سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 90
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ ﴿90﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahyâ (John), and cured his wife (to bear a child) for him. Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا
fa-is'tajabnā
So We responded
لَهُۥ
lahu
to him
وَوَهَبْنَا
wawahabnā
and We bestowed
لَهُۥ
lahu
on him
يَحْيَىٰ
yaḥyā
Yahya
وَأَصْلَحْنَا
wa-aṣlaḥnā
and We cured
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
زَوْجَهُۥٓ ۚ
zawjahu
his wife
إِنَّهُمْ
innahum
Indeed, they
كَانُوا۟
kānū
used (to)
يُسَـٰرِعُونَ
yusāriʿūna
hasten
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ
l-khayrāti
good deeds
وَيَدْعُونَنَا
wayadʿūnanā
and they supplicate to Us
رَغَبًۭا
raghaban
(in) hope
وَرَهَبًۭا ۖ
warahaban
and fear
وَكَانُوا۟
wakānū
and they were
لَنَا
lanā
to Us
خَـٰشِعِينَ
khāshiʿīna
humbly submissive
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 90) ➊ { فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهٗ وَ وَهَبْنَا لَهٗ يَحْيٰى وَ اَصْلَحْنَا لَهٗ زَوْجَهٗ:} By “rectifying his wife” is meant removing her barrenness and making her capable of bearing children. Here, there is a question that apparently the sequence should be: We accepted his prayer, rectified his wife for him, and granted him Yahya, because the stage of the child comes after the wife is rectified. The answer is that the “waw” (and) is not always for sequence. Here, the mention of granting Yahya (peace be upon him) comes first because the prayer was for a son, so to state the acceptance of the prayer, the granting of Yahya is mentioned first, then the answer is given to the question of how a son was born from such an old and barren wife.
➋ { اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا يُسٰرِعُوْنَ فِي الْخَيْرٰتِ :} That is, Zakariya (peace be upon him), his wife, and Yahya (peace be upon him) used to hasten in good deeds and would call upon Us with hope and fear, and were humble only before Us. It can also mean that among all those prophets whose mention has passed before, these three qualities were found in all of them. It is understood that for the acceptance of prayer, these three things are of great importance. It is also understood that these great people did not have the ability to grant healing, remove difficulties, or grant children, rather, they used to hasten in good deeds and would pray to Allah Almighty alone with fear and hope, and Allah Almighty, considering their great status in servitude, would accept their prayer in a miraculous way.
➌ {وَ يَدْعُوْنَنَا رَغَبًا وَّ رَهَبًا :} That is, they used to call upon Us in such a way that on one hand, they had hope for Our reward, and on the other hand, fear of Our punishment, and this is the highest level of servitude, as He said: «{ يَدْعُوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَّ طَمَعًا }» [ السجدۃ : ۱۶ ] “They call upon their Lord in fear and hope.” Some Sufi elders say that worshipping Allah out of desire for Paradise or fear of Hell is bargaining; worship should be only for Allah’s pleasure. This verse refutes them; the noble prophets are at the highest level of closeness to Allah, and regarding them it is said: «{ يَدْعُوْنَنَا رَغَبًا وَّ رَهَبًا }» That is, they used to call upon Us in such a way that on one hand, they had hope for Our reward, and on the other hand, fear of Our punishment, and this is the highest level of servitude. Ignorant Sufis do not know that Paradise will be attained by Allah’s pleasure and Hell is the result of Allah’s wrath. As for bargaining, Allah Himself has made a bargain with His servants, He said: «{ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اشْتَرٰى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ اَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ }» [ التوبۃ : ۱۱۱ ] “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise for them.”
➋ { اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا يُسٰرِعُوْنَ فِي الْخَيْرٰتِ :} That is, Zakariya (peace be upon him), his wife, and Yahya (peace be upon him) used to hasten in good deeds and would call upon Us with hope and fear, and were humble only before Us. It can also mean that among all those prophets whose mention has passed before, these three qualities were found in all of them. It is understood that for the acceptance of prayer, these three things are of great importance. It is also understood that these great people did not have the ability to grant healing, remove difficulties, or grant children, rather, they used to hasten in good deeds and would pray to Allah Almighty alone with fear and hope, and Allah Almighty, considering their great status in servitude, would accept their prayer in a miraculous way.
➌ {وَ يَدْعُوْنَنَا رَغَبًا وَّ رَهَبًا :} That is, they used to call upon Us in such a way that on one hand, they had hope for Our reward, and on the other hand, fear of Our punishment, and this is the highest level of servitude, as He said: «{ يَدْعُوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَّ طَمَعًا }» [ السجدۃ : ۱۶ ] “They call upon their Lord in fear and hope.” Some Sufi elders say that worshipping Allah out of desire for Paradise or fear of Hell is bargaining; worship should be only for Allah’s pleasure. This verse refutes them; the noble prophets are at the highest level of closeness to Allah, and regarding them it is said: «{ يَدْعُوْنَنَا رَغَبًا وَّ رَهَبًا }» That is, they used to call upon Us in such a way that on one hand, they had hope for Our reward, and on the other hand, fear of Our punishment, and this is the highest level of servitude. Ignorant Sufis do not know that Paradise will be attained by Allah’s pleasure and Hell is the result of Allah’s wrath. As for bargaining, Allah Himself has made a bargain with His servants, He said: «{ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اشْتَرٰى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ اَمْوَالَهُمْ بِاَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ }» [ التوبۃ : ۱۱۱ ] “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise for them.”
