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Prophet / MessengerPhase 1 · Adam to IsaMajor figure

Prophet Zakariya (AS)

زكريا

c. 1st century BCE (approximate) date disputed

An elderly prophet of the Children of Israel and guardian of Maryam, who found provision from Allah with her in the sanctuary. He prayed privately for an heir, and Allah granted him Yahya despite his old age and his wife's barrenness.

Biography

When Maryam was dedicated to the sanctuary, Zakariya was chosen by lot to be her guardian (3:37; 3:44). Whenever he entered her prayer chamber (mihrab) he found provision with her, and she said 'It is from Allah' (3:37). Moved by this, he prayed for righteous offspring (3:38).

In Surah Maryam he called his Lord privately, saying his bones had weakened and his head was white with grey, and asked for an heir to inherit from him and from the family of Yaqub (19:3-6). Allah gave him glad tidings of a son named Yahya (19:7). As a sign, he could not speak to people for three nights/days except by gesture (3:41; 19:10). Allah praised his family: 'They used to hasten to good deeds and call upon Us in hope and fear, and they were humble before Us' (21:90).

The Prophet ﷺ said Zakariya was a carpenter (Sahih Muslim). The Mi'raj hadith describes Yahya and Isa as maternal cousins (Sahih Muslim 162a; the meeting itself is also in Sahih Bukhari 3207), implying a family tie between Zakariya's household and Maryam's.

Stories of his martyrdom (e.g. being sawn inside a tree) come from later traditions and Israiliyat, not Sahih Hadith.

Sources & explanation

۞ Qur'an

3:37 3:38 3:39 3:40 3:41 3:44 6:85 19:2 19:3 19:4 19:5 19:6 19:7 19:8 19:9 19:10 19:11 21:89 21:90

Links open quran.com.

📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 3207 Sahih

    The Mi'raj: the Prophet ﷺ met Adam, Yahya and Isa, Yusuf, Idris, Harun, Musa and Ibrahim in successive heavens.

  • Sahih Muslim 2379 Sahih

    Zakariyya was a carpenter.

💬 Explanation Unverified

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective

Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: The Quranic account is primary; martyrdom legends are treated as unverified tradition.

Empires in their lifetime

  • Herodian kingdom of Judea 37 – 4 BCE
    Luke 1:5 places Zechariah "in the days of Herod, king of Judea" (Christian tradition).
  • Roman Empire 27 BCE – 395 CE
    Lived in Judea in the period of Roman domination (approximate dating).

Further references

  • Quran 3:37-41
  • Quran 19:2-11
  • Quran 21:89-90
  • Sahih Muslim (Zakariya a carpenter)
  • Sahih Bukhari 3207
  • Sahih Muslim 162a

Connections

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