Children and Heirs of Faith
رَبِّ إِنِّي، وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي، وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ. رَبِّ شَقِيًّا، وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِنْ، وَرَائِي، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا، فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ، وَلِيًّا يَرِثُنِي، وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ، وَاجْعَلْهُ. رَبِّ رَضِيًّا.
رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِنْ وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا
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“My Lord, indeed the bones within me have grown weak, and my head has become aflame with grey hair, and never have I been, in my supplication to You, my Lord, wretched. And indeed I fear the kinsmen after me, and my wife is barren, so grant me from Yourself an heir who will inherit from me and inherit from the family of Ya‘qub, and make him, my Lord, pleasing.”
Form: The description of infirmity (lisaan al-haal) and the petition “hab lee” (هَبْ لِي — grant me) and “ij‘alhu” (اجْعَلْهُ). A model of supplication for righteous offspring in a state of physical weakness and old age.
Tafsir of Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Saadi
Sheikh as-Saadi writes: “Zakariyya turned to Allah in a hidden whisper out of deep reverence. He mentioned his old age and his grey hair as a means of drawing near to the mercy of Allah, for the Most High shows compassion to the elderly.”
Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir
Ibn Kathir explains: “The inheritance for which Zakariyya asked is the inheritance of prophethood, knowledge and the call to Allah, and not material property, for the prophets do not leave behind an inheritance in dirhams.”
Tafsir al-Baghawi
“…He said: ‘My Lord! Indeed, I have become old, and my bones have grown weak…’” They became weak and frail.
“…and my head has flared up…” That is, the hair on my head has turned white “…with grey hair…” with grey hair.
“…and I have never been, in my supplications to You, my Lord, unblest…” He said: “You have always answered my supplication in the past and never disappointed me.”
There is also the opinion that the meaning is: When You called me to believe, I believed and did not turn away from faith, thereby condemning myself to misery.
“…And indeed, I fear for my close relatives…” “Close relatives” in this verse refers to the sons of his paternal uncle.
Mujahid said: “Heirs who receive inheritance after the shares have been distributed.”
Abu Salih said: “Heirs who inherit through the collateral line.” Al-Kalbi said: “Heirs in general.”
“…after me…” after my death. Ibn Kathir read “min wara’iya” with a fatḥah on the yā’, while others read the yā’ with sukūn. “…and my wife is barren…” she does not bear children. “…so grant me from Yourself…” give me from Yourself. “…an heir…”
“…who will inherit from me and inherit from the family of Ya‘qub…”
Abu ‘Amr and al-Kisa’i read “yarithni” and “yarith” with sukūn on the sīn, expressing the sense of a supplication. Others read “yarithuni” and “yarithu” with ḍammah on the sīn, making it an adverbial expression of manner and a description. That is, a close heir.
There is disagreement regarding this inheritance. Al-Hasan said: “He will inherit my wealth, and from the family of Ya‘qub, prophethood and leadership.”
There is also the opinion that he would inherit prophethood and knowledge.
There is also the opinion that he would inherit leadership, because Zakariyya was the foremost among the scholars.
Al-Zajjaj said: “The more correct opinion is that inheritance of wealth is probably not meant here, since it is unlikely that Zakariyya, being one of the prophets, would fear that the sons of his paternal uncle might inherit his wealth. The meaning is that he feared that the sons of his paternal uncle would abandon belief in Allah; he also feared that they would alter the principles of the Faith, as he had already seen the descendants of Isra’il replace the Faith and kill the prophets.
Therefore, he asked his Lord for a righteous child to whom he could entrust his community, and who would inherit from him prophethood and deeds, so that the Faith would not be lost. This is the meaning of the words of ‘Ata’, transmitted from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father).”
“…and make him, my Lord, pleasing…” That is, righteous, guarded against sins, and one with whom You are pleased.
In Sahih al-Bukhari (No. 3087) it is reported from the Prophet: “We, the prophets, do not leave an inheritance. What we leave behind is charity (sadaqah).”