, for reward and better for resort.
Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayāt (this Qur'ān and Muhammad SAW) and (yet) says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children [if I will be alive (again)],"
Has he known the unseen or has he taken a covenant from the Most Beneficent (Allāh)?
Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall increase his torment (in the Hell);
And We shall inherit from him (at his death) all that he talks of (i.e. wealth and children which We have bestowed upon him in this world), and he shall come to Us alone.
And they have taken (for worship) āliha (gods) besides Allāh, that they might give them honour, power and glory (and also protect them from Allāh's Punishment etc.).
Nay, but they (the so-called gods) will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them (on the Day of Resurrection).
See you not that We have sent the Shayātin (devils) against the disbelievers to push them to do evil.
So make no haste against them; We only count out to them a (limited) number (of the days of the life of this world and delay their term so that they may increase in evil and sins).
The Day We shall gather the Muttaqūn (pious - see V.2:2) unto the Most Beneficent (Allāh), like a delegate (presented before a king for honour).
And We shall drive the Mujrimūn (polytheists, sinners, criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allāh, etc.) to Hell, in a thirsty state (like a thirsty herd driven down to water),
None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from the Most Beneficent (Allāh).
And they say: "The Most Beneficent (Allāh) has begotten a son (or offspring or children) [as the Jews say: 'Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allāh, and the Christians say that He has begotten a son ['Iesa (Christ)
Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing.
Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,
That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Beneficent (Allāh).
But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allāh) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children).
There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allāh) as a slave.
Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting.
And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender).
Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allāh and in His Messenger (Muhammad SAW)] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allāh) will bestow love for them[] (in the hearts of the believers).
So We have made this (the Qur'ān) easy in your own tongue (O Muhammad SAW), only that you may give glad tidings to the Muttaqūn (pious and righteous persons - See V.2:2), and warn with it the Ludda[] (most quarrelsome) people.
And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Can you (O Muhammad SAW) find a single one of them or hear even a whisper of them?