WEBVTT

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Stories of the Prophets... stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.

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The story of Zechariah and John, peace be upon them.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

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May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon all his family and Companions.

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To proceed:

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Prophets and messengers were sent in succession to the Children of Israel;

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no prophet passed away except that another prophet succeeded him,

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and that was out of Allah’s mercy toward them.

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Yet, despite that, they transgressed and grew arrogant,

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disobeying the commands of their Lord’s messengers.

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When a long time elapsed over them, their hearts grew hard,

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wickedness and depravity intensified among them,

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corruption and abominations spread throughout their society,

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and wicked, tyrannical kings took dominion over them,

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causing corruption across the land,

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committing destructive sins and heinous crimes,

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showing no reverence for their prophets,

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nor for the righteous and pious among them.

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In Jerusalem, there lived a righteous man

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named Zechariah,

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from the lineage of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham,

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peace be upon them all.

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He used to tend sheep in his youth,

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and when he grew older, he became a carpenter.

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He was never defiled by the wickedness that plagued his people;

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rather, he was keen to adhere to whatever reached him of the sacred law of the prophets

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before him,

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sincere in his work and in the worship of his Lord.

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So Allah Almighty sent him as a messenger to the Children of Israel.

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Zechariah, peace be upon him, stood to call his people to the religion of Allah

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and to worship Him alone, with no partner,

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warning them of His punishment if they persisted in disobeying His command.

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Zechariah, peace be upon him, suffered harm from the Children of Israel and their rulers,

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and great terrors and heavy trials befell him one after another.

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Yet he showed beautiful patience,

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until his bones grew feeble and weak,

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and gray hair spread across his head.

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He carried deep concern for the Children of Israel after his time,

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as the moment of his departure from this worldly life drew near,

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while his kinsmen were wicked and corrupt.

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They inevitably needed a restraining force to deter them from their deviance,

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for if they were left without a messenger,

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they would erase the divine law, spread corruption,

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and alter the landmarks of the Scripture.

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These thoughts continued to occupy Zechariah’s mind, morning and evening.

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One day, he entered his place of worship, where he used to pray,

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and found Mary, peace be upon her, secluded in her sanctuary,

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devoutly obedient before her Lord.

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He saw with her something he had never seen before:

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he found summer fruits in her possession

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during the winter season.

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So he asked her, "O Mary, from where do you have this food?"

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“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

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“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

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Thereupon, through his unwavering faith, Zechariah, peace be upon him, recognized the omnipotence of Allah,

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and that nothing He wills can ever incapacitate Him.

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So he turned to Allah with a present mind,

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a humble heart, and a truthful tongue,

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and said:

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"My Lord, grant me from Yourself an heir

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who will inherit prophethood from me

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and be a reformer after me."

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Zechariah, peace be upon him, called upon his Lord

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despite all obstacles and the apparent impossibility of the circumstances:

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for he was an elderly man, advanced in years,

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and his wife was old and barren.

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Yet the prophets' trust in Allah and their faith in His power

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know no bounds.

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In his supplication, Zechariah displayed the highest etiquette before his Creator:

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he pleaded with Him, Exalted is He, through the frailty of his body,

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his advanced age,

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and the habit of having his prayers answered by Him in the past.

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Allah answered the supplication of His prophet Zechariah, peace be upon him:

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the angels came to him while he was standing in prayer in his sanctuary,

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giving him good tidings of a boy named John (Yahya),

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a name no one had borne before him.

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Allah Himself undertook naming him with this name;

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it is not known that Allah directly named anyone other than John, peace be upon him.

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They also gave him good tidings that this boy

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would confirm the Word of Allah,

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be an honorable leader among his people,

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chaste, abstaining from unlawful desires,

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and a prophet from among the righteous prophets of Allah.

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Allah Almighty said:

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“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

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"He said, 'O Mary, from where does this come to you?'"

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“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

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"'Indeed, Allah provides for whomever He wills without measure.'"

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At that point, Zechariah called upon his Lord,

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saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring;

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indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."

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Then the angels called out to him,

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“And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.” (3:39)

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"Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John,"

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“And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.” (3:39)

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"and a prophet from among the righteous."

