[Pooya/Ali Commentary 3:40] Aqa Mahdi Puya says: In view of Zakariyya's observation that old age has overtaken him and his wife was barren, it becomes clear that the meaning of anna is "how", because till then they did not have any child at all; therefore, anna cannot be translated as "when" in this verse unless the translator is an Ahmadi (Qadiyani) who has done so on account of his determined policy to oppose miracles tooth and nail. In verse 47 of this surah he translates anna as "how". Although in both these verses anna (how) signifies the sense of surprise and indicates the events of the births of Isa and Yahya as miracles effected by the will of Allah, the Ahmadi commentator, in this verse, inserts a wrong word, and in verse 47, after translating anna as "how" puts forward lame arguments to deny Maryam's virginity (see commentary of verse 47 of this surah). The statement that "Allah does whatsoever He wills" settles irrevocably the birth of Yahya as a definite miracle. "But they had no children, for Elizabeth (Zakariyya's wife) was barren, and both were well on in years. Zachariah said to the angel: How can I be sure of this? I am old and my wife is well on in years. (Luke 1: 7 and 18) Qad balaghaniyal kibaru (when indeed old age has overtaken me) is not a conjunctive clause. It is an adverbial subordinate to the principal clause. The word wa, used on two occasions in this verse, means "while", not "and", otherwise the answer would not correspond to the question, clearly suggesting surprise. If it was to mean what the Ahmadi commentator thinks, the answer should have been mahma yasha instead of ma yasha, because in answer to a question about time "whatsoever" (the way in which) cannot be used.