Dua of Prophet Zakaria with explanation

Analysis of the dua of Hazrat Zakaria in Surah Maryam:

1. Secret Dua — When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret نِدَآءً خَفِيًّ۬ا
   I don’t tell anyone about my pain and sorrows. I only tell Allah about my pain and ask Allah to remove it. Why should I tell people when no one cares for me more than my Allah, and no one can do anything for me except my Allah?
2. No means of the physical world to have a child
   a. Lord, my bones have weakened — إِنِّى وَهَنَ ٱلۡعَظۡمُ مِنِّى
   b. My head has turned hoary — وَٱشۡتَعَلَ ٱلرَّأۡسُ
   c. With (very old) age — شَيۡبً۬ا
   d. My wife is barren — وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرً۬ا
3. Thanking Allah for accepting all my prayers
   When we thank Allah for what we have, then Allah gives us more.
   (وَلَمْ أَكُنۢ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّ۬ا) — But never yet, O my Lord, has my prayer unto Thee remained unanswered.
4. Why I need a son:
   a. Because I want an inheritor to inherit the knowledge of my prophethood and forefathers:
   (يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ) — Who inherits me and inherits the house of Ya‘qub.
   b. Because I fear my kinsmen, as they are unable to inherit my knowledge or are not worthy enough to be custodians of Your house, Baitul Muqaddas:
   (وَإِنِّى خِفْتُ ٱلْمَوَٰلِىَ مِن وَرَآءِى) — I fear my kinsmen after me.
5. Already making dua for the future son to show firm belief (Yaqeen) and good suspicion (Zan) in Allah — that I am expecting my prayer to be accepted:
   (وَٱجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّ۬ا) — And make him, O my Sustainer, well-pleasing to Thee!
6. Acceptance of the power of Allah’s will
   After mentioning that I have no means of having a son, physically it’s not possible, Prophet Zakaria uses the word فَ, which means “Thus” or “Hence”, denying all worldly means and affirming the power of Allah:
   (فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّ۬ا) — Thus grant me a heir / Hence bestow me a son / So bless me a successor.

Prophet Zakaria does not give any importance to the power of physical means, and the word فَ used in his dua shows the extreme level of his firm belief in Allah. He knows that Allah has all the power to do anything without any means (as all means are Your own creations).

[Muhammad Rohail]