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When Zechariah, peace be upon him, heard the glad tidings,

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joy overwhelmed him,

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yet he asked his Lord again, seeking reassurance,

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saying, "My Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife is barren,

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and I have reached extreme old age?"

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Far be it from him to be unmindful of Allah's power

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or despair of His mercy and the answering of his prayer.

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So the angels replied to him:

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Is not Allah—Who created you before when you were nothing—

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fully capable of granting you a child?

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Indeed, that is easy for Allah.

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Thereupon, Zechariah, peace be upon him, asked his Lord for a sign

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by which he would know that his wife had conceived this boy of whom he had been given glad tidings.

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Allah answered his request,

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and made the sign of pregnancy that his tongue would be tied,

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so that he would not speak to the people for three consecutive days and nights except through gestures,

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without any illness or muteness.

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Allah Almighty cured the wife of Zechariah, peace be upon him,

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by enabling her to bear children after she had been barren.

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When she conceived John,

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Zechariah, peace be upon him, came out to his people from the sanctuary,

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and his tongue was tied, unable to speak,

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so he began to communicate with the people by gesturing with his hand,

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directing them to glorify Allah morning and evening.

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Whenever he engaged in the remembrance of Allah Almighty,

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whenever he engaged in the remembrance of Allah Almighty,

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his tongue would be loosed by the will of Allah,

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Who causes whomever He wills to speak by His omnipotence.

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Allah Almighty said:

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"[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah,"

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“When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret,” (19:3)

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"He said, 'My Lord, indeed my bones have grown feeble,'"

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"'and gray hair has spread on my head,'"

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“Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord.” (19:4)

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“Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)

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"'and my wife has been barren,'"

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"'and my wife has been barren,'"

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“Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)

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“Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable (unto Thee).” (19:6)

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"'and make him, my Lord, one with whom You are pleased.'"

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"'O Zechariah,'"

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"'indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name is John;'"

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"'indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name is John;'"

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“(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him).” (19:7)

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"He said, 'My Lord, how can I have a boy'"

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"'when my wife is barren?'"

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“He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?” (19:8)

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"He said, 'Thus [it will be];'"

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"'your Lord says: It is easy for Me,'"

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“He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.” (19:9)

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“He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.” (19:9)

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"'and you were nothing.'"

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"He said, 'My Lord, make for me a sign.'"

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“He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.” (19:10)

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“Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)

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“Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)

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John, peace be upon him, was born,

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grew up in the household of prophethood,

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and was raised by his father, the Prophet Zechariah, peace be upon him.

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Allah Almighty commanded him to hold firmly to the Scripture:

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to learn the Torah with diligence and earnestness,

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to comprehend its meanings correctly,

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and to practice the rulings and manners it contained,

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for the blessing and power of knowledge lie in its implementation.

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John, peace be upon him, complied with the command of Allah Almighty;

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he devoted himself to the Torah, learning it and acting upon its rulings

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while still a young boy of seven years.

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Thus, he was granted deep understanding and devotion to worship.

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It is mentioned that other boys once said to John, "Come play with us!"

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He replied, "Were we created for play? Come, let us pray!"

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Among the qualities that Allah Almighty bestowed upon His prophet John, peace be upon him,

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was the quality of compassion,

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as He placed mercy in his heart with which he showed tenderness to others.

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He also granted him purity of soul,

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which kept him far from committing what Allah had forbidden

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and made him foremost in doing good.

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He was obedient to Allah in all that He commanded him,

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abstaining from all that He forbade him,

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and He made him exceedingly dutiful and kind toward his parents.

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Furthermore, he was neither arrogant, haughty, nor conceited,

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nor was he disobedient or defiant toward the command of his Lord.

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Then Allah decreed peace and security for him in three situations:

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the day he was born, the day he died, and the day he will be raised alive.

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Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said:

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"A creature experiences the greatest loneliness in three situations:

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the day he is born and finds himself coming out of where he had been;

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the day he dies and sees beings he had never seen before;

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and the day he is resurrected and finds himself in a momentous gathering."

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So Allah honored John in these situations,

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bestowing peace specifically upon him in these three states.

