فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَليِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَايِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ
Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in the Mihrab,
meaning, the angels spoke to him directly while he was secluded, standing in prayer at his place of worship.
Allah told us about the good news that the angels delivered to Zakariyya,
أَنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَـى
Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya,
of a child from your offspring, his name is Yahya.
Qatadah and other scholars said that;
he was called Yahya (literally, `he lives') because Allah filled his life with faith.
Allah said next,
مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
believing in the Word from Allah.
Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said, and also Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abu Ash-Sha`tha, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, and several others said that the Ayah,
مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ
(believing in the Word from Allah) means,
"Believing in `Isa, son of Maryam."
وَسَيِّدًا
And Sayyidan,
Abu Al-Aliyah, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and Sa`id bin Jubayr said that;
Sayyidan, means, a wise man.
Ibn Abbas, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that;
Sayyidan means, "The noble, wise and pious man."
Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Sayyid is the scholar and Faqih. `Atiyah said that Sayyid is the man noble in behavior and piety. `Ikrimah said that it refers to a person who is not overcome by anger, while Ibn Zayd said that it refers to the noble man. Mujahid said that Sayyidan means, honored by Allah.
Allah's statement,
وَحَصُورًا
And Hasuran, (chaste),
does not mean he refrains from sexual relations with women, but that he is immune from illegal sexual relations.
This does not mean that he does not marry women and have legal sexual relations with them, for Zakariyya said in his supplication for the benefit of Yahya,
هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً
(Grant me from You, a good offspring), meaning, grant me a son who will have offspring, and Allah knows best.
Allah's statement,
وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
A Prophet, from among the righteous.
delivers more good news of sending Yahya as Prophet after the good news that he will be born. This good news was even better than the news of Yahya's birth.
In a similar statement, Allah said to the mother of Musa,
إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَـعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
Verily, We shall bring him back to you, and shall make him one of the Messengers. (28;7)
When Zakariyya heard the good news, he started contemplating about having children at his age.
Allah said