Maryam: (7) O Zakariyya, indeed We...

There are several issues discussed here:

Issue 1: Who is the Caller in "O Zakariyya"?

There is a difference of opinion regarding the one who calls out, "O Zakariyya."

The Majority View: It is Allah Almighty.

• Evidence: The preceding verses indicate that Zakariyya (peace be upon him) was addressing and supplicating Allah, as seen in His words: "My Lord, indeed my bones have grown weak" (Maryam: 4), and "And I have never been, in my supplication to You, O my Lord, unsuccessful" (Maryam: 4), and "So grant me..." (Maryam: 5). The subsequent verses show he was addressing Allah when he said, "How can I have a boy..." If the verses before and after this one are a discourse with Allah, then the call must originate from Allah; otherwise, the coherence of the text is broken.

The Minority View: It is the Angel (Malak) calling him.

• Evidence 1: The verse in Surah Al 'Imran: "Then the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, 'Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of Yahya...'" (Al 'Imran: 39).
• Evidence 2: When Zakariyya (peace be upon him) said, "How can I have a boy when my wife is barren and I have reached extreme old age?" (Maryam: 8), Allah replied, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me...'" (Maryam: 9). They argue that this reply cannot be the speech of Allah, so it must be the speech of the Angel.

Rebuttal:

• To Evidence 1: It is possible that there were two calls: a call from Allah and a call from the Angels.
• To Evidence 2: We will explain, God willing, that the statement, "He said, 'Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me...'" can indeed be the speech of Allah.

Issue 2: If the Supplication was Permitted, Why the Good Tidings? If it was Unpermitted, Why Did He Proceed?

The Answer: This matter was specific to him (Zakariyya). Therefore, it is permissible that he asked without explicit prior permission. Alternatively, perhaps he was permitted to ask, but the timing of the answer was unknown to him, so the good tidings were delivered.

Issue 3: The Meaning of "We have not appointed for him a namesake before" (لم نجعل له من قبل سميا)

The commentators have two main interpretations:

Interpretation 1 (The view of Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Ikrimah, and Qatadah): No one before him was named this name (Yahya).

Interpretation 2: The term sami (namesake/equivalent) means a peer or equal, as in the verse: "Do you know a namesake for Him?" (Maryam: 65). This interpretation is further divided:

• Sub-view 2a: He was a master (sayyid) and abstinent (hasur), who never sinned or even intended to sin. This is seen as an answer to Zakariyya's plea, "And make him, O Lord, one acceptable [to You]" (Maryam: 6). It is said: We give you good tidings of a boy whom We have not previously made similar in piety. Whoever is like this is supremely acceptable.
  • Critique: This view is weak because it implies his superiority over previous Prophets like Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, which is agreed upon as false.

• Sub-view 2b: All people are named by their fathers and mothers after they come into existence. However, Yahya (peace be upon him) was named by Allah before his existence. This was one of his unique characteristics, meaning he had no peer or equal in this specific distinction.

• Sub-view 2c: He was born to an old man and a barren old woman.

Conclusion on Interpretation: The first interpretation (that no one before him shared the name) is stronger. Carrying the meaning of sami as "peer" or "equal," while it conveys praise and exaltation, is deviating from the literal meaning without necessity, which is impermissible.

Regarding Allah's statement, "Do you know a namesake for Him?" (Maryam: 65), we deviated from the literal meaning there because the context was: "So worship Him and be patient with His worship. Do you know a namesake for Him?" (Maryam: 65). It is known that merely being named by that Name does not necessitate worshipping Him. For this reason, we deviated from the literal meaning there. However, here, there is no necessity to deviate from the literal meaning, so it must be applied. Furthermore, being unique in that name is a form of glorification, as we observe that if a king has a famous title, his entourage does not adopt it but leaves it out of respect for him. Similarly, here.

Issue 4: Why He Was Named Yahya (John)

Al-Tha'labi narrated several reasons for him being named Yahya:

1. From Ibn Abbas (RA): Allah revived his mother's barrenness through him.
2. From Qatadah: Allah revived his heart through faith and obedience. Allah names the obedient as alive and the disobedient as dead, as in: "Or was one who was dead and We gave him life..." (Al-An'am: 122) and "When He calls you for a [single] call..." (Al-Anfal: 24).
3. Revival through Obedience: He was revived through obedience such that he never sinned or intended to sin. 'Ikrimah narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "There is no one except that he has sinned or intended to sin, except Yahya ibn Zakariyya, for he never intended [a sin] nor did he commit one."
4. From Abu Al-Qasim ibn Habib: He was martyred, and martyrs are alive with their Lord, based on: "And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord..." (Al 'Imran: 169).
5. From 'Amr ibn 'Abdullah Al-Maqdisi: Allah revealed to Abraham (peace be upon him) to tell Isarah (her name was thus) that He would bring forth from her a servant who would not intend sin, whose name would be Hiyy. She was asked to give up one letter from her name, and she gifted a letter from her name, so he became Yahya (Y-H-Y-A), and her name became Sarah (S-R-H).
6. He was the first to believe in Jesus ('Isa): His heart became alive through that faith. When Yahya's mother was pregnant, she met Maryam, who was also pregnant with 'Isa. Yahya's mother said to Maryam, "O Maryam, are you pregnant?" Maryam asked, "Why do you ask?" She replied, "I see what is in my womb prostrating to what is in your womb."
7. Religion is revived through him: Because Zakariyya asked for him specifically for the sake of religion.

Critique of these views: These views are weak because the derivation of meaning (ishtiqaq) is not sought in proper names (appellations/titles). Scholars of verification state that proper names stand in place of indications and do not convey any attribute of the named entity whatsoever.

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