19:1  Kaf Ha Ya 'Ayn Sad.

19:2  Recount your Lord's mercy on His servant Zecharia

19:3  When he called to His Lord silently

19:4  he said, "My Lord, my bones have weakened, and my head shimmers with grey hair, but never, Lord, have I failed to be blessed in praying to you.

19:5  And I fear what my kinsfolk [will do] after I am gone. My wife has been barren, so give me an heir as a gift from You

19:6  one who will receive my inheritance and he will be an heir to the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing to You."

19:7  "O Zechariah, We bring you good news of a son whose name will be John, a name We have never given to anyone else before."

19:8  [Zechariah] said, "My Lord, how will I have a son when my wife has been barren and I have reached advanced old age?"

19:9  He said, "It will be so. Your Lord says: 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, when you were nothing.' "

19:10  [Zechariah] said, "My Lord, give me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three full nights."

19:11  So he came out from the sanctuary and signaled his people to glorify [God] in the morning and in the evening

19:12  "John, take hold of the Book with steadfastness." And We gave him wisdom [while he was still] a boy

19:13  as well as affection from Us and purity, and he was always mindful of Us

19:14  and full of kindness towards his parents, and he was not domineering or rebellious.

19:15  [God's] peace was upon him on the day he was born and the day of his death, and it will be upon him on the day he is raised alive.

19:16  Mention in the Book the story of Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place toward the east,

19:17  and secluded herself from them. We then sent to her Our Spirit, who appeared to her in the shape of a perfect human being.

19:18  She said, "I seek refuge from you in the Merciful, [leave me alone] if you are God fearing."

19:19  He said, "I am only the Messenger of your Lord, [who says,] 'I will give you a son endowed with purity.'"

19:20  She said, "How can I have a son when no man has touched me and I have not been a promiscuous woman?"

19:21  He said, "It will be so. Your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to people and a mercy from Us. The matter is already determined.

19:22  So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a remote place.

19:23  Then the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, "Oh, I wish I had been dead and forgotten before all this."

19:24  But a voice called to her from below, "Do not grieve; your Lord has provided a stream beneath you.

19:25  Shake the trunk of the palm tree toward you; it will drop ripe, fresh dates to you.

19:26  So eat and drink and be satisfied and say to anyone you may see, I have made a vow of silence to the Lord of Mercy and I will not talk to anyone today."

19:27  Then she went back to her people, carrying him. They said, "Mary, you have done an unthinkable thing.

19:28  Sister of Aaron, your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother a loose woman."

19:29  She pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to a child in the cradle?"

19:30  [Jesus] said, "I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.

19:31  And He has made me blessed wherever I am and directed me to pray and to give charitable gifts as long as I live

19:32  and to be full of kindness toward .mother, and He has not made me domineering or rebellious.

19:33  And [God's] peace was upon me the day I was born and the day I will die and it will be upon me the day I am raised alive."

19:34  Such is Jesus, the son of Mary - the Word of Truth about which they are in dispute.

19:35  It does not befit God to have a son; may He be exalted in His glory! When He decides on something, He simply says to it, "Be!" and it is.

19:36  [Jesus continued]: "God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."

19:37  Then, the sects differed among themselves [concerning the nature of Jesus], so woe to those who reject the truth when they witness that awesome Day.

19:38  How [clearly] they will hear and see on the Day they will come before Us. Today, however, they are in clear error.

19:39  Warn them of the Day of Regret, when everything will have been decided; and [yet], they are heedless, and they do not believe.

19:40  It is We who will inherit the earth and all those on it, and to Us they will be returned.

19:41  And mention in the Book [the story of] Abraham. He was a man of truth and a prophet.

19:42  He said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?

19:43  Father, I have received knowledge which has not come to you, so follow me; I will guide you to an even path.

19:44  O my father, do not worship Satan. Satan was disobedient to the Merciful.

19:45  Father, I fear that a punishment from the Merciful will afflict you so that you will be Satan's companion [in Hell]."

19:46  [His father] said, "Are you forsaking my gods, Abraham? If you do not stop this, I will surely stone you. Now get away from me and don't come back."

19:47  He said, "Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He is always gracious to me

19:48  and I will leave you and those you call upon other than God and will call upon my Lord. Perhaps in calling on my Lord, I will be blessed."

19:49  So when he had left them and those they worshipped other than God, We gave him Isaac and Jacob, and each [of them] We made a prophet.

