Why Prophet Zakariya Prayed For Child When He Knew It Was Not Possible?
This is mentioned in Quran 3:37-38 that When Zakariya saw Allah’s blessings on Maryam and the level of wisdom endowed upon her, this motivated him to pray to Allah to give him a son like her so he prayed to Allah. And when Angels gave glad tiding to him about his son Yahya, he replied with doubt that how is it possible at this old age to have a son, to which he was being told that Allah has power over everything and just the way Allah created humans from nothing, he can do that whenever he wills. This clearly shows that he was not asking for an adopted son. Please see the following verses : فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍ وَأَنبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا الْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقاً قَالَ يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هَـذَا قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ إنَّ اللّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاء فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىَ يَكُونُ لِي غُلاَمٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكَ اللّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء [These were her feelings]; however, Her Lord graciously accepted this [girl] and He made her grow a goodly child and made Zakariyya her guardian. [So] whenever Zakariyya visited her in the mihrab, he would see the blessings of God. [At one such occasion, he asked:] “Mary where do you get this from?” She replied: “This is from God.” [Blessings of your Lord were for this girl]. Indeed, God gives without measure to whom He desires. It was then that Zakariyya prayed to his Lord, saying: “Lord, grant me of Your own grace pious offspring [like her]. Indeed You hear the prayers [of Your servants].” In reply, the angels called out to him whilst he was praying in the mihrab saying: “God gives you glad tidings of the birth of John, who shall confirm the directive of God, be a leader, an abstinent person and a prophet from among the righteous.” In amazement, he asked: “Lord how shall I have a son when I am old and my wife is also barren?” He replied: “In this manner, God does what He pleases .” (Quran 3:37-40) (Translation by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi) (English Rendering by Dr. Shehzad Saleem) __ كهيعص. ذِكْرُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا. إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّا. قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّیْ وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّیْ وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَّلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا. وَإِنِّیْ خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِیَ مِن وَّرَائِیْ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِیْ عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِیْ مِنْ لَّدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا. يَرِثُنِیْ وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوْبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا. يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا. قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِیْ غُلَامٌ وَّكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا. قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَیَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا This is Surah Ka Ha Ya Ayn Suad. This is a mention of the blessings and mercy of your Lord which He had bestowed on His servant Zakariyya when he secretly called on him. He pleaded: “Lord! My bones have grown old and my head has glowed white with old age, and Lord! I have never remained deprived after asking from You. I fear my brethren after me and my wife is barren. So, grant me an heir from Yourself who is not only my heir but also of Jacob’s family. And Lord! Make him a likeable person”. [God said:] “O Zakariyya! We give you glad tidings of a boy who will be called Yahya. We have not created anyone like him before.” He said: “Lord! How can a boy be born to us when my wife is barren and I too have reached the extreme of old age.” It was said: “Thus shall it happen. It is the declaration of your Lord: ‘This is very easy for me. Before this, I have created you when you were nothing .’” (Quran 19:1-9) (Translation by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi) (English Rendering by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)