Meccan · Surah 21 of 114

Al-Anbiyaa 21:89

The Prophets · ayah 89 of 112

وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ

Wazakariyya ith nadarabbahu rabbi la tatharnee fardan waanta khayru alwaritheen

"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.""

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy

Free, no login. Tap play.

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"Remember Zachariah, when he cried to his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me childless, though You are the best of heirs.’"

Pickthall (classic)+

"And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors.""

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Zakariyya and Yahya

Allah tells us of His servant Zakariyya, who asked Allah to grant him a son who would be a Prophet after him. The story has already been given in detail at the beginning of Surah Maryam and also in Surah `Imran. Here an abbreviated version is given.

إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ

(when he cried to his Lord) means, in secret, hiding it from his people.

رَبِّ لاَ تَذَرْنِى فَرْداً

(O My Lord! Leave me not single,) means, with no child and no heir to stand among the people after me.

وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَرِثِينَ

(though You are the Best of the inheritors.) This is a supplication and form of praise befitting the topic. Allah says:

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَى وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ

(So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya, and cured his wife for him.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "She was barren and never had a child, then she gave birth."

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ يُسَارِعُونَ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ

(Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds,) means, acts of worship and acts of obedience towards Allah.

وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَباً وَرَهَباً

(and they used to call on Us with hope and fear,) Ath-Thawri said, "Hoping for that (reward) which is with Us and fearing that (punishment) which is with Us."

وَكَانُواْ لَنَا خـشِعِينَ

(and they were Khashi`in before Us.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that this means, sincerely believing in that which was revealed by Allah. Mujahid said: "Truly believing." Abu Al-`Aliyah said: "Fearing." Abu Sinan said: "Khushu` means the fear which should never leave our hearts." It was also reported from Mujahid that the Khashi`in are those who are humble." Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said, "The Khashi`in are those who humble themselves before Allah." All of these suggestions are close in meaning.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

О Мухаммад! Помяни добрым словом Нашего раба и посланника Закарию, а также его прекрасные качества. Среди его прекрасных качеств и достоинств есть такое, которое свидетельствует о его искренней заботе об окружающих и Божьей милости по отношению к нему. Этим достоинством является его молитва, в которой он попросил Господа не оставлять его одиноким. В коранических откровениях сообщается, что пророк Закария сказал: «Господи! Воистину, кости мои ослабели, а седина уже распространилась по моей голове. А ведь раньше благодаря молитвам к Тебе, Господи, я не был несчастен. Я опасаюсь того, что натворят мои родственники после меня, потому что жена моя бесплодна. Даруй же мне от Тебя наследника, который наследует мне и семейству Йакуба (Иакова). И сделай его, Господи, угодником» (19:4–6). Из этих слов становится ясно, что святой пророк чувствовал приближение смерти и опасался того, что некому будет проповедовать религию Аллаха и давать людям наставления после него. Он опасался того, что рядом с ним не окажется человека, который заменит его и поможет ему продолжить начатое дело. Он сказал: «Господи! Ты - самый лучший из наследников. Ты не имеешь конца и непременно унаследуешь наши достижения. Ты проявляешь к людям сострадание гораздо больше меня. Однако я осмеливаюсь просить у Тебя нечто, что успокоит меня, утешит мою душу и приумножит мое вознаграждение».

Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

Commentary

Sayyidna Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) wished for a son and heir for which he prayed to Allah. But at the same time he made it clear that Allah is the best heir no matter if he had a son or not وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ‌ الْوَارِ‌ثِينَ. You are the best of inheritors - 21:89). This was the manifestation of the prophetic respect in that the main concern of the prophets should always be toward Allah Ta’ ala, and even if someone else came into focus, their attention should not deviate from the main objective.

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

Read full Surah Al-Anbiyaa All 114 surahs