Zechariah and John The Baptist
In the Bible and the Quran, Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist. In Surah 19 we have the story of Luke 1 and it’s been radically changed. I don’t know the exact reason why the author of the Quran decided to make these changes but here are a few things that I noticed.
In Luke 1, Zechariah talks to an angel. In Surah 19 he talks directly to the Lord. We also have the fact that all of the Temple details are removed from Surah 19. In Luke there are numerous references to the fact that he is a priest and in the Temple performing his priestly duties. The only hint of any of that in Surah 19 is in verse 11 where it talks about him exiting the “sanctuary”.
The biggest difference is probably the silence of Zechariah. It’s not merely details dropped like it is with the Temple. Here’s how the Quran narrates it:
He said, ‘Lord, how can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I am old and frail?’ He said, ‘This is what your Lord has said: “It is easy for Me: I created you, through you were nothing before.”‘ He said, ‘Give me a sign, Lord.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will not speak to anyone for three full [days and] nights.’
– Surah 19: 8-10
Here’s the Biblical version of the story:
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens. because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Luke 1: 18-20
Again, notice the angel in the Biblical version but lack thereof in the Quran. The angel specifically identifies himself as Gabriel. Also, notice the silence. The exact same words aren’t there but the meaning is the same. In the Bible, Zechariah doubts and is punished with silence. In the Quran, after Zechariah doubts, he asks for a sign and he’s made silent for three days.
One of these narratives is wrong and it’s obviously the Quran. The Quran heavily edited the Biblical episode. Zechariah has doubts about the promise of John so he asks for a sign? This makes no sense. If it’s a false promise, he’ll go home to a wife who won’t get pregnant. Whether or not she’s pregnant with John will be the sign. Also, how would this silence prove that his wife will get pregnant with John?
In the Bible, this isn’t a mystery at all. Zechariah doubts and he’s punished for it; end of story. Many times in the Quran, it tries to airbrush the shortcomings of messengers and prophets. In this narrative it still recorded the doubts but only changed the divine reaction. Because of this edit, it made absolutely no sense. The Quran tried to fix a “problem” and ended up making far less sense.
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