He Did Not Stop Calling Them

Now, the following ayat are similar to the ayat of Āl ʿImrān in terms of his inability to speak. But what is different here is that, even though he was unable to speak, he never stopped calling the people — making al-amr bil-maʿrūf wa al-nahy ʿan al-munkar. Zakariyyā, even though he was unable to speak for those three days, did not discontinue enjoining good and forbidding evil.

Allah (swt) says: fa-kharaja ʿalā qawmihi min al-miḥrābi fa-awḥā ilayhim an sabbiḥū bukratan wa ʿashiyyā — then he came out to his people from his place of worship, and he told them by signs to glorify Allah in the morning and in the afternoon.

So even though he was unable to speak, he still was giving the people orders, using signs, that they should make dhikr to Allah (swt). And this is an indication to us — that we are in our full physical abilities, and we are withholding al-amr bil-maʿrūf and al-nahy ʿan al-munkar; we are withholding daʿwah, even though we are fully capable of doing it. Zakariyyā (peace be upon him) was not capable of speaking for three days; that did not deter him from fulfilling his duties of daʿwah to his people. And this shows you the amazing devotion that the anbiyāʾ of Allah (swt) had.