Qur’anic du‘a study · TC-DUA-037
Qur’an 21:89 records Prophet Zakariyya asking not to be left alone and praising الله (ALLAH) as the best of inheritors. The following verse speaks of the response and of a family that hastened to good deeds, called upon Him in hope and fear, and remained humbly devoted. The passage requires tenderness around infertility, loss and different family circumstances.
1. Place the request in Zakariyya’s story
Read Qur’an 21:89–90 and compare the fuller narratives in Surahs Al ‘Imran and Maryam. Zakariyya’s request comes from his own prophetic life. The Qur’an records his age, concern and hope without making his experience a measure by which every family is judged.
The closing words, “You are the best of inheritors,” acknowledge that الله (ALLAH) remains when creation passes. The request is not merely about possessing a child; it ends by returning ownership and permanence to Him.
2. Read every part of the ayah
Qur’an study · Al-Anbiya’
Ayah 21:89
A full learner transliteration is not displayed here. Listen to the complete ayah and use the Arabic with a capable teacher rather than guessing its sounds from English letters.
Transliteration can help you begin, but it cannot reproduce every Arabic sound or replace listening, tajwid study, or correction from a capable teacher.Read from right to left. Each column keeps one Arabic word, its reading aid and its contextual gloss together. Select a word to hear it.
Each word card: Arabic · reading aid · contextual gloss
Saheeh International is the primary reading. The two named comparisons make translation choices visible; none is presented as the Arabic Qur’an itself.
And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while You are the best of inheritors."
And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors.
And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: "O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors."
Sources used for this ayah panelOpen the Arabic, audio and translation notes
- Arabic and word segmentation
- Quran Foundation Quran.com Content API snapshot for Qur’an 21:89. The selected riwayah and Mushaf text field are recorded with the source data.
- Reading aids
- A full learner transliteration is not displayed; use the recitation and Arabic with a capable teacher. Transliteration is not Qur’an.
- Word audio and contextual glosses
- Quran Foundation word data. Glosses help align words; they are not presented as a complete translation.
- Named translations
- Saheeh International (resource 20), M. Pickthall (resource 19), and A. Yusuf Ali (resource 22).
- Complete recitation
- Mishari Rashid al-‘Afasy, Quran Foundation recitation resource 7.
Listen to the full recitation. Word cards show the direct call, the request not to be left alone and the closing praise. Keep these parts together. Quoting only the middle may make the verse sound like a demand, while the ending restores humility.
Named translations use “alone”, “childless” or related wording to convey the context. The Arabic request is concise. Translation helps the learner understand; it is not itself the Arabic Qur’an.
Pronunciation support. Begin with the complete recitation, then select the individual word-audio buttons from right to left. A Latin-letter reading aid can point towards a sound, but it cannot reproduce every Arabic letter, vowel length or rule of recitation. Keep the Arabic visible, listen repeatedly and ask a capable teacher to correct you. Do not become embarrassed by a slow beginning: accurate learning is built through attentive repetition, not through pretending confidence.
Word-by-word support. Each card keeps one Arabic word, a reading aid and a contextual gloss together. A gloss is deliberately short and may supply English words that belong to the phrase rather than to a stand-alone dictionary definition. Reconstruct meaning from the complete ayah and its named translation; do not manufacture a new translation by joining the glosses mechanically.
3. Hope without entitlement
A person may ask الله (ALLAH) for a child, family support or righteous companionship. The ayah does not establish that every sincere request will be answered with pregnancy, nor that childlessness is punishment. Outcomes belong to divine wisdom, and people deserve care whatever their family form.
Do not tell someone to repeat the verse a certain number of times to guarantee conception. Do not market the du‘a as fertility treatment. Such claims add a promise the verse does not make.
4. Responsible action alongside supplication
Someone pursuing fertility care may seek qualified medical assessment, ask about benefits and risks, and obtain appropriate religious guidance for specific procedures. Someone grieving may need time, counselling and community support. Du‘a can accompany each path.
Create a support list that is not limited to the hoped-for outcome: a trusted friend, clinician, counsellor, scholar and practical helper. This widens care without reducing the sincere request.
A ten-minute study routine. Listen once without pausing. Listen again while following the Arabic. Read the primary translation, then compare one sentence in the other named translations. Choose no more than three Arabic words to practise. Finish by explaining the request in your own plain language while keeping the Quranic wording separate. On a later day, return without looking at your earlier explanation and see what you remember.
Respectful printing. If you print the ayah panel, print only when it will be used, keep the page clean and do not leave Quranic text where it may be stepped on or discarded casually. The print control includes the Arabic because the learning purpose is to become familiar with the actual Quranic wording, not merely an English paraphrase.
5. Teaching children about different families
Explain that families are formed in different ways and that every child and adult deserves dignity. Avoid classroom questions that require learners to reveal infertility, adoption, loss or private family histories.
A child can learn the verse as an example of asking الله (ALLAH) with hope and praising Him at the same time. The teaching goal is not to make the child predict how every prayer will be answered.
6. Sensitive-language boundaries
Use “person experiencing infertility” or the words a person chooses for themselves. Do not blame, diagnose or suggest that a specific sin caused a private hardship. Do not pressure couples to disclose treatment decisions.
This study is Quranic education, not fertility, medical or legal advice. It also does not decide detailed rulings on assisted reproduction, adoption or inheritance; those questions require qualified, case-specific guidance.
Translation transparency. Saheeh International is displayed as the primary English reading, alongside the named Pickthall and Yusuf Ali translations. Differences in English wording do not create three different Qur’ans; they make human translation choices visible. The Arabic remains the Quranic source. Where a translation sounds unclear or old-fashioned, compare the complete sentence and consult a qualified teacher rather than silently rewriting the quotation.
Mastery check. Before marking the resource complete, answer four questions: Who speaks in the Quranic passage? What is requested? Which surrounding ayahs establish the setting? What claim must not be added to the text? A learner has not mastered the resource merely by reaching the bottom of the page. Completion records reading progress; accurate understanding is shown by a careful explanation, responsible conduct and willingness to correct mistakes.
Continue through the du‘a learning hub or return to the learning library.