Ayah 39 And now, time for the Reward, the instant kind.

Allah SWT accepted Zakaria ASs supplication & sent an angel to him with the good news. Imagine, if you are given a guarantee, that your unborn child or even your new born one, is going to be top of his class, Meray betay key 15 A*, in academics & sports, Yeh 10 trophies last year jeeta.. in the most prestigious school & University Harvard say kam tho hum ney socha hi nahin tha, & is going to be the most successful professional or businessman, rich beyond your dreams Forbes list.. & will then go on to become the President & Prime Minister (no, no, not Mr.10% ..or maybe you wont mind that either..LOL). What will be your feeling. Jubilation of course. Isnt that what we are striving for, working day & night to achieve success in the Duniya for ourselves & our children. Well not for Zakaria AS who just wanted

!a righteous child. Simple Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab. When the supplication is so pure, then Allah SWTs response is also swift. The angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship.

Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya. Named by Allah SWT himself. Qatadah and other scholars said that he was called Yahya, (from Hayat) which literally means, `he lives' because Allah filled his life with faith. A person without faith & Eeman is like a dead person. & Allah SWT did not just give him news of a good & obedient child but much much more. He gave according to His Shaan.

believing in the Word from Allah . This refers to "Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam.'' Because Isa AS did not have a father & was born just from the Kalimah of Allah SWT. So this shows, he would be a follower of Isa AS & the Injil. It is said that their age difference was about 6 months. Then Allah SWT describes more of his characteristics.

(And Sayyidan) . A noble, wise and pious man. Scholars have also said it means, the scholar and Faqih. Also that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger and the one honoured by Allah.

(And Hasuran) One interpretation is that it does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women (in marriage), but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations. Others have interpreted as he will have such restraint that he will not indulge in any type of sexual relation because of his love & devotion towards Allah & Allah knows best. But this was before our Prophet SA who highly recommended marrying and maintaining a good relationship with your wife & children.

(A Prophet, from among the righteous). The icing on the cake. He will be a Prophet, an even better than news than that of Yahya's birth. In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa.

When Allah promises something, He guarantees fulfilment. An interesting extract from the Life of Prophet Yahya AS showing his utter devotion & love for Allah SWT:

Ibn Wahb said that, according to Malik, grass was the food of John Ibn Zakariyah, and he wept sorely in fear of Allah. A chain of narrators reported that Idris Al Khawlawi said: "Shall I not tell you he who had the best food? It is John Ibn Zakariyah, who joined the beasts at dinner, fearing to mix with men." Ibn Mubarak stated that Wahb Ibn Al-Ward narrated that Zakariayah did not see his son for three days. He found him weeping inside a grave which he had dug and in which he resided. "My son, I have been searching for you, and you are dwelling in this grave weeping!" "O father, did you not tell me that between Paradise and Hell is only a span, and it will not be crossed except by tears of weepers?" He said to him: "Weep then, my son." Then they wept together. Other narrations say that John (pbuh) said: "The dwellers of Paradise are sleepless out of the sweetness of Allah's bounty; that is why the faithful must be sleepless because of Allah's love in their hearts. How far between the two luxuries, how far between them?" They say John wept so much that tears marked his cheeks. He found comfort in the open and never cared about food. He ate leaves, herbs, and sometimes locusts. He slept anywhere in the mountains or in holes in the ground. He sometimes would find a lion or a bear as he entered a cave, but

being deeply absorbed in praising Allah, he never heeded them. The beasts easily recognized John as the prophet who cared for all the creatures, so they would leave the cave, bowing their heads. May Allah SWT increase His & his Prophet SAs love in our hearts.