(We said:) "O John, hold fast to the Book;" and We gave him wisdom right from boyhood,
“O Yahya – hold the Book firmly”; and We gave him Prophethood in his infancy. (Prophet Yahya was only 2 years old at that time.)
'O John, take the Book forcefully'; and We gave him judgment, yet a little child,
[And when the son was born and grew up, he was told,] "O John! Hold fast unto the divine writ with [all thy] strength!" - for We granted him wisdom "while he was yet a little boy,
O Yahya! se hold fast the book. And We vouchsafed unto him wisdom, while yet a child.
(It was said to his son): "O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
“O John, hold on to the Scripture firmly,” and We gave him wisdom in his youth.
"O John! Hold the Book with all your strength." We had bestowed wisdom upon him while he was still a child;
(It was said to his son): "O Yahya! Hold fast to the Scripture." And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
(And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold fast the Scripture. And we gave him wisdom when a child,
‘O John!’ [We said,] ‘Hold on with power to the Book!’ And We gave him judgement while still a child,
(We said): 'O John, hold fast to the Book', and We bestowed on him judgment while yet a child
[Allah] said, "O John, take the Scripture with determination." And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy
We commanded John, Zachariah's son, to follow the guidance of the Lord with due steadfastness. To John We gave knowledge and wisdom to John during his childhood.
O Yahya! take hold of the Book with strength, and We granted him wisdom while yet a child
Y<u>a</u> ya<u>h</u>y<u>a</u> khu<u>th</u>i alkit<u>a</u>ba biquwwatin wa<u>a</u>tayn<u>a</u>hu al<u>h</u>ukma <u>s</u>abiyy<u>a</u><b>n</b>
To John We said, "Hold fast the Book," and while he was still a child, We bestowed upon him wisdom,
(To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him Wisdom even as a youth,
يَٰيَحْيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ٱلْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا
Then John was born to him. Once he reached an age in which he could be addressed, I said to him: “O John, take the Torah firmly and with effort”. And I granted him understanding, knowledge, firmness, and resolve, whilst he was still a child.
Then John was born to him. Once he reached an age in which he could be addressed, I said to him: “O John, take the Torah firmly and with effort”. And I granted him understanding, knowledge, firmness, and resolve, whilst he was still a child.
<h2 class="title">The Birth of the Boy and His Characteristics</h2><p>This also implies what is not mentioned, that this promised boy was born and he was Yahya. There is also the implication that Allah taught him the Book, the Tawrah which they used to study among themselves. The Prophets who were sent to the Jews used to rule according to the Tawrah, as did the scholars and rabbis among them. He was still young in age when Allah gave him this knowledge. This is the reason that Allah mentioned it. Because of how Allah favored him and his parents, He says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">ييَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَـبَ بِقُوَّةٍ</div><p>(O Yahya! Hold fast to the Scripture the Tawrah.) Means, "Learn the Book with strength." In other words, learn it well, with zeal and studious effort.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيّاً</div><p>(And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) This means he was given understanding, knowledge, fortitude, diligence and zeal for good and the pursuit of good. He was blessed with these characteristics even though he was young. Allah said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا</div><p>(And (made him) Hananan from Us,) 19:13 Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا</div><p>(And Hananan from Us, ) "This means mercy from Us." `Ikrimah, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak all said the same. Ad-Dahhak added, "Mercy that no one would be able to give except Us." Qatadah added, "With it, Allah had mercy upon Zakariyya." Mujahid said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا</div><p>(And Hananan from Us,) "This was gentleness from His Lord upon him." The apparent meaning is that Allah's statement Hananan (affection, compassion) is directly related to His statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيّاً</div><p>(and We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) meaning, "We gave him wisdom, compassion and purity." This means that he was a compassionate man, who was righteous. Hanan means the love for affection and tenderness (towards others). Concerning Allah's statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَزَكَوةً</div><p>(and Zakatan,) This is related to His statement,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَحَنَانًا</div><p>(And Hananan) The word Zakah means purity from filth, wickedness and sins. Qatadah said, "The word Zakah means the righteous deed." Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj both said, "The righteous deed is the pure (Zakah) deed." Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَزَكَوةً</div><p>(and Zakatan,) "This means that he was a blessing."