Quran 3:40 — Aal-i-Imraan, verse 40
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
He said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when I am so old and my wife is barren?’ [An angel] said, ‘It will be so: God does whatever He will.’
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ
qāla rabbi annā yakūnu lī ghulāmun waqad balaghaniya l-kibaru wa-im'ra-atī ʿāqirun qāla kadhālika l-lahu yafʿalu mā yashāu
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- 'Lord,' said Zachariah, 'how shall I have a son, seeing I am an old man and my wife is barren?' 'Even so,' God said, 'God does what He will.'
- Muhammad Asad
- [Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when old age has already overtaken me, and my wife is barren?" Answered [the angel]: "Thus it is: God does what He wills."
- Sahih International
- He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He [the angel] said, "Such is Allāh; He does what He wills."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 2 | رَبِّrabbi | My Lord | ربب |
| 3 | أَنَّىٰannā | how | أني |
| 4 | يَكُونُyakūnu | can (there) be | كون |
| 5 | لِىlī | for me | — |
| 6 | غُلَـٰمٌۭghulāmun | a son | غلم |
| 7 | وَقَدْwaqad | and verily | — |
| 8 | بَلَغَنِىَbalaghaniya | has reached me | بلغ |
| 9 | ٱلْكِبَرُl-kibaru | [the] old age | كبر |
| 10 | وَٱمْرَأَتِىwa-im'ra-atī | and my wife | مرأ |
| 11 | عَاقِرٌۭ ۖʿāqirun | (is) [a] barren | عقر |
| 12 | قَالَqāla | He said | قول |
| 13 | كَذَٰلِكَkadhālika | Thus | — |
| 14 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 15 | يَفْعَلُyafʿalu | does | فعل |
| 16 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 17 | يَشَآءُyashāu | He wills | شيأ |