And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary at worship When the petitioner asks and remains at the door the request is granted to him. This alludes to the fact that anyone who needs something from kings should remain at the door until the request is granted. It is said that the ruling of God سبحانه is such that He only responds to the request of those who embrace service khidma to Him and He casts those who turn away from obedience into the lowliness of estrangement. that “God gives you good tidings of John who shall confirm a word from God; a lord and one chaste and a prophet of the righteous.” It is said that he named him John Yaḥyā because of the life ḥayāt of his heart through God. Exegetical writings tell us that the barrenness of his mother was brought to life ḥayy through him. It is said that [the name means] the quickening of life in the heart of one who believes in Him. His saying who shall confirm a word from God Allāh means his con- firmation of the word Allāh by which he worshiped Him or that he was brought into being by the word of God. His saying a lord: The lord is one who is not in bondage to any created thing. He has been freed taḥarrara from captivity to whims and from [captivity to] any created thing. It is said that the lord is someone who has actualized his servanthood ʿubūdiyya to [God] سبحانه. It is said that the lord is the one who is superior to the people of his age and John was such. It is said lord because he did not seek any station for himself nor did he view himself as having any worth. When he dedicated himself in humility to God in every way [God] caused him to rise above the group and made him a lord to all. His saying and one chaste that is liberated from passions and spared from carnal human properties despite being human. It is said that [it means] being protected from the demands of his lower self restrained from that through [his] engagement in exaltation [of God] and seeking to draw near [to Him]. It is said his restraint came from being uprooted by the intuitions of realities coming to him such that he no longer had any preference for worldly things. And a prophet of the righteous that is he was worthy of attaining their rank.
