Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
[Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when my wife has always been barren and I have become utterly infirm through old age?"
M. M. Pickthall
He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?"
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
He wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have become extremely old?”
Safi Kaskas
[Zechariah] said, "My Lord, how will I have a son when my wife has been barren, and I have reached advanced old age?"
Wahiduddin Khan
My Lord! [said Zachariah], How shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached such extreme old age
Shakir
He said: O my Lord! when shall I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I myself have reached indeed the extreme degree of old age
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
He said: My Lord! How will I have a boy while my woman had been a barren woman and, surely, I reached an advanced old age?
T.B.Irving
He said: "My Lord, how will I have a boy while my wife is barren and I have reached such extreme old age?"
Abdul Hye
He asked: “My Lord! How shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached the extreme old age?”
The Study Quran
He said, “My Lord! How shall I have a boy, when my wife is barren, and I have grown decrepit with old age?
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
He asked, “My Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have reached an advanced age?”
Talal Itani (2012)
He said, 'My Lord, how can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have become decrepit with old age?'
Dr. Kamal Omar
He said: “My Nourisher-Sustainer! How can there be to me a son while my wife has become barren (due to age), and indeed I have reached in old age to the extreme?”
He asked: "O Lord! How shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have become impotent from old age?"
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
He said, "Lord! However can I have a youth and my wife is barren, and I have already reached the decrepitude of old age?"
Muhammad Sarwar
He said, "Lord, how can I have a son? My wife is barren and I have reached an extremely old age"
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
He Said, .My Lord, how shall there be a boy for me while my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme of old age?
Shabbir Ahmed
Zachariah exclaimed, "My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I am already infirm with old age?"
Dr. Munir Munshey
Said, "Lord! How could I have a son now? My wife is barren and I have attained a ripe old age."
Syed Vickar Ahamed
He (Zakariyya) said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have become quite weak from old age?"
He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?"
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
He said: "My Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is infertile, and I have reached a very old age"
Abdel Haleem
He said, ‘Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I am old and frail?’
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
He said: O my Lord! in what wise shall there be for me a boy, whereas my wife hath been barren, and surely have reached an age of extreme degree
Ahmed Ali
"How can I have a son, O Lord" he said, "when my wife is barren and I am old and decrepit?"
Aisha Bewley
He said, ´My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached advanced old age?´
Ali Ünal
He said: "My Lord! How shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have already reached infirmity in old age?"
Ali Quli Qara'i
He said, ‘My Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I am already advanced in age?’
Hamid S. Aziz
Said he, "My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have become decrepit through old age?"
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
He said: “My Lord, how can I have a son while my wife is infertile, and I have reached extreme old age?”
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
He said, “O my Lord, how will I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?
Musharraf Hussain
He said, “Lord, will I have a son when my wife is barren and I’m old?
Maududi
He said: "My Lord! How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached an extremely old age?"
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
He said: "My Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is infertile, and I have reached a very old age?
Mohammad Shafi
Zacharia said, "O my Lord! How can I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I have myself grown too old!?"
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Submitted he, 'O my Lord, from where I shall have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached the condition of being emaciated due to old-age'
He said, "My Lord, will I have a son despite my wife's sterility, and despite my old age?"
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
'How shall I have a son, Lord, ' he asked, 'when my wife is barren, and I am advanced in years?
Maulana Muhammad Ali
He said: My Lord, how shall I have a son, and my wife is barren, and I have reached extreme old age
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
He said: "My Lord that how (could there) be for me a boy and my woman (wife) was infertile and I had reached from the old age exceeding the limit?"
Bijan Moeinian
(Zechariah replied): “My Lord, how is it possible that an old man like me and a barren woman like my wife have a son?”
Faridul Haque
He submitted, "My Lord - how can I have a son whereas my wife is barren and I have reached infirmity due to old age?"
Sher Ali
He said, `My Lord, how shall I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme limit of old age
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
(Zakariyya [Zacharias]) submitted: ‘My Lord, how can there be a son to me whilst my wife is barren, and I have shrivelled (into extreme debility) on account of old age?
Amatul Rahman Omar
He (- Zachariah) said, `My Lord! how shall I beget a son when my wife is barren and I have (already) reached the extreme (limit of) old age?
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
He said: "My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age."
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
He said, “O My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife has indeed been barren and I have indeed reached a decrepit old age?”
Munir Mezyed
He said: ‘My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached an extreme old age?’
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
He said: oh my Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached the end of my life.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
He said, “My Lord, how shall I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have grown quite feeble in my old age?”
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
He said, “My Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife has always been barren and I have become decrepit with old age?”
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
He said: "My Lord, how will I have a boy while my wife is barren and I have reached such extreme old age?"
Samy Mahdy
He said, “My Lord, how will be for me a lad, while my woman was barren, and I already reached from an old age, an extremity?”
Sayyid Qutb
[Zachariah] said: 'My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I am well advanced in years?'
Ahmed Hulusi
(Zechariah) said, “My Rabb, how can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached the extreme in old age?”
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
He said: 'My Lord! How shall there be for me a son while my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?'
He -Zakariya- exclaimed: "How shall I have a son when my wife has been, barren and I have been carried through the stealing steps of age to advanced life"
Mir Aneesuddin
He said, "My Fosterer! how shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached the extreme degree of old age?"
The Wise Quran
He said, 'My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and indeed, I have reached advanced old age?'