SURAH AL-E-IMRAN: 38-39

TRANSLATION:

[3:38]

Thereupon, Zakariyya prayed to his Lord. He said: .O my Lord, grant me from Your own (power) a goodly progeny. Verily, You are the One who listens to the prayer. [12]

[3:39]

So then, when he stood praying in the place of worship, the angels called out to him saying: .Allah gives you the good news of Yahya who shall come to confirm a word of Allah [13], and shall be a chief, abstinent (from women) [14], a prophet and one of the righteous.

INTERPRETATION:

[12] Hazrat Maryam AS used to receive out of season fruits by the grace of Allah Ta'alah. Upon seeing this it occurred to Hazrat Zakariyya AS that the same God who could give her out of season fruits could also grant him a child in old age. Therefore, he made the prayer.

[13] The term "Word of Allah" (کلمتہ الّٰلہ) mentioned in this verse refers to Hazrat Essa (AS). As has been mentioned in the beginning of this Surah he is called "کلمتہ الّٰلہ" because he was born without a father with Allah's word "کن". Hazrat Yahya AS was born before Hazrat Essa AS and verified his arrival. 

[14] It has been mentioned as a special characteristic of Hazrat Yahya AS that he will have full control over his innate desires. Even though this characteristic is common to all the Prophets but it was especially mentioned in relation to Hazrat Essa AS because he remained so engrossed in praying to Allah Ta'alah that he did not develop a desire to get married. Even though under normal circumstance Nikah is Sunnah and people have been encouraged to do Nikah, but if someone has as much control over his innate desires as Hazrat Yahya AS had then it is okay for him to remain a bachelor.