Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

“O Zachariah: We bring thee glad tidings of a lad whose name is John. We have not made a namesake for him before.”

يَا زَكَرِيَّٓا اِنَّـا نُـبَشِّرُكَ بِغُـلَامٍۨ اسْـمُهُ يَحْيٰىۙ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِياًّ
Ya zakariyya innanubashshiruka bighulamin ismuhu yahya lamnajAAal lahu min qablu samiyya
#wordmeaningroot
1yāzakariyyāO Zakariya
2innāIndeed, We
3nubashiruka[We] give you glad tidingsبشر
4bighulāminof a boyغلم
5us'muhuhis nameسمو
6yaḥyā(will be) Yahya
7lamnot
8najʿalWe (have) assignedجعل
9lahu[for] it
10minbefore
11qablubeforeقبل
12samiyyan(this) nameسمو
  • Aisha Bewley

    ‘Zakariyya! We give you the good news of a boy named Yahya, a name We have given to no one else before. ’

  • Progressive Muslims

    "O Zachariah, We give you glad tidings of a son whose name is John. We have not given that name before to anyone."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    He was told, "O Zachariah! We give you the good news of a boy whose name shall be Yahya (John the Baptist). We have never given this name to anyone before." (19:65).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    “O Zachariah: We bring thee glad tidings of a lad whose name is John. We have not made a namesake for him before.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    "O Zachariah, We give you glad tidings of a son whose name is John. We have not given that name before to anyone."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    "O Zachariah, We give you glad tidings of a son whose name/attribute is Yahya (John). We have not used that name/attribute for anyone before."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    "O Zachariah, we give you good news; a boy whose name shall be John (Yahya). We never created anyone like him before."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    "O Zachariah, " (it was) said, "We give you good news of a son by name of John. ' To none have We attributed the name before."

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

    , "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before name."

  • Muhammad Asad

    a son whose name shall be John. `Never have We given this name to anyone before him."

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    (It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him).

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    (He was told): "Zechariah, We bring you the good news of the birth of a son whose name shall be Yahya (John), one whose namesake We never created before."*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    He was told: "O Zakariya, We relate to you the divine edict of a happy event: it is the procreation of a son named Yahya whose appellation We designated to no one before".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    (In response God told him): "O Zechariah, I give you the good news: A son whose name shall be John. No one like him has ever been created before".

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    (Allâh said) "O Zakariyyâ (Zachariah)! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son, whose name will be Yahyâ (John). We have given that name to none before (him)."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    (His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    ˹The angels announced,˺ "O Zachariah! Indeed, We give you the good news of ˹the birth of˺ a son, whose name will be John—a name We have not given to anyone before."

  • Taqi Usmani

    (Allah said) "O Zakariyyā, We give you the good news of a boy whose name is YaHyā. We did not create any one before him of the same name."

  • Abdul Haleem

    ‘Zachariah, We bring you good news of a son whose name will be John––We have chosen this name for no one before him.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    'O Zachariah, We give thee good tidings of a boy, whose name is John. No namesake have We given him aforetime.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    'O Zachariah! verily, we, give thee glad tidings of a son, whose name shall be John. We never made a namesake of his before.'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    To be my heir (or true representative) and the heir (or true representative) of the family of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, one with whom you are well-pleased. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    "O Zakariyya, surely We give you good tidings of a youth whose name is Yahya (John). No namesake have We given him earlier."

  • George Sale

    And the angel answered him, O Zacharias, verily We bring thee tidings of a son, whose name shall be John; We have not caused any to bear the same name before him.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    (Zakariyya's prayers were answered, and Allah said): "O Zakariyya (Zachariah)! Verily, We (Allah) give you the good news of a son: Whose name shall be Yahya (John): On no one by that name have We given (so much) honor before. "

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    (God accepted his prayer and said, ) `Zachariah! We give you the glad tidings of (the birth of) a son, named Yahyâ (- John, - who will live long). We have made none like him (in your house) before this.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    ‘O Zechariah! Indeed We give you the good news of a son, whose name is ‘‘John. ’’ Never before have We made anyone his namesake.’