Zakariyya was amazed when his supplication was answered and he was given the good news of a son. He became extremely overjoyed and asked how this child would be born to him, and in what manner he would come. This was particularly amazing because his wife was an old woman who was barren and had not given birth to any children in her entire life. Even Zakariyya himself had become old and advanced in years, his bones had become feeble and thin, and he had no potent semen or vigor for sexual intercourse. The Answer of the Angel

[قَالَ]

(He said:) That is, the angel, in his response to Zakariyya and his was amazement.

[كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَىَّ هَيِّنٌ]

("Thus says your Lord: `It is easy for Me...''') Meaning the birth of the son will be from you and from this wife of yours and not from any other (woman).

[هَيِّنٌ]

(easy) Meaning, it is simple and easy for Allah to do. Then he (the angel) mentioned to him that which is more amazing than what he was asking about. The angel said that the Lord said,

[وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئاً]

(Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!) This is similar to Allah's statement,

[هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنسَـنِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئاً مَّذْكُوراً ]

(Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning) [76:1]

[قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِى ءَايَةً قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَـثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيّاً - فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنَ الْمِحْرَابِ فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ أَن سَبِّحُواْ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيّاً ]

(10. He [Zakariyya] said: "My Lord! Appoint for me a sign.'' He said: "Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect.'') (11. Then he came out to his people from the Mihrab and he indicated to them by signs to glorify [Allah] in the morning and in the afternoon.)