Surah Maryam - Tafsir Ibn Kathir - The Story of Zakariyya and His Supplication for a Son

Sep 22, 2026

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Tafsir Ibn Kathir commentary on Surah Maryam explains the narrative of Zakariyya’s supplication for a son. It discusses the separate letters and the meaning of the reminders of Allah’s mercy toward Zakariyya, highlighting how the Prophet Yahya recited the relevant wording. The text interprets Zakariyya’s secret calling, his weakness and aging, and his request for an heir, addressing fears about successors and confirming that prophets do not leave inheritance of wealth, only prophetic inheritance as guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

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Pages69

Reading Time2 h 54 min

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Surah Maryam in Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Separate letters and the reminder of mercy for Zakariyya

Zakariyya’s secret supplication and his aging

Request for an heir: fear of wicked successors

Prophets’ inheritance: wealth versus prophetic legacy

Tafsir Ibn Kathir ﺗﻔﺴﲑ ا ﺑﻦ ﮐﺜﲑ Alama Imad ud Din Ibn Kathir Tafsir ibn Kathir, is a classic Sunni Islam Tafsir (commentary of the Qur'an) by Imad ud Din Ibn Kathir. It is considered to be a summary of the earlier Tafsir al-Tabari. It is popular because it uses Hadith to explain each verse and chapter of the Qur'an… Surah Maryam Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded a Hadith of Ume Salamah in his Sirah, and Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded from Ibn Mas`ud, the story of the Hijrah (migration) to Ethiopia from Makkah. The narration mentions that Jafar bin Abi Talib recited the first part of this Surah to An-Najashi and his companions. | | ِﺑﺴْ ﻢِ ا􀀘َِّا ﻟﺮَّ ﲪْ َٰـﻦِ ا ﻟﺮَّ ﺣِﻴﻢِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. | | --- | --- | | 1. | ﻛﻬﻴﻌﺺ
Kaf Ha Ya `Ain Sad. | | 2. | ذِﻛْﺮُ رَ ﲪْ َﺖِ رَ ِّﺑﻚَ ﻋَﺒْﺪَ!ُ زَﻛَﺮِ َﻳّﺂ
A reminder of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyya. | | 3. | إِذْ ﻧَﺎدَ ى رََّﺑﻪُِﻧﺪَ آءً ﺧَ ﻔِﻴّﺎً
When he called his Lord (with) a call in secret. | | 4. | ﻗَﺎلَ رَ بِّ إِﱏِّ وَﻫَﻦَ اﻟْﻌَﻈْ ﻢُﻣِﲎِّ وَاﺷْ ﺘَﻌَﻞَ ا ﻟﺮَّ أْسُ ﺷَ:ْﺒﺎًوَﻟَﻢْأَﻛُ ﻦْ ِﺑﺪُ7َﺂِﺋﻚَ رَ بِّ ﺷَﻘِﻴّﺎً
He said: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and gray hair has Ashta`al on my head, and I have never been unblessed in my invocation to You, O my Lord!'' | | 5. | وَإِﱐِّ ﺧِﻔْ ﺖُ ا ﳌَْﻮَا ِﱃَﻣِﻦ وَرَآِﺋﻰ وَIَﺎﻧَﺖِ ا ﻣْ ﺮَأَِH7َﺎ ﻗِﺮًا ﻓَﻬَﺐِْﱃﻣِﻦ ﻟَّﺪُ ﻧْﻚَ وَِﻟﻴّﺎً
"And verily, I fear Mawali after me, and my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir.'' | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | 6. |
ﻳَﺮِ ُﺛﲎِ وَﻳَﺮِثُﻣِﻦْ ءَالِﻳَﻌْﻘُﻮبَ وَاﺟْ ﻌَﻠْﻪُ رَ بِّ رَ ﺿِﻴّﺎً
"Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya`qub. And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased!'' | | The Story of Zakariyya and His Supplication for a Son
Allah says:
ﻛﻬﻴﻌﺺ﴾١﴿
Kaf Ha Ya `Ain Sad.
The discussion about the separate letters has already preceded at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah. Concerning Allah's statement,
ذِﻛْﺮُ رَ ﲪْ َﺔِرَ ِّﺑﻚَ ﻋَﺒْﺪَ!ُ زَﻛَﺮِﻳَّﺎ﴾٢﴿
A reminder of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyya.
This means that this is a reminder of Allah's mercy upon His servant Zakariyya.
Yahya bin Ya`mar recited it, ز ﻛﺮﻳﺎ!ذَﻛَّﺮَ رَ ﲪْ َﺔِرَﺑﻚَ ﻋَﺒْﺪَ "He has reminded of your Lord's mercy to His servant Zakariyya.''
The word Zakariyya in the Ayah has been recited with elongation and also shortened. Both recitations are well-known. He was a great Prophet from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. In Sahih AlBukhari, it is recorded (that the Prophet said about Zakariyya) that He was a carpenter who used to eat from what he earned with his own hand through carpentry.
Concerning Allah's statement,
إِذْ ﻧَﺎدَ ى رََّﺑﻪُِﻧﺪَ اء ﺧَ ﻔِﻴًّﺎ﴾٣﴿
When he called his Lord (with) a call in secret.
He only made his supplication secretly because it is more beloved to Allah.
This is similar to what Qatadah said concerning this Ayah, إِذْ ﻧَﺎدَى رََّﺑﻪُِﻧﺪَ اء ﺧَﻔِﻴًّﺎ (When he called out his Lord (with) a call in secret),
"Verily, Allah knows the pious heart and he hears the hidden voice.''
ﻗَﺎلَ رَ بِّ إِﱐِّ وَﻫَﻦَ اﻟْﻌَﻈْ ﻢُﻣِﲏِّUUU
He said: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble...''
meaning, "I have become weak and feeble in strength.''
... وَ ا􀀍ْ َ􀀗􀀖َ لَ ا􀀓ر􀀑 أْسُ 􀀍َ ْ􀀋ً􀀉􀀇 ...
and gray hair has Ashta`al on my head,
means the gray hair has burned into the black hair. The intent is to inform of weakness and old age, and its external and internal traces.
2 | | | Concerning Allah's statement, UUU وَﻟَﻢْأَﻛُ ﻦ ِﺑﺪُ7َﺎِﺋﻚَ رَ بِّ ﺷَﻘِﻴًّﺎ ﴾٤﴿ and I have never been unblessed in my invocation to You, O my Lord! This means, "I have not experienced from You except that You would respond to my supplication and that You would never refuse me in whatever I ask of You.''Concerning His statement, وَإِﱐِّ ﺧِﻔْ ﺖُ ا ْﳌَﻮَاﱄِ َﻣِﻦوَرَاِﺋﻲUUU And verily, I fear Mawali after me, Mujahid, Qatadah and As

FAQs

How do the Hadiths clarify the concept of inheritance for prophets?

The passage cites that prophets do not leave inheritance of wealth; whatever they leave behind is charity, restricting the meaning of Zakariyya’s request to prophetic legacy rather than personal riches.

Sep 22, 2026

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