Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 73
73 the king of truth and peace and it befitted him to give his blessings to Abram (peace and the blessings of Allah be on him). . ZACHARIAS, HIS WIFE AND JOHN. The Bible says about Zacharias and his wife: "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke, Ch. 1:6). . Further, the angels said to Zacharias (peace be on him) in respect of John: "For he shall be great in the sight of the. Lord; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb" (Luke, Ch. 1:15). . Evidently, therefore, it meant that the Holy Spirit will not descend on John after his mother had delivered him but that it would descend on him and will take hold of him while he was yet in his mother's womb. There is no gainsaying the is delivered of his fact that sinfulness begins after one mother's womb but one who is taken hold of the Holy Ghost when he is yet in his mother's womb, can never fall a prey to sin. . In short, even John was free from sin and vice as the New. Testament says. In fact, the Messiah (peace be on him) went so far as to declare: "Verily I say unto you; Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew, Ch. 11:11-12). . He thus showed that John was far superior to him, for,. Messiah was also born of a woman as was John. . The above references show that both Zacharias (peace be on him) and his wife, were, according to the Bible, pure and flawless and observed the ordinances of God the Supreme.