19:50  And We endowed them with Our mercy, and we made them highly honored

19:51  And mention in the Book, Moses. He was sincere, and he was a messenger and a prophet.

19:52  We called out to him from the right hand side of the mount and We brought him near to Us in close communication

19:53  and out of Our mercy We gave him his brother Aaron as a prophet.

19:54  And mention in the Book, Ishmael. He was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet.

19:55  He used to order his people to pray and to give the purifying alms and he found favor with His Lord

19:56  And mention in the Book, Enoch (Idris) He was a man of truth and a prophet

19:57  and We raised him to a high position.

19:58  These are some of the prophets whom God has blessed- from among the descendants of Adam, and those We carried with Noah, and the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Merciful were recited to them, they fell down prostrating and weeping.

19:59  But they were succeeded by generations who neglected prayer and pursued their own desires so they will meet with utter disillusionment -

19:60  except for those who repent, believe and do righteous deeds; they will enter Paradise and will not be wronged in any way.

19:61  [They will be in] the Gardens of Eden which the Merciful has promised His worshipers in a realm which is beyond the reach of human perception. His promise will be fulfilled.

19:62  There they will hear no ill speech - only [greetings of] peace - and there they will have their provisions, morning and evening.

19:63  Such is Paradise, which We give as an inheritance to those of Our worshipers who were ever mindful of God.

19:64  And [the angels said], "We descend only at your Lord's command. To Him belongs what is before us and behind us and in between. And your Lord is never forgetful -

19:65  [He is] Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them - so worship Him and persevere in His worship. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?"

19:66  Yet the human being continues to ask, "When I am dead, will I then be brought out alive again?"

19:67  Does the human being not remember that We created him before, when he was nothing?

19:68  So by your Lord, We will surely round them up along with the devils, and then We will bring them around Hell on their knees.

19:69  Then from every sect, We will drag out those who were the most defiant towards the Merciful.

19:70  Surely, We know best who most deserves the fire of Hell.

19:71  And all of you will go through it. This is a decree from your Lord that must be fulfilled.

19:72  Then We will save those who were mindful of God and leave the unjust on their knees.

19:73  And when Our verses, which are perfectly clear, are recited to them, the unbelievers say to those who believe, "Which of [our] two parties is in the better position and enjoys superior influence?"

19:74  And yet how many generations have We destroyed before them who surpassed them in possessions and [outward] appearance?

19:75  Say, "As for him who is lost, let the Merciful-to-all lengthen the span of his days until they see what they were promised, punishment either [in this world] or at the Hour [of Judgment]. Then they will clearly see who is worse in possessions and who has the weaker forces."

19:76  To those rightly guided, God increases guidance, and the good deeds that will last are those that are deemed best and most rewarding in your Lord's sight.

19:77  Have you considered the man who denies the truth of Our signs and says, "I will surely be given wealth and children."

19:78  Has he received extrasensory knowledge, or has he received a pledge from the Merciful?

19:79  No! We will record what he says and extend the duration of his punishment.

19:80  And We will inherit from him the things he's talks about, and he will come to Us alone.

19:81  And they have taken gods other than God, hoping that they would be [a source of] strength for them.

19:82  No! Those deities will reject their worship and will even turn against them.

19:83  Do you not see that We have sent the devils to the unbelievers, inciting them to sin?

19:84  So do not try to expedite their punishment. We are simply counting down the number of their days.

19:85  On the Day [of Judgment,] We will gather all the righteous as [an honored] delegation to the Merciful

19:86  and will drive those who forced others to reject Our messages to Hell like a thirsty herd.

19:87  None will have [power to] intercede on their behalf except him who has received permission from the Merciful.

19:88  And they say, "The Merciful-to-all has taken [for Himself] a son."

19:89  You have done an atrocious thing.

19:90  It almost causes the heavens to rupture, the earth to split open and the mountains to collapse in devastation

19:91  that they attribute a son to the Merciful.

19:92  It does not befit the Merciful to take a son.

19:93  There is no one in the heavens and earth who will not come as a servant to the Merciful.

19:94  He has numbered them and counted them precisely

19:95  so that every one of them will appear alone before Him on the Day of Resurrection.

19:96  The Merciful-to-all will bestow His affection on those who have believed and done righteous deeds.

19:97  And We have made [this Qur'an] easy to recite [Prophet] so that you may give good news to the righteous and warning to stubborn people.

19:98  How many generations have We destroyed before them? Do you see any one of them or even hear from them even a whisper?