2 Preface ذِكرُ رَحمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبدَهُ زَكَرِيّاYusuf Ali(This is) a recital1 of the Mercy of thy Lord to His servant Zakariya.The Mercy of God to Zakariya was shown in many ways: (1) in the acceptance of his prayer; (2) in bestowing a son like Yahya; and (3) in the love between father and son, in addition to the work which Yahya did as God’s Messenger for the world. Cf. 3:38-41 and notes. There the public ministry was the point stressed; here the beautiful relations between the son and the father.