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 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.
So We answered his prayer and granted him Yahya, and made his wife fit for bearing a child. Indeed, they used to hasten towards good deeds, and would call upon Us with hope and fear [80], and they were humble before Us.
[80]
Those Who Hope for Paradise and the Sufis:
Some Sufi individuals say that the person who worships Allah in hope of Paradise or out of fear of His punishment is not a true lover, and they have spread this view so much that even the general public could not remain unaffected by it. Thus, a poet says:
“This is not a trade, it is the worship of God;
O unknowing one, even abandon the desire for reward.”
However, Allah describes this quality of the Prophets that they used to call upon Us with hope and fear. Thus, in this verse, there is a complete refutation of such Sufis, for who can be a greater lover of Allah than the Prophets?
[80]
Those Who Hope for Paradise and the Sufis:
Some Sufi individuals say that the person who worships Allah in hope of Paradise or out of fear of His punishment is not a true lover, and they have spread this view so much that even the general public could not remain unaffected by it. Thus, a poet says:
“This is not a trade, it is the worship of God;
O unknowing one, even abandon the desire for reward.”
However, Allah describes this quality of the Prophets that they used to call upon Us with hope and fear. Thus, in this verse, there is a complete refutation of such Sufis, for who can be a greater lover of Allah than the Prophets?
