How Can I Have a Son?

Zakariyyā (peace be upon him), when he received this astonishing news, asked a question. He said: rabbi annā yakūnu lī ghulāmun wa qad balaghaniya al-kibaru wa imraʾatī ʿāqir — O my Lord, how can I have a son, when I am very old and my wife is barren? His wife is barren, so she never had children; and he is very old at the time; so he is wondering: how could this happen?

The answer was given to him. Allah (swt) says: qāla kadhālika Allāhu yafʿalu mā yashāʾ — thus Allah does what He wills. And if we think about it deeply, we would find that the creation of Yaḥyā (peace be upon him) is not more astonishing than our creation; the only thing is that we got used to a certain way of reproduction. But Allah (swt) is the One who made the law this way, and Allah (swt) can change it. So this is the answer that Zakariyyā received.

Zakariyyā wanted a sign from Allah (swt) that would indicate to him that his wife is pregnant. He said he wants an ayah — ayah means sign. Qāla rabbi ijʿal lī āyah — O Allah, give me a sign. Allah (swt) says: qāla āyatuka allā tukallima al-nāsa thalāthata ayyāmin illā ramzā — He said: your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals.

The meaning of the sign is that Zakariyyā (peace be upon him) would not be able to speak except dhikr; and this phase would continue for three days. So he speaks fine — and then suddenly, for three days, he lost the ability to speak, and he was only able to make dhikr of Allah (swt). So how can he communicate with people? He communicates with them by signs; he would make signs — illā ramzā, except through signs.

And Allah (swt) told him, during these three days: wa-dhkur rabbaka kathīran wa sabbiḥ bil-ʿashiyyi wa al-ibkār — and remember your Lord much, and glorify Him in the afternoon and in the morning. And these are the times of adhkār: when do we make the dhikr of the morning? We make it after Fajr. And when do we make the dhikr of the evening? We do it after ʿAṣr. And this is in this ayah: remember your Lord in the morning and the afternoon.