سُوْرَةُ مَرْيَمَ
Surah Maryam (19) — Ayah 7
يَـٰزَكَرِيَّآ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَـٰمٍ ٱسْمُهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(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)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰزَكَرِيَّآ
yāzakariyyā
O Zakariya
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, We
نُبَشِّرُكَ
nubashiruka
[We] give you glad tidings
بِغُلَـٰمٍ
bighulāmin
of a boy
ٱسْمُهُۥ
us'muhu
his name
يَحْيَىٰ
yaḥyā
(will be) Yahya
لَمْ
lam
not
نَجْعَل
najʿal
We (have) assigned
لَّهُۥ
lahu
[for] it
مِن
min
before
قَبْلُ
qablu
before
سَمِيًّۭا
samiyyan
(this) name
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
7. (Allah said:) "O Zakariya! We give you good news of a boy whose name will be Yahya. We have not given this name to anyone before him [9]."
[9]
Yahya—A Name Chosen by Allah Himself:
When Allah accepted the prayer and gave the glad tidings of a son, He Himself also chose the name, and such a unique name that no one before had ever been given this name. Yahya is a supplicatory name, meaning "may Allah grant him long life." Just as among us, names like Jeewna or Jeewani are given, and among the Arabs, 'Aish and 'Aisha. Also, the name can be in the sense of an attribute, as in ﴿وللّٰه الاسماء الحسنيٰ﴾, which can mean "the best names of Allah" or "the best attributes." In this sense, it would mean that no one before has had such a good character.
[9]
Yahya—A Name Chosen by Allah Himself:
When Allah accepted the prayer and gave the glad tidings of a son, He Himself also chose the name, and such a unique name that no one before had ever been given this name. Yahya is a supplicatory name, meaning "may Allah grant him long life." Just as among us, names like Jeewna or Jeewani are given, and among the Arabs, 'Aish and 'Aisha. Also, the name can be in the sense of an attribute, as in ﴿وللّٰه الاسماء الحسنيٰ﴾, which can mean "the best names of Allah" or "the best attributes." In this sense, it would mean that no one before has had such a good character.
