﴿ قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ﴾

“[Zachariah] exclaimed: "O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when old age has already overtaken me, and my wife is barren?" Answered [the angel]: "Thus it is: God does what He wills."”

He said �My Lord! How shall I have a boy when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barrenḍ� He said 'so it will be.� �God does what He will.� It is said that there was a long time between his petition and the reply and because of that he said �How shall I have a boyḍ� It may mean that he said �By what right would I receive a response [to my prayer] if not by Your favorḍ�93 It may mean that he said �How shall this be: by adoption or sexual procreationḍ� It may mean that [he questioned] whether this was to be from a woman other than his wife since she was [also] of advanced age [that is] from taking a slave as a concubine. So it was said to him �No not through these means for both you and your wife have suffered loneliness together so the good news of the son is for both of you.