General Description of Zakariyah

The years had taken their toll on the Prophet Zechariah (Zakariyah) . He was now old and bent with age, in his nineties. Despite his feebleness, he went to the temple daily to deliver his sermons.

Zechariah was not a rich man, but he was always ready to help those in need. His one disappointment in life was that he had no children, for his wife was barren. This worried him, for he feared there was no one after him to carry out his work. The people needed a strong leader, for if they were left on their own, they would move away from Allah's teachings and change the Holy Laws to suit themselves.