Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of The Glorious Koran. An Explanatory Translation (1930)

that which was forbidden to us, and indulged in that which was made lawful for us. And our people became hostile to us and tormented us, and sought to turn us from our religion that they might bring us back to the worship of idols from the worship of Allah Most High, and that we might indulge in those iniquities which before we had deemed lawful.

“And when they persecuted and oppressed us, and hemmed us in, and kept us from the practice of our religion, we came forth to thy land, and chose thee above all others, and sought thy protection, and hoped that we should not be troubled in thy land, O King!

“Then the Negus asked him: Hast with thee aught of that which he brought from Allah? Ja‘far answered: Yes. Then the Negus said: Relate it to me, and Ja‘far recited to him the beginning of Kâf, Hâ, Yâ, A‘în, Ṣad” — the Arabic letters with which this Sûrah begins, such letters being generally used instead of titles by the early Muslims. Therefore this Sûrah must have been revealed and wellknown before the departure of the emigrants for Abyssinia.

An early Meccan Sûrah, with the possible exception of vv. 59 and 60, which, according to some authorities, were revealed at Al-Madînah.

Mary

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

1. Kâf, Hâ, Yâ, A‘în, Ṣad.¹

2. A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zachariah.

3. When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret,

4. Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord.