Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

Said he: “My Lord: make Thou for me a proof.” He said: “Thy proof is that thou shalt not speak to men three days save by gestures. And remember thou thy Lord much, and give thou glory in the evening and the morning.”

قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ ل۪ٓي اٰيَةًۜ قَالَ اٰيَتُكَ اَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلٰثَةَ اَيَّامٍ اِلَّا رَمْزاًۜ وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ كَث۪يراً وَسَبِّـحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْاِبْكَارِ۟
Qala rabbi ijAAal lee ayatan qalaayatuka alla tukallima annasa thalathataayyamin illa ramzan wathkur rabbakakatheeran wasabbih bilAAashiyyi wal-ibkar
#wordmeaningroot
1qālaHe saidقول
2rabbiMy Lordربب
3ij'ʿalmakeجعل
4for me
5āyatana signايي
6qālaHe saidقول
7āyatukayour signايي
8allā(is) that not
9tukallimayou will speakكلم
10l-nāsa(to) the peopleنوس
11thalāthata(for) threeثلث
12ayyāmindaysيوم
13illāexcept
14ramzan(with) gesturesرمز
15wa-udh'kurAnd rememberذكر
16rabbakayour Lordربب
17kathīranmuchكثر
18wasabbiḥand glorify (Him)سبح
19bil-ʿashiyiin the eveningعشو
20wal-ib'kāriand (in) the morningبكر
  • Aisha Bewley

    He said, ‘My Lord, how can I possibly have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?’ He said, ‘It will be so. Allah does whatever He wills.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    He said: "My Lord, make for me a sign" He said: "Your sign is not to speak to the people for three days except by symbol, and remember your Lord greatly, and glorify evening and morning. "

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Thankful, Zechariah asked, "My Lord! Give a message unto me. " He said, "The Message unto you is that you shall not speak to people three days, except by signs. Remember your Lord much and keep striving in His Cause night and day." (Abstaining from speech would save the elderly couple from people's curiosity).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    Said he: “My Lord: make Thou for me a proof.” He said: “Thy proof is that thou shalt not speak to men three days save by gestures. And remember thou thy Lord much, and give thou glory in the evening and the morning.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    He said: "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said: "Your sign is not to speak to the people for three days except by symbol, and remember your Lord greatly, and glorify at dusk and dawn."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign" He said, "Your sign is not to speak to the people for three days except by symbol, and remember your Lord greatly, and glorify at dusk and dawn."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    He said, "My Lord, give me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three days, except through signals. Commemorate your Lord frequently; and meditate night and day."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    And Zachariah said: "Give me a token, O Lord. " "The token will be," was the reply, "that you will speak to no man for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much, and pray at evening and sunrise."

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign. " He Said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt in the evening and the morning."

  • Muhammad Asad

    prayed: "O my Sustainer! Appoint a sign for me!" Said : "Thy sign shall be that for three days thou wilt not speak unto men other than by gestures. And remember thy Sustainer unceasingly, and extol His limitless glory by night and by day."

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    He said: My Lord! Appoint a token for me. (The angel) said: The token unto thee (shall be) that thou shalt not speak unto mankind three days except by signs. Remember thy Lord much, and praise (Him) in the early hours of night and morning.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Zechariah said: 'O my Lord! Appoint a sign for me.' The angel said: 'The sign for you shall be that you shall not speak to men for three days except by gesture. Remember your Lord and extol His glory by night and by day.'

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    Zakariya added: "May I be given, O Allah, my Creator, a sign that would satisfy my reason. " He was told "What serves to indicate the fact shall be your inability to talk to people for three days. You shall be able to communicate with them only by making signs. Meanwhile praise Allah frequently and glorify Him and extol His glorious attributes in the evening and in the early morning".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Zachariah said: "Lord please assure me with a sign. " He was replied: “Your sign is that you will not be able to talk to the people, except in sign language, for three days. Go and praise your Lord’s name as much as you can and glorify Him in the evening and early in the morning.”

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    He said: "O my Lord! Make a sign for me." Allâh said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!" "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signals. Then celebrate the praises of thy Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Zachariah said, "My Lord! Grant me a sign." He said, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three days except through gestures. Remember your Lord often and glorify ˹Him˺ morning and evening.”

  • Taqi Usmani

    He said: "O my Lord, set for me a sign." Said He: “Your sign is that you shall not be able to speak to people for three days except through gestures. Remember your Lord much; and proclaim His purity in the evening and the morning.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    He said, ‘My Lord, give me a sign.’ ‘Your sign,’ said, ‘is that you will not communicate with anyone for three days, except by gestures. Remember your Lord often; celebrate His glory in the evening and at dawn.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    'Lord, ' said Zachariah, 'appoint to me a sign. ' 'Thy sign,' God said, 'is that thou shalt not speak, save by tokens, to men for three days. And mention thy Lord oft, and give glory at evening and dawn.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    He said, 'My Lord, make for me a sign. ' He said, 'Thy sign is that thou shalt not speak to men for three days, save by gesture; but remember thy Lord much, and celebrate His praises in the evening and the morning.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign. " The angel said, "The sign unto you is that you shall not speak to men for three days, save by gesture; but remember your Lord much, and celebrate His praises in the evening and the morning."

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    He (Zakariyya) said, "Lord! Set for me a sign. " He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to mankind for three days, except by tokens. And remember your Lord much, and extol (Him) at nightfall and before the risings of the sun."

  • George Sale

    Zacharias answered, Lord, give me a sign. The angel said, thy sign shall be, that thou shalt speak unto no man for three days, otherwise than by gesture: Remember thy Lord often, and praise him evening and morning.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    He said: "O my Lord! Give me a Sign!"; "Your Sign, " was the answer, "Shall be that you shall speak to no man for three days except with signs (and gestures). Therefore celebrate the Praises of your Lord again and again, and glorify Him in the evening and in the morning."

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    He said, `My Lord! give me some instruction. ' (The Lord) said, `The instruction for you is that you shall not speak to the people for three days (and nights) except by gestures, and remember your Lord a good deal and glorify (Him) in the evening and early (in the) morning.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    He said, ‘My Lord, grant me a sign. ’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except in gestures. And remember Your Lord greatly, and glorify Him morning and evening.’