It is narrated from Nawf al-Bikali; he said: Zakariyya (peace be upon him) called upon his Lord and said: "My Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring; indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication" [Surah Al Imran: 38] . "Indeed, my bones have weakened and my head has blazed with grey hair" [Surah Maryam: 4] , and he recited the verses onward. Then he said: "How can I have a boy, when I have reached extreme old age?" [Surah Maryam: 8] . "He said: Thus it will be; your Lord has said: It is easy for Me, and I created you before, when you were nothing" [Surah Maryam: 9] . "Zakariyya (peace be upon him) said: My Lord, appoint for me a sign" [Surah Maryam: 10] , that is, by which I may know that You have answered my supplication. "He said: Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, though being sound" [Surah Maryam: 10] . Nawf al-Bikali said: "So his tongue was sealed for three days and their nights, and he could not speak although he was perfectly healthy." "So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signalled to them to glorify (Allah) morning and evening" [Surah Maryam: 11] . "O Yahya, hold fast to the Scripture with strength; and We gave him wisdom while still a child" [Surah Maryam: 12] . He recited the verses from here until "and the day he will be raised alive" [Surah Maryam: 15] .