The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 14
CH. 19 MARYAM PT. 16 إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَاءً خَفِيَّا 4. "When he called upon his Lord, crying in secret. 2149 قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَمَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ He said, “My Lord, the. 5 bones have indeed waxed feeble الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَ لَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَابِكَ رَبِّ in me, and the head glistens with hoariness but never, my "3:39; 21:90. 3:41. life accounts of these two Prophets who, in a way, acted as his precursors, the minds of men were being prepared for the acceptance of the Holy Prophet of Islam by an implied reference to the following Biblical prophecies: And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation (Gen. 17:20); I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth (Deut. 18:18). The pronoun "thy" may also possess an oblique but beautiful reference to Mecca, the birth-place of the Holy Prophet. Mecca like Zachariah's wife was barren. For thousands of years it had not heard the voice of God. Now God's mercy was about to dawn upon it. The barren valley of Mecca was about to give birth to the greatest of Adam's sons. To this barrenness of Mecca reference is found in Isaiah 54:1. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. 2149. Important Words: means, heنادى الرجل :(called upon) نادی called the man aloud. he disclosed his secret. he consulted him (Aqrab). Commentary: means, means, The words, when he called upon his Lord, crying in secret, signify that Zachariah had kept concealed in the inmost recesses of his heart a long cherished desire. When he heard Mary's innocent reply to his query (3:38), he was deeply touched and he laid bare his heart before his Lord and Creator and his long-suppressed desire assumed the form of prayer that a good and righteous son like Mary might be born unto him to continue prophethood in the Israelite line. Zachariah had understood from Biblical prophecies and heavenly warnings that were administered to the Jews for their repeated rejection of God's Prophets that prophethood was soon to be transferred from the House of Isaac to that of Ishmael. So he gave vent to his feelings in the form of prayer for the birth of a righteous son. 1928