Among Descendants of  Israel there were two noble born sisters. One was named Hanneh and the other Ashia. Zechariah proposed to Ashia and Emran, a monk and a leader of Descendants of  Israel proposed marriage to Hanneh. At last Ashia married Zechariah and Hanneh married Emran. Long years passed and Zechariah had no child due to her wife’s being infertile, but Emran and Hanneh had a daughter named Mary. After her father died, Zechairah supervised Mary before she was born and as her mother had prayed when she was pregnant, Mary was taken to Mosque of Jerusalem to serve there.

Zechariah was a man of prayers, but he was wondered witnessing that God granted to Mary summer fruits in Winter. He had prayed God to grant to him a child as his heir for a long time, but he it had no result. Probably Zechariah was no more hopeful for having a child, because he and his wife were both old (it has been narrated that he was 120 years old). But, he found out that he could enjoy the fruit of child in his old age, just as Mary could have summer fruits in another season. It was the time, when he requested God: Oh! My God grant to me a pure child, as you hear my prayers. (Sura: Al-Emran, verse: 38)

It was not late when the angels called him who was standing at altar, praying God: “Thou! Zechariah! God promises to you John! While the word of God (Jesus) confirms him and he will be the leader and the master and will be far from fancy, a pious prophet of God. (sura: Al-Emran, verse: 39)

Soon, Zechariah’s wife was pregnant and John was born and Zecharia and his wife could have a son after the years of having remained hopeful.

When Mary was pregnant upon God’s will, without having a husband, Satan motivated Descendants of Israel to offend Mary plainly for she was pregnant and that it was done by Zechariah. The same ugly offence made a number of sinister to decide to kill Zechariah and attached him. He escaped them and approached a tree in the desert. The tree began to talk and said: Thou! The prophet of God, come near!” Zechariah approached the tree. The tree split. Zechariah entered the trunk of the tree and it was closed and this way the tree sheltered him. Satan neared and captured a corner of Zechariah’s gown out of the trunk. Then they saw a group of people were searching for someone. He asked them: “Whom are you searching for?” they replied: “we are searching for Zechariah.” He said: “he neared this tree and spelled the tree, so the tree split and he entered it. The piece of his gown is a sing of his spell. They found an ax and cut the tree and sawed the trunk. This way, Zechariah was innocently martyred.

God was anger of the ignored hard hearted people and made the worst of his creatures influence on them and took the revenge of Zechariah.

After martyrdom of Zechariah (p.b.u.h.) God sent the angels to his pure body. They bathed his body and wrapped it with shroud and come to him three days repeatedly to pray on him and then they buried him.

Baharol Anvar, volue: 4, page: 179

Narrated from the book of Stories of Quran by Mohammad Mohammadi Eshtehardi