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Allah Almighty said:

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"'O John, hold the Scripture with resolve,' and We gave him judgment while still a boy,"

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"and We gave him judgment while still a boy,"

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“And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout,” (19:13)

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"and he was pious,"

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“And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious.” (19:14)

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“Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive!” (19:15)

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It is narrated that John and Jesus, peace be upon them,

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met one day,

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and Jesus said to John,

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"Ask forgiveness for me, O John;

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you are better than me."

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John replied,

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"Rather, you ask forgiveness for me, O Jesus;

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for you are better than me."

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Jesus said,

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"Rather, you are better than me:

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I invoked peace upon myself,

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whereas Allah invoked peace upon you."

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As for the affair of Zechariah, peace be upon him,

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when he persistently admonished his people

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and forbade them from the unlawful desires they craved,

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they grew exasperated with him

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and resolved to kill him.

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When he sensed that,

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he fled from them toward the woods.

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He passed by a tree,

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and it called out to him by Allah's command, saying:

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"Come to me, O prophet of Allah!"

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So it split open for him,

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he entered inside it,

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So the tree closed over him,

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but Satan caught the edge of his garment.

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The Children of Israel saw his garment,

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so they placed a saw against the tree

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and sawed through it until they cut him in two,

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while he was inside it.

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Then, leadership passed after him

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to his son Yahya (peace be upon him),

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who began calling his people to Allah and admonishing them.

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He used to judge among the people,

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clarify for them the deeper truths of the religion,

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show them the path of righteousness,

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and warn them against the path of error.

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He would call people to repent from sins

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and supplicate Allah on their behalf.

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There was not a single person who hated Yahya

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or wished harm upon him;

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he was beloved for his tenderness, purity,

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piety, knowledge, and virtue.

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Whenever Yahya (peace be upon him)

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stood before the people to call them to Allah,

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he moved them so deeply that he brought them to tears through the sincerity of his words.

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One day, Yahya (peace be upon him) gathered

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the Children of Israel in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem),

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until the mosque became full

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and they were seated on the balconies.

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He said, "Indeed, Allah has commanded me with five teachings,

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that I should act upon them:

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The first is that you worship Allah and associate nothing with Him.

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For the parable of the one who associates partners with Allah

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is like a man who bought a slave using his own wealth of gold or silver,

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and said to him, 'This is my house and this is my work,

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so work and remit the earnings to me.'

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But he worked and remitted the earnings to someone other than his master.

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Which of you would be pleased to have his slave

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behave like that?

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And Allah commands you to perform prayer;

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so when you pray, do not look around,

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for Allah directs His Face toward the face of His servant during prayer as long as he does not look around.

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And He commands you to fast;

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for the parable of that is like a man among a group who carries a pouch containing musk,

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all of whom are delighted by its fragrance,

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and the breath of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the scent of musk.

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And He commands you to give charity;

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for the parable of that is like a man captured by the enemy,

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who bound his hand to his neck

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and brought him forward to strike his neck,

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so he said,

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'I will ransom myself from you with little or much,'

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and so he ransomed himself from them.

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And He commands you to remember Allah;

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for the parable of that is like a man pursued swiftly by the enemy in his tracks,

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until he reached an impenetrable fortress and protected himself from them;

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likewise, a servant cannot protect himself from Satan except through the remembrance of Allah."

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The king during the time of Yahya (peace be upon him) wished to marry his own niece,

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as her beauty captivated him,

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and she too coveted him and his royalty,

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encouraged by her mother in this pursuit.

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Yet they knew that this was forbidden in their religion,

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so the king wanted to obtain permission from Yahya (peace be upon him).

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They went to seek his legal ruling, trying to entice him with wealth so he would make an exception for the king,

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but Yahya (peace be upon him) forbade him from doing so

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and warned the king against marrying his unmarriageable kin (mahram).

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The king became enraged with him.

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His niece was a wicked, immoral woman,

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and she still coveted him and his royalty.

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One night, she came to the king

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and began singing and dancing before him.

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When he attained what he desired from her,

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she demanded the blood of Yahya.

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He granted her request

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and dispatched his soldiers to him.

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They found Yahya (peace be upon him) standing in prayer in his sanctuary,

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and they murdered him,

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bringing his head to her on a platter.

