The story in short
- Arabic name
- زكريا
- English name
- Zechariah
- Named in the Quran
- 7 times
- Sent to
- The Children of Israel; guardian of Maryam
- In the list of 25
- 22 of 25
In short: Zakariya was the guardian of Maryam, the mother of Isa. Seeing the provision Allah gave her, he was moved to ask for a righteous child, though he was old and his wife was barren. Allah gave him the glad tidings of Yahya, a name no one had been given before, and as a sign he could not speak to people for three days except by gestures.
The story of Zakariya
Guardian of Maryam
When Maryam was dedicated to the house of worship, lots were cast for who would care for her, and Zakariya was chosen (3:44, 3:37). "Every time Zakariya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, 'O Maryam, from where is this to you?' She said, 'It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account'" (3:37). The Prophet ﷺ said that Zakariya was a carpenter.1
A secret dua
"At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, 'My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication'" (3:38). Surah Maryam describes how he called "a private supplication": "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy" (19:3-4). He feared for the faith of his relatives after him, and asked for an heir who would inherit "from the family of Yaqub" (19:5-6).
The answer
"O Zakariya, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be Yahya. We have not assigned to any before this name" (19:7). Amazed, he asked how, being old with a barren wife, and was told: "It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing" (19:9). His sign was that he would not speak to people for three nights though he was well, and he signalled to them to glorify Allah morning and evening (19:10-11). Allah says of the family: "Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive" (21:90).
Key verses
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ﴿٣٨﴾
Hunaaalika da'aa Zakariyyaa Rabbahoo qaala Rabbi hab lee mil ladunka zurriyyatan taiyibatan innaka samee'ud du'aaa'
At that, Zechariah called upon his Lord, saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."
Quran 3:38 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Imran
ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُۥ زَكَرِيَّآ ﴿٢﴾ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّۭا ﴿٣﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَٱشْتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأْسُ شَيْبًۭا وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّۭا ﴿٤﴾ وَإِنِّى خِفْتُ ٱلْمَوَٰلِىَ مِن وَرَآءِى وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًۭا فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّۭا ﴿٥﴾ يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ ۖ وَٱجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّۭا ﴿٦﴾ يَٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّۭا ﴿٧﴾
Zikru rahmati Rabbika 'abdahoo Zakariyya Iz naadaa Rabbahoo nidaaa'an khafiyyaa Qaala Rabbi innee wahanal'azmu minnee washta'alar raasu shaibanw wa lam akum bidu'aaa'ika Rabbi shaqiyyaa Wa innee khiftul mawaa liya minw waraaa'ee wa kaana tim ra atee 'aairan fahab lee mil ladunka waliyyaa Yarisunee wa yarisu min aali Ya'qoob, waj'alhu Rabbi radiyya Yaa Zakariyyaaa innaa nubashshiruka bighulaami nismuhoo Yahyaa lam naj'al lahoo min qablu samiyyaa
(2) [This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah (3) When he called to his Lord a private supplication. (4) He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy. (5) And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir (6) Who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]." (7) [He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name."
Quran 19:2-7 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Maryam
وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ ﴿٨٩﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًۭا وَرَهَبًۭا ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَٰشِعِينَ ﴿٩٠﴾
Wa Zakariyyaaa iz naadaa Rabbahoo Rabbi laa tazarnee fardanw wa Anta khairul waariseen Fastajabnaa lahoo wa wahabnaa lahoo Yahyaa Wa aslahnaa lahoo zawjah; innahum kaanoo yusaari'oona fil khairaati wa yad'oonanaa raghabanw wa rahabaa; wa kaanoo lanaa khaashi'een
(89) And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the best of inheritors." (90) So We responded to him, and We gave to him John, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.
Quran 21:89-90 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Anbiya
Lessons from the story
- Dua in private, in a quiet voice, is close to sincerity.
- Never give up on asking: "never have I been in my supplication to You unhappy."
- Seeing Allah's gifts to others should make us ask Him, not envy them.
- Honest work, like carpentry, is the way of the prophets.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Zakariya, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Maryam 19:2-15
- Surah Al-Imran 3:37-41
- Surah Al-Anbiya 21:89-90
- Surah Al-Anam 6:85
What is authentic, and what is not
Reports about how Zakariya died, including that he was killed while hiding in a tree, come from Isra'iliyyat and later stories, and are not confirmed by the Quran or sahih hadith.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
What is the dua of Zakariya for children?
"Rabbi hab li mil-ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibah, innaka samiud-dua": "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication" (3:38).
How was Zakariya related to Maryam?
He was her guardian (3:37). Historians say he was married to her maternal aunt, or to her sister, which is why Yahya and Isa are called cousins.
What was the sign given to Zakariya?
He could not speak to people for three days and nights, except by gestures (19:10, 3:41).
How many times is Zakariya mentioned in the Quran?
7 times, in Surahs Al Imran, Al-Anam, Maryam and Al-Anbiya.
Sources
- Sahih Muslim 2379.
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Zakariya and Yahya.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.