قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ قَالَ كَذَلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ ﴿۴۰﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ لِي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ ﴿۴۱﴾ وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿۴۲﴾

﴾40﴿ Qaala Rabbi annaa yakoonu lee ghulaamunw wa qad balaghaniyal kibaru wamraatee 'aaqirun qaala kazaalikal laahu yaf'alu maa yashaaa'
﴾41﴿ Qaala Rabbij 'al leee Aayatan qaala Aaayatuka allaa tukalliman naasa salaasata ayyaamin illa ramzaa; wazkur Rabbaka kaseeranw wa sabbih bil'ashiyyi wal ibkaar
﴾42﴿ Qaala Rabbij 'al leee Aayatan qaala Aaayatuka allaa tukalliman naasa salaasata ayyaamin illa ramzaa; wazkur Rabbaka kaseeranw wa sabbih bil'ashiyyi wal ibkaar

﴾40﴿ Zakariya (peace be upon him) said, "O my Lord, how can I have a child when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?" He (the angel) said, "So it will be; Allah does whatever He wills."
He said, "O my Lord, appoint for me a sign." He (the angel) said, "Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much, and glorify Him in the evening and morning."
﴾41﴿ He said, "O my Lord, appoint for me a sign." He (the angel) said, "Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much, and glorify Him in the evening and morning."
﴾42﴿ And when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and preferred you above the women of all the worlds."

[40] The purpose of this question was to ask about the manner of creation—whether both of them would become young again, or whether he would marry another woman, or whether in this same state a child would be born.
The answer was given that in this very state of old age, a child would be born.
This does not mean denial, because such denial is far from the status of a prophet.
[41] He asked for a sign so that he could express much gratitude.
The sign was that Allah prevented him from speaking worldly words for three days, and this was a form of fasting in that religion, or his tongue was restrained.
Frequent remembrance means to believe in the oneness of Allah and to act according to the sunnah, and the purpose is to continue the call to the oneness of Allah.
The phrase "in the evening and morning" refers to all times.
Since he himself requested the sign, it is not correct to say that Allah punished him for it, as is written in the Gospel, and this is a distortion.
[42] The first superiority, by "has chosen," refers to the five qualities mentioned in verse 37.
The second superiority is that Allah granted her a child without a man, which does not occur among other women of the world.
"The angels" is a plural used with the meaning of singular, meaning Jibril (peace be upon him) spoke to her, and this is an honor for Mary (peace be upon her).