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On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father),

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the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"There is not one among the children of Adam who has not sinned

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or intended to commit a sin,

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except Yahya, the son of Zakariyya."

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And 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated

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that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

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"Every son of Adam will come on the Day of Resurrection with some sin,

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except Yahya, the son of Zakariyya."

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Noble brothers,

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the name of the Prophet of Allah Zakariyya (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Qur'an seven times,

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and the name of Yahya (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Qur'an five times.

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Among the most important lessons and morals derived from their stories:

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First, the story of Zakariyya (peace be upon him) establishes a universal principle:

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namely, that Allah Almighty does whatever He wills,

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unbound by secondary causes, effects, or normal habits,

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for He is the absolute Doer of whatever He intends,

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and His power, Glorified is He, is incapacitated by nothing.

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Second:

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The One who provided Maryam with out-of-season fruit

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is the One who provided Zakariyya (peace be upon him) with an unexpected child in old age.

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This illustrates the power of Allah, Glorified is He,

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Who says to a thing, "Be," and it is;

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so let the servant place full trust in Allah and never despair of His mercy.

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Third:

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The encouragement to constantly remember, glorify, and praise Allah,

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for through the remembrance of Allah, hearts find peace, souls find tranquility, and misdeeds and sins are washed away;

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and this was the counsel of Allah Almighty to Zakariyya (peace be upon him).

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Fourth:

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Discerning people turn to their Creator, Mighty and Majestic,

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asking Him to grant them righteous offspring and upright children

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who dedicate their worship sincerely to Allah,

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sacrifice their wealth and lives to elevate the word of truth,

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and promote virtues while eliminating vices.

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Fifth:

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Whenever supplication springs from a sound heart and a truthful tongue,

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it is most hopeful of acceptance and worthy of an answer.

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Sixth:

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Supplicating quietly is among the observed etiquettes of prayer,

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for Allah praised Zakariyya (peace be upon him) with His words:

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"When he called out to his Lord in secret."

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The early Muslims used to strive earnestly in supplication

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without any voice being heard from them;

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their prayers were nothing but a whisper between them and their Lord.

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Seventh:

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Among the means of having supplications answered

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is what Allah Almighty mentioned in the story of Zakariyya (peace be upon him):

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"And Zakariyya, when he cried out to his Lord, 'My Lord,

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do not leave me alone and childless,

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“And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors.” (21:89)

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though You are the best of inheritors.'

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So We answered him, granted him Yahya,

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and cured his wife for him.

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“Then We heard his prayer, and bestowed upon him John, and adjusted his wife (to bear a child) for him. Lo! they used to vie one with the other in good deeds, and they cried unto Us in longing and in fear, and were submissive unto Us.” (21:90)

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They used to call upon Us with hope and fear,

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and they were humbly submissive to Us."

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Eighth:

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Al-Qurtubi said:

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The supplication of Zakariyya (peace be upon him),

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"My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring,"

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indicates the lawfulness of seeking offspring,

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which is the Sunnah of the messengers and the truthful.

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Al-Bukhari titled a chapter on this:

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"Chapter on Seeking Children."

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And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abu Talhah,

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when his infant son passed away:

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"Did you spend the night together as husband and wife?"

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He replied, "Yes."

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He said, "May Allah bless you both in your past night."

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And so his wife became pregnant.

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There are numerous narrations carrying this meaning,

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urging and recommending the pursuit of children

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due to the benefit one hopes to receive from them in this life and after death.

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Ninth: The believer must take matters with seriousness and responsibility,

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which is an essential trait of Allah's faithful servants;

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this is derived from the words of Allah Almighty:

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"O Yahya, hold firmly to the Scripture."

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Tenth: Showing mercy to people,

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purifying the soul by directing it toward virtues and good deeds,

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curbing its impulses away from lusts and destructive sins,

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being mindful of Allah, showing filial piety toward parents,

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and shunning acts of disobedience

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are noble qualities that a believing servant should adorn himself with,

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be utmost keen to uphold,

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strive diligently to attain,

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and make an active practice in daily life.

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To be continued, if Allah wills.

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And Allah knows best; all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

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May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon all his family and Companions.

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You were listening to Stories of the Prophets.

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May Allah bless him, his family, and Companions.