13 Preface وَحَنانًا مِن لَدُنّا وَزَكاةً ۖ وَكانَ تَقِيًّاYusuf AliAnd piety (for all creatures) as from Us, and purity:1 He was devout,John the Baptist did not live long. He was imprisoned by Herod, the tetrarch (provincial ruler under the Roman Empire), whom he had reproved for his sins, and eventually beheaded at the instigation of a woman with whom Herod was infatuated. But even in his young life, he was granted (1) wisdom by God, for he boldly denounced sin: (2) gentle pity and love for all God’s creatures, for he moved among the humble and lowly, and despised “soft raiment”: and (3) purity of life, for he renounced the world and lived in the wilderness. All his work he did in his youth. These things showed themselves in his conduct, for he was devout, showing love to God and to God’s creatures, and more particularly to his parents (for we are considering that aspect of his life): this was also shown by the fact that he never used violence, from an attitude of arrogance, nor entertained a spirit of rebellion against divine Law. (R).