</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا</div><p>(and he was pious.)19:13 meaning that he was pure and had no inclination to do sins. Allah said;</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَبَرًّا بِوَلِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّاراً عَصِيّاً </div><p>(And dutiful to his parents, and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) After Allah mentioned Yahya's obedience to his Lord and that Allah created him full of mercy, purity and piety, He attached to it his obedience to his parents and his good treatment of them. Allah mentioned that he refrained from disobeying them in speech, actions, commands and prohibitions. Due to this Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّاراً عَصِيّاً</div><p>(and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) Then, after mentioning these beautiful characteristics, Allah mentions his reward for this,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَياً </div><p>(And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This means that he had security and safety in these three circumstances. Sufyan bin `Uyaynah said, "The loneliest that a man will ever feel is in three situations. The first situation is on the day that he is born, when he sees himself coming out of what he was in. The second situation is on the day that he dies, when he sees people that he will not see anymore. The third situation is on the day when he is resurrected, when he sees himself in the great gathering. Allah has exclusively honored Yahya, the son of Zakariyya, by granting him peace in these situations. Allah says,</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَياً </div><p>(And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This narration was reported by Ibn Jarir, from Ahmad bin Mansur Al-Marwazi, from Sadaqah bin Al-Fadl, from Sufyan bin `Uyaynah.</p>
The Birth of the Boy and His CharacteristicsThis also implies what is not mentioned, that this promised boy was born and he was Yahya. There is also the implication that Allah taught him the Book, the Tawrah which they used to study among themselves. The Prophets who were sent to the Jews used to rule according to the Tawrah, as did the scholars and rabbis among them. He was still young in age when Allah gave him this knowledge. This is the reason that Allah mentioned it. Because of how Allah favored him and his parents, He says,ييَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَـبَ بِقُوَّةٍ(O Yahya! Hold fast to the Scripture the Tawrah.) Means, "Learn the Book with strength." In other words, learn it well, with zeal and studious effort.وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيّاً(And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) This means he was given understanding, knowledge, fortitude, diligence and zeal for good and the pursuit of good. He was blessed with these characteristics even though he was young. Allah said,وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا(And (made him) Hananan from Us,) 19:13 Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا(And Hananan from Us, ) "This means mercy from Us." `Ikrimah, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak all said the same. Ad-Dahhak added, "Mercy that no one would be able to give except Us." Qatadah added, "With it, Allah had mercy upon Zakariyya." Mujahid said,وَحَنَانًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا(And Hananan from Us,) "This was gentleness from His Lord upon him." The apparent meaning is that Allah's statement Hananan (affection, compassion) is directly related to His statement,وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيّاً(and We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) meaning, "We gave him wisdom, compassion and purity." This means that he was a compassionate man, who was righteous. Hanan means the love for affection and tenderness (towards others). Concerning Allah's statement,وَزَكَوةً(and Zakatan,) This is related to His statement,وَحَنَانًا(And Hananan) The word Zakah means purity from filth, wickedness and sins. Qatadah said, "The word Zakah means the righteous deed." Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj both said, "The righteous deed is the pure (Zakah) deed." Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said,وَزَكَوةً(and Zakatan,) "This means that he was a blessing."وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا(and he was pious.)19:13 meaning that he was pure and had no inclination to do sins. Allah said;وَبَرًّا بِوَلِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّاراً عَصِيّاً (And dutiful to his parents, and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) After Allah mentioned Yahya's obedience to his Lord and that Allah created him full of mercy, purity and piety, He attached to it his obedience to his parents and his good treatment of them. Allah mentioned that he refrained from disobeying them in speech, actions, commands and prohibitions. Due to this Allah says,وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّاراً عَصِيّاً(and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) Then, after mentioning these beautiful characteristics, Allah mentions his reward for this,وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَياً (And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This means that he had security and safety in these three circumstances. Sufyan bin `Uyaynah said, "The loneliest that a man will ever feel is in three situations. The first situation is on the day that he is born, when he sees himself coming out of what he was in. The second situation is on the day that he dies, when he sees people that he will not see anymore. The third situation is on the day when he is resurrected, when he sees himself in the great gathering. Allah has exclusively honored Yahya, the son of Zakariyya, by granting him peace in these situations. Allah says,وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَياً (And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This narration was reported by Ibn Jarir, from Ahmad bin Mansur Al-Marwazi, from Sadaqah bin Al-Fadl, from Sufyan bin `Uyaynah.